Marketing to SMBs via Contests

In this age of Twitter and Facebook, can marketing via contests still deliver results? In a word, yes – if they are executed well. In our most recent survey of SMB marketers, respondents rated contests effective at both generating awareness and leads. They can also be a good way to add some fun to your brand.

Use these guidelines to maximize your success with contests:

Be clear and relevant. Have a clear goal for your contest – awareness, leads, etc. Also have a clear offer or prize, which should be relevant to your offerings, and target SMBs at the relevant time during purchase / budget cycles and critical economic junctures. Example: Office Depot's Adopt a Small Business Contest.

Integrate promotion. The Web is an essential contest promotion vehicle, but don't forget other important channels – in-store, broadcast, email, direct mail, etc. – which together can multiply visibility and performance. Of those tactics, survey respondents rated email as the best-performing promotion tactic.

Solicit content. Ask contest entrants about their recession strategies, success secrets, etc. It's a great way to learn more about your customers and prospects, and to gather valuable content to use in other marketing programs. Example: The Intuit Small Business Grant Competition prompted entrants to share their stories.

Consider partnering. Partnering with other companies can help you defray costs and increase exposure. The caveat, though, is that survey respondents generally rated partner value as poor, so select your partners carefully. If you do partner, work with companies who bring strong complementary value. Example: Entrepreneur Magazine's Entrepreneur of 2009 contest features prizes from partners Delta and UPS.

And don't forget the analysis. A detailed post-mortem that examines entrant profiles, leads generated, sales and ROI can help you improve your next contest.

Email us (no story required – everyone's a winner) for the full survey results, and to learn how we can help you achieve your SMB marketing goals using contests.