How many competitions are there running on the net at this time? 1000 maybe? Nah, 100,000 is more than likely and when they pass their closing date there will be just as many to take their place.
So, why are companies so desperate to give away free stuff just for answering a question or two? I'll tell you why...
...because it is an INCREDIBLY effective and very INEXPENSIVE way to get your company name mentioned on hundreds, if not thousands of websites, message boards, forums, blogs and conversations both in the online and offline world, not to mention the good PR it generates - that's why!
Who doesn't want their company name-dropped all over the place for what amounts to mere peanuts when compared to the costs of traditional advertising?
There are thousands of specialist competition and freebie sites whose sole purpose is to inform the rest of the internet when a new competition or freebie offer hits the internet. There are as many mailing lists, newsgroups, message boards and blogs on the same subject and YOUR company name could be plastered over all these when you add a competition giveaway to your site.
But it doesn't stop there.
If you are reading this as a webmaster then you obviously know all the major search engines look upon inbound links as being one of the main deciding factors in deciding which pages rank where in the organic search engine results. All these free, one-way inbound links pointing directly at your website are pure gold dust in terms of increasing your link popularity and thrusting you up towards the top of the search engines.
Whilst everyone else is rushing around participating in link exchange programs, renting links on websites, buying their way into search directories and more costly measures to help get the jump on their competitors, you could be flying up the rankings by giving away something as cheap as a $20 DVD once a month.
Of course, you can also make your generosity work extra hard for your business as well and really milk that competition freebie... Rather than just give one lucky visitor a chance to win something when they leave their details at your site how about some of these ideas to get a double hit from your freebie:
1) Newsletter Competition
A competition give-away to everyone who signs up with your newsletter. Draw an email address from the hat every month and announce it in the newsletter and you'll treble your subscription rate and keep them reading. Want to ensure they really read it? Ask a question about a specific aspect of the newsletter and get people to email it in and draw a winner from one of the entrants. You get more subscribers AND you ensure they're reading!
2) Newsletters again...
Add a checkbox to your competition entry page, order page etc. offering people the chance to sign up for your newsletter (making sure to offer the hook of exclusive newsletter give-aways, freebies, coupons etc. of course) and you've got a bunch of new subscribers. This is a less effective means of building your mailing list but it still works.
3) The Scavenger Hunt Competition.
Get people to browse around your website to give you the answers to a question or two you propose. Think "By how much is the Super Megatron 2000 reduced by this month"? and use these questions to direct people to your latest promotions and offers. Not only do you get all those extra visitors from blogs and comeptition sites like you wanted, but you also show these extra visitors the highlights of your site which will either encourage them to buy there and then or bookmark you for future reference rather than hitting and running.
4) The Repeat Competition Hook
Giving away different freebies in your competitions each month ensures two things. Firstly, competition addicts (of which there are many) will hit your site every month giving you a chance to market your offers to them at least once a month. Secondly, you ensure those search result boosting links continue to multiply every month...
...and so on. If there is any aspect of your website or business you feel is a real hook and worth promoting to customers then a decent competition used correctly is the perfect way to highlight it to a wide audience without spending a fortune on advertising.
But hang on, this isn't the ONLY way to use competitions to your own advantage. Another great way is to not run your own competition at all but to simply SPONSOR a competition on another site. Getting into a small competition sponsorship deal with a high traffic site in a related (but non-competiting) subject area can bring some awesome targetted traffic your way. If they archive their competition results and past sponsorships, then that's another one-way link you got into the bargain as well.
The possibilities here are endless and it's not going to cost you anything more than a few bucks each month in order to start the ball rolling.
So what are you waiting for?
Mark Falco is the webmaster and owner of dvd rental services and dvd rental services.
recurring cleaning service Mundelein ..You have your site into the search engines, but where... Read More
Is your website looking alittle bare? It's okay, you're about... Read More
Do you know why your website is not making money... Read More
Viral Marketing is allowing people to giveaway and use your... Read More
If you want your customers to keep coming back To... Read More
Do you want to achieve extra-ordinary success in your online... Read More
When the economy is down, your website sales may go... Read More
There's such a thing as taking search engine optimization too... Read More
One of the most frequent questions I get asked by... Read More
1. Using Hidden Links to increase subscribers or for a... Read More
You may have created and established the best Web site... Read More
1. Give people a free subscription to your e-zine. Almost... Read More
Keeping in touch with other sites like Amazon.com, Buy.com and... Read More
Getting a loyal traffic base for your website is an... Read More
Giving away content is a powerful way to get free... Read More
With all the "How To" articles, and great advice available... Read More
Would it surprise you to know that Compaq Computer? outsources?... Read More
Website promotion Internet marketing is perhaps the most important part... Read More
Every good marketing plan should have a section on ongoing... Read More
Assuming that it is legal to do so in your... Read More
You have invested your time and money into putting up... Read More
Promoting your website might seem like an enormous task that... Read More
Most webmasters are familiar with the concept of reciprocal linking.... Read More
Before one can fully understand the importance and necessity of... Read More
If you desire to succeed in internet promotion, you must... Read More
tidy up service Buffalo Grove ..If your website is not generating a lot of sales... Read More
Website promotion Internet marketing is perhaps the most important part... Read More
With learning about online promotion, there is so much information... Read More
With the web today you "sorta haveta" have a rank... Read More
It is said that content is king, but today 'fresh,... Read More
1. Generate Targeted Traffic from Online Discussion Forums.Online discussion forums... Read More
Is your website looking alittle bare? It's okay, you're about... Read More
Web site traffic promotion on the cheap is labor intensive... Read More
If your website sales are down and you desire to... Read More
Who me? Track?Now I realize some turn a blind eye... Read More
You have invested your time and money into putting up... Read More
Most new webmasters face the same conundrum: how can I... Read More
If you are like most webmasters, your goal is to... Read More
You may ask, what is perpetual marketing?Perpetual marketing means when... Read More
With all the "How To" articles, and great advice available... Read More
You can learn many things you didn't know about your... Read More
Hundreds of millions of people have spent thousands of dollars... Read More
How much does an advert in Yellow Pages cost? How... Read More
Benefits of Website Localization Maximising profit today... Read More
Are you making money from your website?Will you like to... Read More
Culture and Website Localization With the rise... Read More
Some Internet marketing experts have claimed that the best way... Read More
When setting up your website for SEO (Search Engine Optimization)... Read More
We get so caught up with internet marketing and "web... Read More
Interested in boosting your link popularity, raising your Google PR,... Read More
Web Site Promotion |