A lot can be said about social media. It is the medium that we use every day and the medium that we will keep using every day. There are pros and cons of using social media in nearly every aspect, even online contests.
The reason why many of us are so attached to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram profiles is that a lot is going on there. We don’t want to miss out on the fun, so we keep browsing to see the latest happenings.
But considering the subject of this article is social media contests, we figured out we’d give you a rundown of the pros and cons of doing just that.
So with all that said, let’s start.
Pros: Help You Gain More Followers
Whenever a brand starts an online contest through their social profiles, the main goal is usually to gain more followers. By giving new audiences the simple task of following your account, you are gaining so much more. Not only do you give them the chance to win something in return, but you’ll also grow your business.
Pros: Get To Know Your Followers
There isn’t a better way to interact with your followers than through social media. And contests are an even better way to do that. By simply hosting a social media contest, you will give your followers the chance to win something. Not only that, but you can get to know them better, determine if they like the reward and if they like the contest.
Everyone wants free stuff, but it takes knowing your followers to determine if they’ll like the reward. There is only one way to get the answer to that question, which is by trial and error.
Cons: Can Be Frustrating
It’s safe to say that social media contests are a form of marketing. For the businesses, they gain more followers and give something in return. For the followers, they enter the chance to win a competition by doing something meaningless such as following a particular brand on Twitter. But it can also be quite frustrating for your followers, as there are only going to be a select few winners. So one way to make sure you come on top is to buy poll votes. The more votes you enter a contest, the better the chances of winning it.
Cons: Requires Resources
Since social media contests are a form of marketing, they will require extensive planning. Your social media team will have to come up with ways to make sure the event is successful. This means that your social media team has to make sure there’s enough hype around the event. Doing this will allow you to hit your goals.
The absolute last thing you’d want is for the event to come off as unsuccessful. If you don’t hit your goals, then you can go right ahead and call it a day. But one way to prevent that from happening is to put in a lot of resources. Through both internal and external help, you will get skilled at running social media contests.
