I have the privilege of speaking at the #MiamiGetSocial networking and professional development event. The event brings together social media enthusiasts, professionals and thought leaders for an evening of dynamic, interactive learning.
The Social Media Association at FIU has invited recognized experts and moderators for 15-minute speed roundtable discussions. Participants will have the opportunity to pick three different topics of interest during the event. A full list of topics is below. I get to host the table about social media contests.
At rbb, I’ve had the honor of working on several award-winning online contests, from national brands such as Vlasic and Mrs. Butterworth’s to local and regional campaigns. So I’m excited to share my experiences and also learn from the other participants.
Here’s a little preview of some of the conversation we’ll be having at my table:
- Why social? What’s your objective? Is it to generate leads, drive web traffic, or collect customer insights? The answers to this will be a key step in developing the rest of your contest theme and mechanics.
- Who’s your target? Do your homework. Research on your target audience can help you figure out your theme, prize, and many other details. For example, for Mrs. Butterworth’s we uncovered that one in three of Mrs. Butterworth’s consumers are likely to visit theme parks. From that the idea was born to partner with Busch Gardens for our Family Fun Sweet-Stakes.
- Is it a contest or a sweepstakes? What’s the difference?
- What you’ll need. From a prize, rules, fulfillment and an amplification strategy, there are many things to consider.
- How to choose your primary channel? You may host it on one channel or many. Either way, you want to use multiple channels to promote it.
- How will the winner/s be determined? This must be decided in advance.
- Timing your contest. Here’s a hint: plan backwards from when you want to announce winners.
What are some of your favorite social media contests, past and present? What do you think makes them successful?
These are just a few discussion points. After the event, I’ll post more detail and some of the answers to these questions to help make your next social media contest a winner.
TOPICS, SPEAKERS & MODERATORS
Multicultural Marketing: Michael Sotelo (Facebook) & Karla Campos (Social Media Sass)
Live Video: What You Need To Know: Grant Stern & Aurora Hernández Calviño (SMA Alum)
Social Media in the News: Brandon Launerts (WSVN 7 News) & Beatrice E. Garcia (Deutsche Post DHL)
How to Become a Successful CEO: Benjamin von Seeger (President & CEO – BVS Consulting Group)
Power of Visual Storytelling: Juan Martin Salazar & Raquel Sánchez
Getting Ahead in Your Career: Personal Branding: Jairo Ledesma
Social Media Strategy: Sarah Socarras (Sony) & Rosemary Ravinal(Toyota)
Contests: Christine de la Huerta (rbb Public Relations) & Robertocarlos Carranza (FIU SMA)
Using Video to Establish Authority: David Berry (Zimmerman Advertising) &Chris Cabezas (Curtain Call)
Entrepreneurs & Startups: From Idea to Exit Humberto Alexander Lee(Tesser Health) & Etain Connor (High Tide Initiatives)
Social Media Tools: Nate C. Mendenhall (Hodes) & Regina Castañeda(Regal Digital Media)
Content Creation & Curation: David Verjano (Verjano Communications) &John D Saunders (5Four Digital Marketing)
Authentic Branding: Gabriela Guzman (The Jupiter Circle) & Daniella Veras(Digital Strategy Consultant)
Customer Service and Social Media: Cristina Armand (Miami Dade Aviation Dept) & Claudio Alegre (Venmark Media)
Strategic Social Media Content: Shelby Best (Royal Caribbean International) & Anna Butzlaff (Florida International University)
Generating Social Leads From a Global Network John Peter Mahoney(SocialMedia305) & Lauren-LoLo Evans (V Flocks Consulting)
Women in Technology: Josie Goytisolo (CODeLLA)
Cause Marketing Alison Thompson (The Third Wave) & Mariana Moura Santos (Knight chair of Innovation at FIU)
Maximizing Your Media ROI: Diego A. Suarez (Burger King)