Starting an SMS sweepstakes or contest campaign can be a daunting task. Here is a step by step guide in how you can start one today. 

When it comes to finding a communication platform that engages customers well, nothing can match the technology of SMS texting. Customers want something that is efficient, quick, and exciting, and SMS texting provides all of that, especially with some of its features and use cases. Here at Trumpia, we want to highlight using SMS texting for sweepstakes and contests in order to make your campaigns more exciting. 

What are Text Messaging Sweepstakes? Also known as Text to Win campaigns, these sweepstakes are designed to allow businesses to run contests where their contacts are able to win prizes by simply completing a call to action. This call to action can range from anything including liking a post, opt- in to a new campaign, and so much more! This is truly a win-win situation for both sides - customers are able to receive free prizes while businesses can promote their branding and build stronger relationships. Who doesn’t want free stuff?

Starting an SMS sweepstakes or contest campaign can be a daunting task. Here is a step by step guide in how you can start one today for your company:

Determine who your audience is: your audience should be focused and centralized. Trying to reach everyone is not only counterintuitive, but ineffective. It is far better to guarantee that a smaller pool of people will engage rather than trying to reach everyone.  

Choose and market your prize: Choose a prize that not only makes sense, but would encourage people to continue business with your company. For example, if you are providing coupons, provide coupons for YOUR business. 

Finally, create a keyword: Keywords are what fuels SMS texting and all of our messaging campaigns. They provide an easy way to opt-in to a messaging campaign. 

Who can use SMS texting sweepstakes? Here are some of the key industries and use cases that you can start using SMS texting sweepstakes for:

• Church: Encourage congregations to receive messages and become members through a quick and easy contest. Joining a subscriber list can equal one raffle ticket that is thrown into a draw for a big prize. These prizes can be a discount to a retreat, coupons to a local store, and so much more!
• Hotels: With everyone traveling again, who would not want exclusive deals to hotels and airfare? Run another sweepstake campaign and offer free hotel stays. If you need people to boost your social media presence, share about your company, or even just to increase business with your customers, include all of these as your call to action!
• Retail: If you are a retailer that provides any service or high quality product, you NEED to start using SMS contests today. A great incentive that you can give to your customers is to set up a point system where purchases all build up to a point system. Create it so that when a customer reaches a certain amount of points, they receive free products! This is a great way to boost existing business while guaranteeing that customers will come back for more.