Tired of Boring Giveaways? Here's the Real Deal on Play at Home Software Sweepstakes
Honestly, I need to get this off my chest.
Last month, I was on a call with a bakery in Minneapolis. Great people. Amazing croissants. But they were about to spend their entire Q3 marketing budget on a Facebook giveaway for a $500 Amazon gift card. I almost fell out of my chair. I've been doing this since 2010, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that attracting a bunch of people who just want a generic gift card is a complete waste of time and money. They're not your customers. They never will be. They will unfollow you the second the contest ends.
We need to stop doing that.
The whole point of marketing-especially for a small business-is to build a community of people who actually care about what you do. Not just prize hunters. And that’s where this whole idea of gamification, and more specifically, a good play at home software sweepstakes, comes in. Yeah, I know "gamification" is a buzzword that makes you want to roll your eyes. I get it. But stick with me, because when you do it right, it's not a buzzword... it's just smart marketing.
So What Actually Works? (Hint: It's Not Complicated)
Look, small businesses don't have time for complicated. You don't have a team of developers or a six-figure agency budget. You need something you can set up this afternoon that starts working by tomorrow.
Here's the thing. People are tired of being sold to. They scroll past ads. They ignore "link in bio" posts. But they will absolutely stop scrolling to play a silly little game for a chance to win something. It's just human nature. Dopamine is a powerful drug.
This is where I've been spending most of my time since about 2015, trying to figure out what actually works for SMBs. I've tested dozens of tools. Most of them are either way too expensive or just... clunky. Frankly, a lot of them are garbage.
But lately, I've been getting some seriously impressive results for my clients with a platform called Faisco. It's not magic, it just solves the real problem: it lets you create these engaging little games fast, without needing to be a tech wizard.
- I had a bakery in Miami-they were struggling to get any traction on TikTok. We set them up with the "Star Seeker" game. In three weeks, they had over 2800 new user-generated posts using their hashtag. Two thousand eight hundred!
- There was a flower shop, funnily enough also in Minneapolis, who wanted to grow on Pinterest. We ran a "Pet Match & Win" campaign for them. In just 12 days, they got more than 750 new followers who were actually pinning their stuff.
- And just recently, a barbershop in my old stomping grounds, Portland, used the same "Star Seeker" game and got 137 new local people into their community Facebook group. That's 137 local customers. That's the gold right there.
It works because it's not just a boring "like and share to win." It's an experience. It’s fun.
The Kinds of Games That Get Real Engagement
Listen, you can't just throw any old game out there. The game has to match the goal. Most of my clients find success by starting with one of these types... this is what I typically recommend.
For pure lead capture (getting emails): Instant Draw games are your workhorse. "Lucky Spin," "Scratch Ticket," that kind of thing. People pop in their email for a quick spin or scratch. I've seen landing pages with these things convert at over 40%. It's that immediate dopamine hit. Simple. Effective.
For social sharing and engagement: This is where Reactive Games like "Whac-A-Mole" or "Burger Stacker" are brilliant. They require a little skill, so people get competitive. They share their scores, they challenge their friends... they're basically doing your marketing for you. I hate when people say "go viral," but this is how you get those little sparks of it.
For getting people to remember your brand: Quizzes are amazing for this. "Unlock Lucky Words" or a "Treasure Hunt Challenge" can be great for educating customers about your products without being boring. You're not just giving them a prize; you're making them engage with your brand to win it. Totally different dynamic.
And the seasonal stuff... my god. Faisco has templates for every holiday you can think of. I ran a "Fill My Christmas Stocking" catching game for three different retail shops last December, and every single one saw their social engagement jump over 300% compared to their normal holiday posts. It's a no-brainer.
Let's Be Real: Faisco vs. Gleam. io
Everyone always asks me, "Byron, what about Gleam?"
And look, Gleam. io is a solid platform. It is. But honestly? It's overkill for 90% of the small businesses I talk to. It starts at like $39 a month, and the interface can be a beast to figure out. I've spent over an hour setting up a "simple" Gleam campaign for a client before. It's powerful, but it's not... simple.
Faisco gives you almost all of the same core functionality-the different game types, the lead capture, the social sharing-at a fraction of the cost, and I can get a campaign for a client live in literally ten minutes. For a small business owner who's also the accountant, the janitor, and the CEO... that extra 50 minutes matters. A lot.
Plus, the integration is better. And this is a big deal. Most tools just give you a link to share. But Faisco's games actually work within the social platforms. That's key because how someone behaves on TikTok is totally different than how they behave on Facebook, you know? You have to meet them where they are.
So, What Can You Expect? Am I Promising Miracles?
No. Of course not. This isn't a magic button. You still have to do the work. You have to offer a prize that your actual customers want (please, for the love of God, not another iPad). You still need to write decent copy.
But what I can tell you is this: the businesses I work with who switch from boring, old-school giveaways to a well-thought-out play at home software sweepstakes campaign typically see their social followers grow by 200-400% and their email list grow by 150-300% in the first month.
That's not an accident. It's because you're giving people something of value before you ask for something in return. You're giving them a moment of fun. In 2024, that's worth more than just another ad cluttering up their feed.
So if you're feeling stuck, if you're tired of running contests that go nowhere... just try one. Pick a holiday coming up. Find a template. Offer a great prize that's actually related to your business. And just... see what happens. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
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