Have you been looking for something
different to get your marketing campaign up and running? Do you need to put on
a glamorous event where the press can take lots of snaps and get your brand
name out there? If so, maybe it’s time to host a competition and winners’
reception! It’s not that difficult, and the rewards are manifold, and not just
for those who win.
How To Run Your Competition
Competitions are a great marketing
technique for any company to use. They get people sharing your event all over
social media, and local newspapers pick up on the story when the winners are
announced. These days, competitions happen everywhere, and many are internet
based. Yet if you have a design competition or short story writing contest for
your brand, you can gain even more publicity. Here’s the best way to go about
it.
Step 1: Decide on the Prizes
Before launching your competition, you have
a bit of background planning to get one. First of all, you need to decide when
you are opening, how long you are going to open the competition for, and if you
are going to allow international entries or only local. This last decision will
make an impact on your budget if you are hoping to pay for everyone’s travel expenses
to the awards ceremony, so make sure you know what your budget is! You’ll also
need to decide on what the prize is going to be. A cash prize is always
welcome, and this alongside a stay in a hotel and getting a meal at the awards
reception will definitely tick most people’s boxes and encourage them to enter.
Step 2: Set Up Your Website
In order to launch your competition, you’ll
need to start advertising on social media even before it opens! This way, you
will get peoples attention and they can get creating in preparation. Be specific about all the rules surrounding
entries. Whether it’s photography or poetry, people love to stretch the rules
so make sure that there’s no room for it! While social media will help you to
advertise, you are also going to need to create a website or a page on your
existing site for the competition. This is where people will find out all the small
print, submit their entries, and contact you if they have any queries. Having a
video promoting the competition is also a great way to catch people’s attention
and get them entering!
Step 3: Make Time to Choose Your Winners
Deciding who is winning the competition in
all the different categories takes time, so you need to plan ahead in such a
way that the judges have plenty of it in order to shortlist and choose their
favourites. If the competition closes and the winners are to be announced a
week later, then this gives a very tight timeframe for anyone to work through. Remember, you won’t know how many entries you
are going to receive until it happens, so you might get many more than first
expected. Make sure that your judges are well known for what they do, as this
will add prestige to the competition.
How to Host Your Winners Reception
Once you’ve got your winners chosen, it’s
time to host the fanciest awards ceremony that there’s ever been. If your aim
is for publicity, then you shouldn’t be afraid to splash out on some extras here
to make your winners and their guests feel really special. There are a few
things that you need to make sure and remember when organising this, but we
have you covered.
Step 1: Pick a Venue
There isn’t going to be a winners’
reception without somewhere fancy to host it in. You want your guests to feel
like they’ve stepped into an alternate reality for the evening, where champagne
is served, and everyone is dressed in their finest. Oh, and they get prizes as
well! Luckily, there’s no shortage of fancy venues in London. The one you go
for will depend both on your budget and the amount of people you are expecting.
For something really spectacular, there are a number of stately homes for hire
in London. These can be partially hired as well, as you’re unlikely to be using
all of the rooms.
Step 2: Choose Your Catering
At any type of ceremony such as this, good
food is going to be expected. While this doesn’t have to be in the form of a three-course
meal, don’t rule that option out either. Work with your venue to see what will
be best with them and look for local caterers that know the venue well and the
type of event you’re hosting. Take advice from them on the menu and on the way
that is should be presented. If it’s going to be a long day, ensure that there
are plenty of nibbles going around!
Step 3: Invite the Press
If you want to capitalise on the publicity
that an event like this brings, then you are going to have to invite the press
along as well. Develop good media kits to give them with all of the additional
information they need about the competition, the winners, and what is being developed
afterwards. You’ll need to ensure that there are plenty of photo opportunities
for everyone, and that the press have the chance to ask the winners a few
questions as well.
Running a competition and hosting a
dazzling winners’ reception is a great way to not only advertise your company,
but get the general public involved as well. Everyone loves the chance to win
something, and if it means showing off a talent at the same time, you’re sure
to be inundated with entries from hopefuls. Make sure that you plan ahead and
leave plenty of time to get everything done, and your competition is sure to be
a success.
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