When you use text messaging as an entry method for a sweepstakes, you are using a highly effective means to tap into how people already love to connect with others. The first step in this process is to pick the right keyword for your targeted audience: this is what people will use to text you their interest in participating. The keyword should be short and easy to recall. The keyword is sent via SMS or Short Message Service via a Short Code. A Short Code is the equivalent of a website’s URL. It is the location the message will be sent to that is universally recognized by all cellular carriers. The Short Code is combined with the keyword to form a call to action. An example would be: Text KEYWORD to SHORTCODE to receive an entry into the sweepstakes.

Respond When They Enter and When They Win or Lose

After someone has signed up for the sweepstakes, it’s important to keep them notified throughout the sweepstakes process. This means that you have to tell them that they have been successfully entered into the contest, as well as providing a winners list that is made publically available People need to know who won otherwise they are left hanging.

Your responses will relate to the rules you set up for this sweepstakes. These rules should be clearly communicated to those who enter. Since you will notify winners and losers, you will have two types of messages: one of appreciation for those who entered and one of congratulations for those who won the prize.

Survey Those Who Enter

You should use sweepstakes as an opportunity to better understand the demographics of your target audience. It’s necessary to have a very simple and straightforward process to gather relevant personal information. If the questions are too complicated, many people will not complete the application process and therefore will not enter.

To gather this type of information you will contact people through a text message, and let them know to click on a link where they can disclose information about themselves. In all cases they must provide this information before they can be determined to be a winner. Be very clear about why you are asking for this information. Also, reassure them that you will not be using sensitive, highly personal information for anything other than the purpose of determining their eligibility to receive a prize without their permission.

Ask People To Join Your Email or SMS List

While increasing exposure to your brand or your new product is a valuable sweepstakes by-product, one of the real benefits of getting people to sign up is obtaining their contact information so that you can notify them of future sweepstakes or discounted offers. Building a reliable database is one of the most profitable ways to build your business, and holding a sweepstakes is one of the most cost-effective methods of building your database. As is often said by seasoned marketers, the real money is in the list.

Again, to get people to sign up for your subscriber list you need only to text them a request to sign up and offer them some benefits for becoming list members.

Conclusion

It is fairly simple to set up a sweepstakes using only text messaging. The best way to do this is to carefully think through the whole process and write messages for each of the process’ discrete steps. Remember that entrants must be told why you are collecting information and provide permission to use the data for any future message. If you would like additional assistance in designing and implementing a text messaging sweepstakes, simply contact us at www.mardenkane.com. Marden-Kane will provide you with the information you need to begin the process, and will oversee all of the details needed to make your text messaging sweepstake a data-mining success.