How to Create a Viral Sweepstakes

A viral sweepstakes is an excellent way to incentivize referrals and engagement without the high costs of traditional pay-per-click or paid social campaigns. With just a few prizes, you can drive unlimited engagement and reach, allowing participants to promote your brand for you. Follow the step-by-step guide below to set up your viral sweepstakes campaign.

Video Guide

Step-by-Step Guide

Navigate to the Campaign Builder:
- Go to the Campaigns section in your software.
- Click on Viral Sweepstakes 2.0—this is the newest campaign builder featuring updated capabilities.
Set Up Campaign Details:
- Title: Enter a catchy campaign title that will appear on your campaign page and in your campaign list.
- Start & End Dates: By default, the campaign is set for a one-month duration; you can adjust this by clicking on the calendar icons or manually entering dates.
- Number of Winners: Specify how many winners you’ll have to set expectations and ensure transparency.
- Campaign Description: Write a brief, engaging description focused on what participants can win.
Add Prizes:
- You can offer up to 10 different prizes.
- Prize Title: Add a short title for each prize.
- Prize Description: Write a brief, enticing description for each prize.
- Add Prize Images: Upload images representing each prize.
- Multiple Prizes (Optional): If you have more than one prize, click the "Add Prize" button and repeat the steps.
Define How to Earn Entries:
- Basic Entry: Participants automatically receive one entry by filling out the form.
- Bonus Entries: Incentivize additional actions (e.g., following your social media accounts or referring friends) by assigning extra entries (e.g., 20 entries per referral).
- Bonus Entry Challenges:
  - Add multiple challenges, such as visiting a specific webpage, following on Twitter, or uploading a photo or video.
  - Customize the number of entries awarded for each action.
- Advanced Settings:
  - Optionally, limit the total number of entries per participant (though it’s recommended to leave this unlimited).
  - Enable referral blocking to prevent duplicate entries from being rewarded.
Customize the Winner Selection Frequency:
- Decide whether your campaign is a one-time event or if it should automatically repeat daily, weekly, or monthly.
- For an ongoing contest, set it to select a winner every week or month.
Set Up Rules and Disclaimers:
- The platform will automatically generate basic sweepstakes rules based on your inputs.
- Edit these rules if needed to ensure they meet your campaign requirements.
Customize Entry Forms:
- Form Options: Decide if participants should sign up using their Facebook account or by manually entering their name and email.
- Custom Fields: You can add additional questions (e.g., "When are you planning your next vacation?") to gather more lead information.
Integrate with Your CRM or Email Service Provider:
- Navigate to List Integration and select your CRM or email provider (e.g., MailChimp).
- Choose the list to which new contacts will be added.
Design the Campaign Page:
- Themes: Browse through various themes, including industry-specific ones like travel, and select one that fits your brand.
- Branding: Adjust colors, fonts, and logos to match your company’s guidelines.
- Layout: Choose from multiple layouts depending on the number of prizes you’re offering.
- Background & Elements: Change background images and colors; drag and drop additional elements (text, icons, videos) onto the page.
- Leaderboard (Optional): If your campaign includes points or bonuses, display a leaderboard.
Thank You Screen:
- Customize the screen that participants see after submitting their entries.
- Optionally, include additional calls to action (e.g., share the campaign with friends).
Preview and Launch:
- Preview your campaign to ensure everything is correct.
- Save and Deploy the campaign.
- Copy the campaign URL or generate a QR code for offline promotion.
Promote the Campaign:
- Use pre-generated email templates to inform your mailing list about the campaign.
- Embed the campaign on your website using an iframe or add a button/popup to attract participants.
- Automatically share the campaign on your social media channels through the promotion step.
Manage Entries and Select Winners:
- Once the campaign ends, or at each winner selection interval (if recurring), you will receive an email notification to select the winner.
- Manage and view all entries in the campaign console.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to create an engaging viral sweepstakes campaign that drives high engagement, generates leads, and boosts referrals for your brand. If you need any assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to your support team.

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