Using,Contests,Part,Your,Marke marketing Using Contests as Part of Your Marketing Strategy
Automation technologies represent a fundamental aspect of any modern industry. The major types of industrial automation solutions, such as DCS, PLC, SCADA, and MES, are used on a large-scale in process and discrete industries.DCS technologie Awhile ago, I got an email from one of the "gurus" I follow and it shocked me. The gist of it was this person wanted to trade services for a household item.To say it floored me would be an understatement.What was worse was a few days later t
You may be thinking, How is running a contest where I givesomething from my business away for free to the lucky winnermarketing? Good question. Running a contest is a way to indirectlymarket your business to contestants. And when you approach running acontest for your business in a very strategic way, it can also be avery effective way to bring attention to your businessattention thatyou may not have otherwise gained.Its Free MarketingBefore unraveling the logistics of running a contest to market yourbusiness, sit down youre your favorite magazines and leaf through thepages until you hit a contest page. Most of the major magazinepublications run contests to give away fabulous products to theirreaders. When you find a contest page, take a look at the product(s) orservice(s) that are being given away. Hopefully, youre sitting downwhile reading this because all of the products and services being givenaway in the contest were donated by the companies for FREE.The reason? Companies donate their products and services forcontests free of charge because it is FREE publicity for the companyproduct or service (except the cost of the product itself). To take ita step further, not are you garnering attention from the readers of thepublication, but you can also promote the contest on your own websiteas press ore media coverage for your company. How much credibilitycould it lend your business if you are able to put on your website thatyour company has been featured in a major publication?Run it OnlineIf you run a contest only online, then youre increasing yourmarketing efforts without increasing your marketing spending or budget.Not only can you add a contest page to your website, but there are amultitude of blogs, directories and websites where you can submit yourcontest. This can drive thousands of new visitors to your website,which in turn provides you with thousands of leads for your business.Submitting your contest to these sites can also help you to build linksto your website, which is also a great way to gain rankings in themajor search engines.When you run a targeted contest that speaks to your niche market,contests can be one of the best free marketing methods available. Youcan also target websites and blogs that review products and servicesand offer readers a chance to enter a drawing for one of your productsor services as the prize, youre getting in front of your audiencewithout spending a dime (again, except for the cost of the product orservice). Bloggers and website owners are always on the lookout forcontent and are usually more than willing to review your products andservices and run a giveaway on their site for your business.Running a contest is one of the most effective ways to market yourbusiness for free. Running a contest can be used as an effective way togain attention for your product, service or business. It can also be agreat way to build your database list so that you can communicate withthem and convert them into paying customers. If visitors are interestedin winning your product or service, then they are probably potentialcustomers too. Also be sure to promote your online contest as much aspossible through all of your online marketing effortsemail blasts,social media networking, on your blog, on your business website and inthe signature block of your emails. Contest can attract new leads butits also a great way to reengage old ones.About the AuthorCopywriter and marketing consultant, Kristie Lorette, is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and businesses create copy and marketing pieces that sizzle, motivate, and sell. She is also the author of Action Marketing: A Step-by-step Guide to Launch Your Business Marketing Plan. For more information, visit http://wp.me/ptLrh-1.
Using,Contests,Part,Your,Marke