Businesses Should Run Social Media Contests In-Store

With the In-Store iPad Revolution coming to businesses across the globe, it opens up the possibility for running creative contests in-store. These marketing contests can be designed to build relationships with customers, sell products and services, AND ALSO for collecting social media connections and e-mail addresses. Consumers love winning “things” and are willing to participate in some pretty ridiculous contests in order to win such things (see all reality TV shows as just one example).

All businesses are looking for ways to get more customers through their doors. Contests are a great way to do that. Usually contests lead to a small uptick in sales/business activity, but unless a consistent line of communication is open with contest participants, their interest in your business slowly wanes. Businesses must get connected with contest participants on social media so that they can continue the relationship with contest participants, which can ultimately turn contest participants into repeat customers. OnSpot Social and iPad allow businesses to get connected to contest participants on Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail while customers are in their store.

In-Store Social Media Contest Ideas

The first thing any business has to do if they want to get customers to come out for the contest is to come up with a really creative contest idea. Remember, one of your most important goals is to get contest participants to use OnSpot Social to ‘Like’ your business on Facebook, follow your business on Twitter, and/or provide you with their e-mail address, so you must include time for customers to use the iPad in-store during the contest. You can integrate OnSpot Social into the contest as much, or as little, as you like. Perhaps you simply want to ask contests participants to use OnSpot Social when they arrive or as they are going to leave? Or you could integrate it into the contest by having customers provide you with their e-mail address or Like your business on Facebook as part of what they have to do to win the contest. Either way you handle it, getting customers in your store is great on a number of levels, but in order to truly turn contests into repeat sales opportunities you must get connected to contest participants on social media and e-mail. OnSpot Social and iPad can help you do that.

Here are a few contest ideas that businesses can use to collect social media connections and e-mail addresses from contest participants:

• Sporting event contest in your store parking lot – shoot baskets, football toss, skateboard competition, etc.
• Product quiz – See how much contestants know about your products, services, and business
• Design contest – Have contestants build/design something (anything from building a table to designing back-to-school outfits for kids)
• Bake off – Have contestants bring in their best recipe, bake it in store and allow contestants to vote for their favorite

These are just a few of the countless in-store contests that you can run in order to get customers to connect with you on social media. Take some time to think about your business and your target audience and then come up with a fun way that you can interact with them in the form of a contest. Then determine the best way to incorporate using OnSpot Social and iPad to get contest participants to connect with your business on social media.

Benefits of Running Contests In Your Store

Once you come up with the idea for your in-store contest, it’s time to execute. By running your in-store contest your business is going to benefit in a number of different ways. In-store contests provide your business with:

• An opportunity to build strong(er) relationships with customers
• Time to educate customers on your products, services, industry, and the latest information about your business
• New sales
• More Facebook ‘Likes’, Twitter followers, and customer e-mail addresses if you use OnSpot Social during the contest

As you can see, running a social media contest in your store can be a great way to increase your Facebook ‘Likes’, Twitter followers, and customer e-mail list. Purchase OnSpot Social today. You’ll be running your first in-store social media contest in no time!