Text messages have been recognized as a relevant and important part of companies' marketing campaigns. This allows companies to promote specific products or services in a way that will get people's attentions.
Since most people carry their phones with them throughout the day, they are more likely to read the messages and respond.
This has led many companies to utilize texting contests to increase awareness of their brand or products.
Fast and Easy with Big Rewards
The reason texting contests are so popular is because they are easy to do.
Companies choose a word or phrase to have the contestants text to a number to be entered in a competition. It only takes a few seconds to enter, and the prizes are often pretty impressive. For instance, Skittles has a competition to award two tickets to an NFL game in the 2016-2017 season. You can enter daily.
Even though the odds are small that you will win, it doesn't cost much but time and possibly a surcharge on your phone. It's much easier than mailing an entry or filling out a form online.
Because it's easy, you increase the number of people who participate, which helps your company increase its brand awareness.
People Like to Win
As the article, “5 Reasons Why Texting Contests Work” says, people enjoy being winners.
When they know they can enter every day or five times a day if they send out a code or phrase in a text message, it feels like they increase their odds. They are more likely to follow through, especially if the prize is something they want.
For instance, Mars Chocolate held a texting contest where the person could enter once per day to win a trip to Miami, Florida for a professional stock car race. Included in this prize were hotel accommodations for three nights and air transportation. They also won special access passes and $500 spending money, along with a few other special bonuses.
This prize was worth entering every day during the time period allowed and resulted in many people paying more attention to Mars and signing up for email notifications.
Get Valuable Analytics Information
SimonMalls is an example of a prize that provides valuable information.
People enter a code that is found on a mall sign or heard in radio ads or seen on the company's website.
The prize is a $1,000 shopping spree. People who enter this contest are interested in the store and what the company has to offer.
Choose a prize or create a contest based on your goal.
If you want to see how popular a product is, offer it as a prize. If you want people to become more interested in your brand or give you their phone numbers and sign up for text message notifications from your company, run a contest that has a desirable grand prize.
Because texting is quick and easy, holding texting contests is a great way to get people's attention.
Use it to teach them about your brand or to inspire interaction and loyalty to your company and help your business to grow.