Introducing a little friendly competition to your customers to allow them to win some cool prizes is always a fun thing to do. And depending upon the types of prizes you make available to your customers, it has the potential to really change things for the better for them.
Examples
- James Chartrand does it as well with an essay contest she conducts each time she opens up enrollment for her writing course for business owners. The winner of the contest wins a scholarship to the course.
- Nerd Fitness held a contest to coincide with the launch of some eBooks. By engaging members of the community to take a challenge for how much they could transform their body over a specified time period, they were able to garner lots of participation, and excitement along with some friendly competition.
Suggestions
- Contests don’t have to be elaborate to be effective. They can be super simple with small giveaways that don’t even have to cost much money.
- Try implementing a contest that runs on an annual basis. That way, your customers can look forward to it every year, and enlist others to get involved to join the fun.
Application for your business
- Brainstorm three types of contests you can run for your customers.
- Write down a simple plan for implementing the contest. What are the rules? What are the prizes? How many winners? How long will the contest run? What resources do you need to get started?
Previous tips
1-22. Section 1: Build a relationship with your customers (series)
23-48. Section 2: Make your customers’ lives better (series)
50. Play favorites (to your best customers)
51. Treat your customers like they are the most important customer in the world
52. Make your customers feel exclusive
53. Be thoughtful
54. Introduce a loyalty program
55. Give your customers an unexpected surprise
56. Bend the rules for your customers
57. Let your customers tell their story
58. Make your customers the star
59. Let your customers be a part of you
