Are you looking for a surefire way to generate huge audience engagement on social media? Host a social media contest or giveaway! The rise of giveaways on Instagram and Youtube has helped companies gain attention from followers on social media, as well as build email lists, boost online engagement and build trusting relationships with their customers. 

Social media contests and giveaways are an excellent way to engage patients and acquire new ones. On average, 34% of new fans are acquired through contests on Facebook. There’s not much that compares to the excitement patients get when they win something, and it’s a great way to get your practice to stand out.

How to Run a Social Media Contest

Know the Rules

Every social media platform has specific rules for contests that you must abide by in order to remain in compliance. Before you publish your contest, make sure you read, understand, and follow each of the rules for the platform you’ve chosen. View the guidelines here.

Set your Goals

There are many reasons why you may want to run a social media contest. Whether that is to increase brand awareness, collect email addresses, or drive traffic to your website, you should outline your objective before you launch your contest. Once this is decided, you can then brainstorm what contest would perform the best in order to achieve this goal, and on what platform.

Decide a Prize and Budget

Did you know that the average value of a social media contest prize is $369? Now, we’re not saying you have to cough up this much, but what’s it going to take for your target audience to join your contest? Maybe it’s an exam fee reduction, a bonus item from your dispensary, or a discounted pair of blue-light frames.

Create your Post

Write your copy with the contest rules, the social media guidelines, the time frame, and eligibility. Once this is done, you can then create your assets. Make sure the assets should make it clear that you're running a giveaway and what the prize is.

Promote your Contest

After you create your post and publish it on social media, it’s time to promote. You can write a blog post, create a video, and/or send an email to your subscriber list. The more ways you can get it out the better.

Measure the Results

When your contest commences and you announce a winner, it’s time to measure your goals. Did you achieve what you set out to? Take a look at your social media metrics and see how it performed.

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