Using Prize Giveaways to Build Your Email List

Using giveaways is a great way to grow your email marketing list whether your business is online or off. Obviously you'll want to disclose that by your entrants giving you their information you'll be adding them to your newsletter and they'll get some great value out of this. We're doing a test now with this, hopefully we'll show you our positive results in a later post!

First Consultation Free - This is a great idea to get people in the door. Prospects will be enticed by your Free offer, and after using it they'll decide if they want to go back to you. Chances are they will if they've invested the time already. This is a great offer if you're a dentist, hair stylist, skin care professional, nutritionist or even home designer.

Chance to Win Free Dinner - Have a fishbowl or acrylic box for people to fill out a form or drop in their business card placed prominently at your establishment. Then do a weekly drawing so that people will have a better chance to win. Highlight your winner in your email marketing newsletter.

Thank You Gifts - Want better data for those who give you their email address? Why not send everyone who signs up a free gift. It doesn't have to be expensive to buy or ship, but in the end if what you want is an address for your users, you're sure to get one if you have to mail them something. Archaic huh? Here are a few promotional gift Ideas. Make sure you have your logo, information and website imprinted on them.

• Pens/highlighters (inexpensive and easy to mail)
• Magnetic Calendars
• Calculators
• Notepad
• Post-it notes

Here's a neat idea for getting information at a trade show or an event. Get an inexpensive laminator ($150-170) then laminator pouches (box of 500 is $25) and Luggage tags loops (500 is $25). When you ask someone for their information, ask them for 2 business cards. Then laminate one for them in a luggage tag with your business card back to back! For $200 you can collect 500 email addresses, not bad.

Enter to Win! - Fill out the required fields on a form on your site (VR offers one for free) and you'll be entered to win:

• $500 Shopping Spree on our Site
• $150 American Express Gift Card
• Dinner for 4 at a Popular Restaurant
• Case of our 2004 Cabernet - a $2000 Retail Value!
• We're Giving Away $5000 a Month, Enter to Win!

Then calculate how many email addresses you'll need for it to fit your model. For instance if you're giving a $1000 gift certificate and you get 200 entrants then it costs you $5 per entrant. If you can convert even 20 of your entrants to buyers that buy $100, you've made your money back plus hopefully more in the future.

I've already talked about how Ameriprise Financial uses free lunch giveaways here. Do you use a free giveaway? We'd like to hear how so give us a comment!

Comments

[sehiara]

Hi, I am a newbie to this community and I am John from US by the way and
looking forward to meeting everyone!

[Dental Spa]

"Do you have any info on if there are any legal requirements or disclaimers that you need to tell visitors when doing a drawing like those you suggested?"

I've also always wondered about this. And what prevents people from advertising something like this but then never following through with it?

[JimW]

Great ideas. Do you have any info on if there are any legal requirements or disclaimers that you need to tell visitors when doing a drawing like those you suggested?