Consumers are, by their nature, both skeptical and curious. Who doesn’t want the chance to win a fabulous prize? Even though enticing prospects to open your direct mail promotion by inviting them to join your sweepstakes can be a very effective way of gaining new buyers, to make a legal, successful sweepstakes, you need to keep the following things in mind:
Your sweepstakes must be a sweepstakes. That means that anyone who completes a form or submits the requested information is eligible to win, through chance, your advertised prize or prizes: you cannot require a purchase or charge a fee to enter.
2. Make your rules easy to access and read. Your rules should include all terms and conditions of the sweepstakes, entry deadlines, a complete description of the prize or prizes, the estimated odds of winning each prize, the method by which the winners will be selected and notified, publicity rights regarding use of the winners’ names and images, if the prizes are shared or awarded to individuals, and contact information for those wanting more information or a list of winners.
3. Offer a prize worth winning. If you’re asking consumers to trust you with their contact information, especially if they’ve never done business with your company before, make sure the potential benefit is worth the effort of entering your sweepstakes and worth the risk of providing their personal information.
4. Be honest about who you are. Trying to look or sound like a bigger company or like a recognizable sweepstakes provider may get you an initial look, but it will certainly damage your reputation and your odds of gaining new customers in the long run. Be clear who’s sponsoring the sweepstakes and make it easy for readers to learn more about your company.
When you treat direct mail sweepstakes right, everyone wins.
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