Sweetstakes are online sweepstakes offers where the winners are determined randomly. Users are invited to participate in a drawing for something valuable for free, often a new iPhone, a gift card or a trip. Users are only required to register with the service or leave an email.
Examples of Sweepstakes
To better visualize what sweepstakes are, let’s look at the main types of them with specific examples:
- “Participation in a drawing with large prizes” – the user participates in a drawing for valuable prizes, such as a car, household appliances, cash prizes.
- “Discount for registration” – the user registers on the site and receives a discount coupon for purchase.
- “Confirm payment details and get the prize” – the user enters bank card details to confirm participation in the drawing.
- “Leave email and get the prize” – the simplest kind, the user leaves his email to participate in the draw.
- “Leave a phone number and get a prize” – similar to email, only instead the user leaves their phone number.
Types of Sweepstakes Offers
Sweepstakes offers can be divided into several groups depending on the complexity of the user’s actions:
- SOI (single opt-in) – registration and form filling by the user.
- DOI (double opt-in) – registration and subscription with email confirmation.
- CC Submit – enter bank card details and pay a symbolic amount.
- Pin Submit – enter phone number and confirm by SMS.
- IVR – enter data and call the specified number to report the access code.
CC Submit, PIN and IVR are usually the highest paying ones. SOI and DOI pay less, but there are no traffic requirements.
How to make money from sweepstakes
To start making profits from sweepstakes, you need to follow a number of steps. First, you should carefully choose a sweepstakes offer. It is optimal to focus on current topics that interest the general public, for example, the drawing of the latest model of iPhone for the upcoming holidays. Such an offer will attract a large number of potential participants.
Next, it is important to determine the target geolocation, as different countries have different solvency. All geographies are divided into 3 main tier-zones. For the most developed countries from Tier 1 and Tier 2, it is optimal to use the CC-Submit model of offers. For the rest of the regions, PIN-Submit offers are better suited.
Next, you need to develop an effective pre-launch that will attract visitors’ attention and convince them to participate in the giveaway. It is worth using such elements as a wheel of fortune, polls, bright attractive images on the prelending.
Next, it is important to optimize the final landing page, where the user registration takes place. The headline should be concise, up to 7 words, and contain a specific offer. Also, the landing page should load quickly and display correctly on mobile devices.
At the final stage it is necessary to conduct A/B testing – to check different variants of combinations of preendings and landings, to analyze the most working solutions. And of course, constantly update the creatives so that they do not stop converting over time.
Sweepstakes Trends in 2023
In 2023, there are new trends in the choice of sweepstakes prizes. If earlier the most popular prize was traditionally iPhone, now the situation is changing. Users are already fed up with gadget giveaways, as they have seen such offers millions of times.
One of the main hits of 2023 were cash prizes. Against the backdrop of the economic crisis, people are in dire need of additional income, so they actively respond to draws of sums of money.
Another popular category is offers with subscriptions to various fitness programs and games. Such sweepstakes convert well in developed countries, where people are looking for new hobbies and opportunities to keep fit after forced isolation.
In addition, prizes in the form of useful gadgets are in trend – sneakers, hair dryers, game consoles, wireless headphones, etc. Another working option is gift certificates to popular stores. Such practical prizes attract many users.
To choose the best prize, it is important to test and combine different options for specific traffic. It is also useful to use special offers timed to various holidays.
The best traffic sources for sweepstakes in 2023
Push notifications
Push notifications are messages that arrive on your smartphone or other mobile device from mobile apps. They appear on the screen even when the phone is locked.
Benefits for Sweepstakes
- Easy to set up and optimize campaigns.
- Work well with both mobile and desktop traffic.
- Not perceived by users as intrusive ads, high subscription rate.
- High conversion rate due to audience interest.
Disadvantages for sweepstakes
- Limited audience reach, only users of specific apps.
- High cost per click due to high conversion rate.
Features of the source
- It is important to choose apps with the right target audience.
- Notifications should be personalized and sent at the right time.
- It’s worth A/B testing different wording and images.
Pop-up и pop-under
Pop-up and pop-under are pop-ups in the browser on top of or underneath website content. They open when the user enters the site.
Benefits to Sweepstakes
- Attract users’ attention with colorful creatives.
- High clickability due to the non-standard format.
- Convert well on mobile devices.
Disadvantages for sweepstakes
- High level of audience annoyance with intrusive ads.
- Blocked by most users.
- Restrictions by browsers and websites.
Source Features
- It is important to test creatives and texts thoroughly.
- Should limit the frequency of impressions so as not to annoy users.
- It is useful to combine with other traffic sources.
Native advertising
Native advertising is integrated into the content of the site, imitating its natural part. Most often they are promotional articles or videos.
Advantages for sweepstakes
- Low level of audience annoyance, similar to regular content.
- Higher clickability rate compared to banners.
- Scales well across different platforms and devices.
Disadvantages for sweepstakes
- Requires large budgets to ensure scale.
- Difficulties with targeting and analytics.
- High competition on popular platforms.
Source Features
- It is important to create unique creative that is consonant with the content of the site.
- It is useful to use triggers to increase interest, for example, clickbait headlines.
- A thorough analysis of audience behavior is necessary for optimization.
Facebook is the largest social network, allowing you to reach a huge audience and use different advertising formats.
Benefits for Sweepstakes
- Wide audience reach and the possibility of detailed targeting.
- Variety of advertising formats – videos, images, storis.
- High audience engagement in the social network.
Disadvantages for sweepstakes
- High competition of advertisers within the platform.
- Restrictions on the use of lottery themes in advertising.
- High cost per click and action.
Source features
- Creatives and texts need to be tested thoroughly.
- It is important to follow the changes in Facebook’s advertising policy.
- It is useful to use retargeting on users of the social network.
Email Newsletters
Email marketing is sending commercial messages to subscribers via email.
Benefits for sweepstakes
- Ability to segment and personalize newsletters.
- Stable source of targeted subscription traffic.
- High open and clickability rates.
Disadvantages for sweepstakes
- Low growth rate of the subscriber base.
- Risk of mailing lists becoming spam or blacklisted.
- Limited audience coverage.
Features of the source
- It is important to segment the base and personalize the mailings.
- It is necessary to follow the interests of subscribers and update content.
- It is useful to combine email marketing with other channels.
Teaser networks
Teaser networks bring together webmasters and website owners to place teaser ads – short, intriguing texts with a button.
Benefits for sweepstakes
- Wide audience reach due to the scale of the networks.
- High clickability of teasers due to the curiosity of users.
- Ability to target different interests and geos.
Disadvantages for sweepstakes
- Low quality of traffic due to the complexity of moderation.
- Difficult to track the effectiveness of individual zones and sites.
- High price per click compared to media.
Source features
- Careful selection of zones and sites for placement is necessary.
- It is important to constantly optimize teasers and improve conversion rates.
- It is useful to combine teaser networks with other traffic sources.
Sweepstakes Creatives
Creating effective sweepstakes creatives is not an easy task, as most approaches stop working over time. However, there are a few universal options that have proven themselves in practice.
A gift for you
One simple and effective approach is to depict a gift and offer the user to receive a prize. The visual component should attract attention, and the text should contain a call to action, for example, “Take your prize!”. This simple creative often shows good results.
Winning message
People tend to open incoming notifications to get rid of them or to avoid missing an opportunity. That’s why creatives in the form of a winning message are effective – you can change icons to match popular messengers in the region, show a photo of the package, and create the illusion of a time limit.
Direct offer
The simplest option is also possible – directly offer to participate in the drawing of the prize. It is best to place such creatives on thematic resources – smartphones on gadget review sites, household appliances on pages about home appliances. This increases conversion rates.
Pre-landing on swipes: tips on how to use it
Although it is possible to direct the user immediately to the advertiser’s landing page, there is a much higher conversion rate with prelanding. It allows you to “warm up” the interest of the audience.
First, on the prelanding you need to explain why this particular user can win. For example, if you offer a subscription to a movie service for card data, you can write that the subscription can always be canceled, dispelling fears of fraud.
Secondly, interactive elements like a wheel of fortune work well. This creates a sense of involvement in the process. A user can win a small prize in the wheel or gain access to a drawing for something bigger.
Third, the prelend should be prepared according to the specifics of the offer and the target region. For example, explain the nuances if people there rarely encounter swipes.
Working with the lending
Landing – a decisive stage on which the conversion depends. It should:
- Load quickly on all devices in the region.
- Display correctly on different screens.
- Keep the text readable.
Texts are optimized to answer the user’s questions and emphasize their benefit. But you should avoid long texts that increase rejections.
It is also possible to build trust by:
- Using recognizable elements of well-known companies.
- Linking to the user’s place of residence or favorite brand.
How to create a creo for sweepstakes offers? Tips for creating creatives
While creating creatives for sweepstakes is generally not difficult, there are a few important points:
- The focus of the creative should be the prize. This is the main bait that will draw the user in. But along with the prize, you can add additional elements – a popular game for a video game console or a cute person for a smartphone.
- Emphasize the personalization of the prize. The message that this particular user has been selected to participate in the drawing will interest the user.
- Emphasize the limited offer. Point out that there are a couple hours left until the end of the drawing or there are only two prizes left. This will make you act faster.
- Use testimonials from real people about winning a prize. In videos or screenshots of correspondence. The main thing is to make them as plausible as possible.
- Brevity and minimalism are also effective. Just a simple call to action and a minimum of text about the offer can work well.
- Carefully test different variants of creatives, track conversion rates. Do not be afraid to experiment.
- Update your creatives regularly so they don’t get boring over time.
The main thing when creating creatives is to intrigue the user, arouse interest and desire to participate in the offer. Effective creatives are the key to the success of sweepstakes.
FAQ: Traffic Sources for Sweepstakes
What traffic sources work best for sweepstakes?
The most effective traffic sources for sweepstakes are:
- Push notifications – easy to set up, good conversion rate.
- Pop-under – high clickability due to non-standard format.
- Facebook – wide audience coverage and targeting opportunities.
- Email newsletters – stable targeted traffic by subscription.
What sources are best not to use for sweepstakes?
These sources should be avoided or limited:
- Teaser networks – low quality traffic, difficult to track effectiveness.
- Banner ads – low clickability, quickly annoys the audience.
- Video ads – high cost of impressions, low audience reach.
How to optimize traffic sources for sweepstakes?
To increase the effectiveness of sources, you need to:
- Carefully test creatives and texts.
- Analyze the behavior of the target audience.
- Combine different traffic sources.
- Constantly update advertising materials.
- Keep track of changes in platform policies.
What metrics to analyze when working with sweepstakes?
Basic metrics to analyze:
- Target conversion – registrations, subscriptions, etc.
- Cost per target action (CPA).
- Rejections at different stages of the funnel.
- Clickability of ads.
- Payback of traffic.
- Audience engagement metrics.
How to determine the budget for testing a new traffic source?
It is recommended to start with a small budget – $50-100 to test a new channel. This will allow you to evaluate the potential of the source without significant risks. When you get the first conversions, you can increase the budget.
How often should I update creatives in ad campaigns with swipes?
It is desirable to update creatives at least once every 1-2 weeks. This will prevent them from “burning out” and keep audience engagement at a high level.
What KPIs are important to track when launching a sweepstakes?
When launching a new sweepstakes, the key KPIs to monitor are:
- Conversion to target action
- Cost per action (CPA)
- Ad clickability
- Engagement metrics (CTR, CPC)
How to increase audience reach for sweepstakes?
To increase reach, you can:
- Test new traffic sources
- Add new geographies
- Utilize retargeting and remarketing
- Optimize your existing sources
- Use different ad formats
Conclusion
Sweepstakes is a promising area for making money, but it requires a competent approach.
The key factors of success when working with sweepstakes are:
- Choosing the right offer that is relevant to the target audience.
- Using effective traffic sources, such as push notifications, social networks, email.
- Creating high-quality, attractive creatives that won’t burn out over time.
- Careful targeting setup and constant data analysis for optimization.
- Regular updating of advertising materials and testing new approaches.
Competently using these practices, you can achieve a steady increase in conversions and income from sweepstakes. The main thing is not to be afraid to experiment and constantly analyze the results of your campaigns. Good luck!
