Social media contests can increase brand engagement and fan base. Basic sweepstakes with low barriers to entry work well for new users or those without large existing audiences. User-generated content contests that allow participants to upload personal content invest them in the brand and tap into the human desire to compete. Facebook allows quick testing of contests and marketing campaigns to gauge response before a full launch. Contests should be part of a comprehensive social media strategy to fully leverage their benefits of increasing fan numbers, deepening customer connections, providing opportunities for recognition, and naturally engaging participants.

1. Social Media Contests For ROI
The contests offer a proven way to increase your Fan number; this is not the only metric to think about, but it is one
measure of the power of a promotion. A basic enter-to-win sweepstakes with a lower barrier to entry often provides
the best option for those just starting out with social media contests or without a large base of fans in place.
In addition to increasing the sheer number of people who interact with your brand, a contest provides a means to
deepen the connection as well. A user-generated content (UGC) promotion such as a photo or video contest is a
great way to do just that. UGC contests tap in to the human drive to compete, and they provide an opportunity for
everyone to experience their 15 minutes of fame. Most importantly, when participants upload their personal content
(e.g., a photo or story) to your promotion, they are naturally invested in your brand.
Facebook is the perfect platform for learning about your customers and testing marketing campaigns before you
launch them. Want to know if contests work? Try a small one on facebook and gauge response quickly. Facebook is
great for fast feedback.
If you want to get the most out of your page, you have to use it! This seems really basic, but too many companies
create a page and then never find the time to make updates. If you don’t have the time or resources to manage the
page and update it daily, find someone who can, or you could be wasting your time. Second, you need to have a
strong understanding of all of the functions. Sure, you can head to your wall and make updates, but do you take full
advantage of geo-targeted updates, photo albums, questions and events?
With 700 million Facebook users the opportunity is hard to ignore. The real question is whether you really
understand how to use these tools, and whether you can dedicate the time, money and resources required to run a
Facebook community.
Like other tools, contests can be extremely effective when used as part of a comprehensive social media strategy.
Any consumer facing organization, as well as many business-to-business enterprises, can take advantage of contests
to realize the four benefits highlighted.