Social Media Promotion Contests – an excellent marketing tool – could sometimes backfire because of fulfillment issues and indifference resulting in loss of brand equityWhich Facebook or Twitter contest did you participate in lately?
Did you win a coupon, a free holiday or a trip to outer space? Or did your Business recently try out a promotion on Twitter and Facebook?
Social Media Promotion using Contests is an effective low cost marketing method for branding, communication and community engagement. Brands and Businesses are aggressively using Social Media Marketing Tools to administer and execute contests. The social shareable structure of Social Media Marketing Tools like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus and the rest allows such contests to spread amongst the community directly and indirectly.
Social Media Promotion Contests are sometimes not fulfilled at great risk to Brand Equity
If done well, it could create equity and ambassadors amongst the community. And if the Social Media Promotion Contest goes viral, voila! But, if botched up either in execution or fulfillment, it can cause negative publicity, disenchantment and mistrust. And if the community is an engaged one, the backlash is at best avoidable.
Social Media Promotion Contests – Failure to Fulfill
There are two parts to a Social Media Promotion Contest
(1) Execution
Execution of a Social Media Promotion Contest is usually the fun part for the Brand. There is user engagement, overflowing bonhomie and the brand’s message ripples across all Social Media Marketing Services Tools. Brands see engagement, increase in Facebook Fans, Twitter Followers and the Likes. The atmosphere is akin to an Indian Wedding – a monsoon one at that.
(2) Fulfillment
This is the challenging part. And usually the single point of failure. Fulfillment delivery can happen in two modes.
- Electronic Mode – email or SMS delivery of coupons and codes. Given the ease of automation and delivery, this mode has lesser chances of failure
- Physical Mode – actual delivery of goods and products to the doorstep of the Contest Winner using courier or postal service
It is in fulfillment that Brands and Businesses botch up the objectives of the Social Media Promotion Contest. Failure to fulfill can cause negative publicity, disenchantment and mistrust amongst the community. Therefore, it is indispensable that Brands and Businesses pay important attention to fulfillment delivery when planning Social Media Promotion Contests.
If you have experienced or delivered any Social Media Promotion Contests either as a participant or as a Social Media Marketing Services professional, please share your success and experiences. We are listening and so are the Brands and the Businesses.
