Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Get the most from your contest

Kim Brooks (kbrooks_at_cortland.com)
Wed, 19 Nov 1997 08:09:19 -0800

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Jim Kulakoski wrote:

>But don't stop there! There are literally dozens of sites ready
>and willing to list your contest on their site and send you
>traffic... absolutely free! Request a listing from as many as
>you can. Usually the main objective of any site for having a
>contest is to enhance their exposure or increase their traffic.
>Free listings can maximize this objective.
>

Several of my clients have contests on their sites. Yes, we register with
all the free listing sites. But I MUST disagree that contests are used to
increase traffic. We have not noticed major increases from any contest
link. Why? Because contest surfers are smart: they spend their surfing
time looking for big stuff (cars, cash, trips to Europe) and generally
won't spend as much time trying for smaller consumer items (watches, CDs,
software). If it takes you the same amount of time to fill out forms for a
car vs. a CD, which would YOU enter? The majority of increases that do
appear are probably not qualified, potential customers.

People who are attracted to a site for a contest are NOT attracted to the
site because they are interested in your product, want to learn more,
etc... they just want something free. Of course, occasionally, contest
surfers will decide that they like your site & surf around, but the
percentage is small compared to surfers from other links.

So why host a contest? Simply to get names & email addresses of interested
visitors. Put them on your newsletter list, send announcements about site
updates or new products, get them to come back. That's the best reason to
have a contest.

Kim Brooks

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