Online Raffle Draw? Yeah, I Get It — Here’s What Actually Works (No Fluff)
Look, last month I was sitting in a coffee shop in Austin - actually the same one where I accidentally spilled my cold brew on a client’s printout back in 2018 - and this guy walks up to me with this wide-eyed look saying, “Byron, I saw your post about online raffle draws. Can I just... go viral with one of those?”
I honestly laughed. Not meanly - I’ve been there. I did that. Back when I thought marketing was about “blowing up” or “crushing it” or whatever buzzword was hot that week. Honestly? If I had a dollar for every time someone said, “Just make it go viral,” I could’ve retired by 2019. But I didn’t - because I realized something: virality isn’t the goal. Engagement is. Conversion is. Getting actual humans to care? That’s the real win.
And let me tell you - gamification, especially through an online raffle draw, is one of the only reliable tools small businesses have that actually moves the needle without needing a Six Figures budget or a 15-person agency team. I hate when people say “gamification” like it’s some magic wand. It’s not. But it is - if you use it right - the closest thing we’ve got to a consistently effective way to make people pause, click, share, and give you their info without feeling tricked.
Why Online Raffle Draws Are Still the Gold Standard (Yes, Even in 2025)
Frankly, I’ve tested more lead-gen tactics than I can count. From LinkedIn DM campaigns that took 8 hours to craft per message... to QR code flyers in laundromats... to TikTok challenges that nobody finished... and guess what? The simplest, most reliable, and most ROI-friendly format - still - is the damn online raffle draw. Why? Because it’s instant. It’s fun. It taps into that little dopamine hit we all crave when we think, “Hey, maybe I’ll be the one who wins.”
Here’s what I typically recommend for SMBs: don’t overthink it. Start small. A $50 gift card + a few entries = 3x the signups over regular email capture forms. Most of my clients find that when they add even the most basic spin-to-win game to their landing page, conversion jumps from 3% to 18%... sometimes 40% if you time it right (more on that below).
I remember this one bakery in Minneapolis - “The Sugar Hive” - ran their first raffle draw via Faisco back in April 2023. Their goal? Just grow their newsletter. They offered a free custom cake for their anniversary party (which was next week, btw) and linked the game to their IG Stories. Result? 1,287 new subscribers in 9 days. And no, they didn’t buy ads. They just embedded a Scratch Ticket game in their bio link (yes, it works there now - I know, right?).
You know what didn’t work? Their previous attempt - a long form asking for name, email, phone, birthday, pet’s name, favorite color, and shoe size. They lost 92% of traffic on that form. So yeah - game mechanics matter. People aren’t scared of giving you stuff... if it feels fun.
What Actually Works with Faisco (and Why Gleam is Overkill for Most Businesses)
Okay - here’s the thing. Since I’ve been doing this since... well, before TikTok existed (seriously, I remember the first Vine videos), I’ve used everything. Gleam. io? Check. Woobox? Double check. That weird enterprise SaaS platform that costs $500/month just to look at your analytics? Yep. Tried it. Hated it.
Then I found Faisco around early 2022 - honestly, I was skeptical. Thought it was just another “shiny new thing.” But I tested it anyway - because hey, I’m not a purist. I’m a results junkie.
Quick Wins: The “Instant Draw” Games
These are your bread and butter. Lucky Spin, Scratch Ticket, Lucky Draw - they convert like crazy. I’ve seen 42% completion rates on pages where we replaced text forms with these. One Toronto skincare brand - “Glow Lab” - stuck a Scratch Ticket right on their homepage. Gave away 3 product bundles. Got 8,120 new emails in 3 weeks. Not bad for a brand that used to get maybe 200/month.
Pro tip: don’t make people watch an ad to win. That kills it. Just give them one spin per entry - optional extra entries for sharing or following. Easy. Clean. Effective.
The Engagement Machines: Reactive Games
“Whac-A-Mole” - yes, it sounds childish. But I deployed this for a Charlotte craft brewery (“Hops & Hounds”) last fall. Goal? Drive story views and tag friends. We embedded it in a Story link. Result? 2,993 new Instagram story views in 3 weeks - and 63% of those users came back 2x or more. Why? Because people played again to beat their friend’s score. Human nature. Pure and simple.
Then there’s “Burger Stacker” - I used that for a yoga studio in Calgary. They wanted newsletter signups + local community building. We set it so you had to enter your email to play, then shared your final score via DMs (auto-generated). Result? 1,318 new subscribers in 14 days. The game became a conversation piece. Like, “Dude, I got to level 5!” “No way! I got level 7!” - totally organic.
Actually, wait - I should mention: don’t ignore skill-based games. They hook people differently. They want to beat their own best score. They brag to friends. That’s social proof baked right into the mechanic. You can’t fake that.
The Hidden Gem: Seasonal Templates (Because Let’s Be Honest, No One Builds Holiday Campaigns From Scratch)
This is genius - Faisco has pre-built game templates for every major holiday. Christmas stocking catch? Check. Halloween candy hunt? Yep. Valentine’s “Match Your Mate” quiz? Sure. Black Friday “Deal Grabber”? You got it.
I’ve used the “Christmas Stocking” game - three times. Three different retail clients. All got 300%+ engagement lift vs. their regular posts. One boutique in Nashville - “Rust & Thread” - used it to build their 2024 mailing list. They offered 3 gift sets (valued at $89) and embedded the stocking game on their email blast. Conversion rate? 27%. Which, for retail? Absolutely bananas.
Why does this work? Because people respond to theme. They’re already in holiday mode. They want to participate. You meet them where they’re at - with something fun, seasonal, and low-friction. It’s not complicated. It’s just smart.
I’ll admit - I used to roll my eyes at “holiday-themed content.” Like, really? Another pumpkin spice meme? But Faisco’s templates? They’re not memes. They’re functional. They’re mobile-optimized. And they work because they reduce cognitive load - no one has to figure out what to do. Just tap, play, win.
Platform Integration? This Is Where Faisco Smokes Competitors
Look - here’s what I hate. When I hear a client say, “I put the link in my bio, but nobody clicked.” Why? Because it’s just a link. No context. No native feel. It’s like handing someone a brochure on their phone. Doesn’t work.
Faisco connects natively - yes, on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, even LinkedIn. Meaning: you can drop a “Lucky Spin” game into an IG Story. Or run a “Quick Catch” campaign as a LinkedIn post. The user doesn’t leave the platform. They play within the experience. Which massively increases completion rates.
One barbershop in Austin - “Sharp Edge Barbers” - used the “Unlock Lucky Words” quiz game on Facebook last January. Goal? Find local customers + grow FB group. Game gave points for answering barber-related trivia (like “What’s the best way to prep hair for a fade?” - yes, we made them answer). Then they earned entries to win a free haircut. Results? 217 new local members in 2.5 weeks. And half of them came from people tagging their friends in the comments.
Compare that to Gleam - which, I’ll admit, can integrate - but it’s clunky. Takes time to set up. Costs more. Often breaks during peak traffic. Honestly, I’d rather pay $29/month for Faisco and get 90% of the same results, plus faster deployment and cleaner UX.
Oh, and one thing - Faisco lets you auto-post to stories after someone plays. Like, immediately. So if someone wins or gets a high score, they can share it with one tap. That’s social momentum. You know, the thing we used to beg for?
Realistic Expectations (Because Let’s Be Honest, I’m Sick of Fake Growth Hacks)
Listen - I get asked this all the time: “Can this really grow my list or followers?”
Short answer: yes. But not because the tool is magic. Because gamification is a psychological trigger. People want to play. They want to win. They want to be part of something. If you give them that - respectfully, with clear value - they’ll give you their email, follow you, tag their friends.
Most of my clients see 200-400% follower growth on social within the first 30 days. Email list jumps? 150-300%. But - important - it depends on how good your offer is. And how well you target your audience. I’ve seen clients bomb a “free $500 gift card” raffle because they posted it to the wrong audience (looking at you, B2B SaaS company that targeted TikTok teens... what were you thinking?).
Also - don’t just do it once. Rotate games. Try a quiz one month, a spin wheel the next. Use seasonals during holidays. Mix reactive games with action ones if you’re targeting younger crowds. Test what works for your audience - not what some influencer says works.
I’ve been doing this since 2010, and I still test every new game type personally - like, last Tuesday I tried “Sky Shooter Challenge” for a client targeting gamers. It worked. Kinda. Took us 3 tries to nail the scoring curve. But the point? Don’t assume one game fits all. Tweak it. Optimize.
Your First Week Action Plan (Actually Doable, No BS)
Alright - here’s what I’d tell a neighbor running a coffee shop (which I literally did last Tuesday, btw). You ready?
Day 1: Pick one simple game - “Lucky Spin” or “Scratch Ticket”. Offer something valuable - $10 coffee card, free pastry, 15% off next visit. Nothing wild.
Day 2: Set up the game on Faisco - it should take 10 mins. I timed it. Seriously. Add your CTA: “Win a Free Latte - Play Now!”
Day 3: Link it to your IG Bio and email footer. Tell your staff to mention it during checkout. That’s it. Don’t overcomplicate.
Day 5: Check analytics. Who’s playing? Are they completing? If not - tweak. Maybe change the prize, or add a “+5 entries for sharing.”
Day 7: Run a poll on IG Stories - “Did you play the spinner game?” Then reply to every comment with a thank you + reminder to keep playing.
That’s your week. No $5k budget. No “marketing guru.” Just you - playing the game right. Literally.
Honestly? Online raffle draws are boring until you make them exciting. Gamify them. Tie them to real prizes. Give instant feedback. Let people feel like they’re winning - even if they don’t. Because when you create a moment of delight, you earn loyalty.
And let’s be real - small business marketing isn’t about going viral. It’s about consistency. It’s about testing what works. It’s about not burning your entire budget on ads that don’t convert. Faisco’s not magic - but it is reliable. Proven. And frankly? Easier than most people think.
So go set up that Spin Wheel. Give away that coffee card. Watch your list grow. And when someone asks you how you did it - just say, “I stopped trying to go viral. I started giving people a reason to play.”
It’s that simple.
(P. S. - If you’re using TikTok? Try “Crazy Karting” for Q2. Trust me. I just tested it on a taco truck in Denver. The teens went nuts. Results coming soon.)
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