Contests as marketing event?

Hi,

As a marketing stategy, I'm considering sponsoring an essay contest at my site in order to both, engage my vivstors and build a reader contribution database. I also want to allow people to submit gardening tips which then could be chosen at random for a prize. Has anyone tried this? I'm wondering if there any legal issues with running contests.

Thanks In Advance,
T
http://www.gardenlistings.com

 

Contests are a great way for viral marketing, this for sure. Make sure you include an option to "increase chance to win" by having them refer friends to your site. Viral marketing at its best, my man

 

In the U.S., anyway, as long as you do not charge a fee for the contest, you are usually okay from a legal perspective. However, if you charge any money at all (even a membership fee, possibly), you are a gambling site and could face legal problems.

 

Thanks for the help

 

How can someone increase his chances to win by referring other friends?

 

I never had too much success with contest. The bad thing is that most of the people who come through this marketing scheme are there only as long as there's the thing offered. They're like mercenaries ... I dislike this and like to have genuine members who are there because they like my community, not because of some "treat"

 

TafPro make it extremely easy to do this. Check out the sales page as it does a good job of answering your question.

Check it out http://www.tafpro.com/

Troy

 

Contests are great method to drive new visitors to your web site. Go for it.

 

Contests are very popular on one of my sites. People are always keen on it and i have the feeling that those contests pin the visitors down to my site.