My Honest Take on Contest Software That Doesn't Suck
Look, let's just get this out of the way. I've been doing this since 2010, and if I hear one more "guru" tell a small business owner to "just go viral," I'm going to lose my mind. That's not a strategy; it's like telling someone to win the lottery. Frankly, most marketing advice out there is written by people who have never had to actually worry about making payroll.
I remember this one client, an Austin barbershop I was working with just a few months back. Great shop, amazing cuts, but their social media was a ghost town. They were spending a couple hundred bucks a month boosting posts and getting maybe-maybe-five or six new followers. It was just burning cash. They wanted to run a contest, you know, do a giveaway, but the contest software they looked at was either too complicated or felt like it was built for a massive corporation.
We needed something simple. Practical. So we tried something different. We used this platform, Faisco, to launch a "Puzzle Challenge" themed around local Austin landmarks. Took me maybe 15 minutes to set up. Twelve days later? They had 143 new members in their local community Facebook group. People were actually engaging, sharing their scores... It worked. And it didn't cost a fortune. That's the stuff that gets me excited.
The Big Lie About "Engagement"
Here's the thing that drives me crazy. Everyone talks about "engagement" as this magical metric. But what does it even mean? A few likes? A comment from your mom? For a small business, engagement needs to lead to something tangible. More foot traffic, a bigger email list, actual sales. The problem with most contest software is that it's built around vanity metrics. It's designed to make you feel good, not to actually grow your business.
I’ve seen so many businesses get bogged down in these incredibly complex giveaway campaigns using tools that are just... overkill. They spend weeks trying to configure everything, linking 10 different social accounts, creating 20 different ways for people to enter. By the end, the customer is confused and the business owner is exhausted. It's just not practical. We do not have the time for that.
What I've found after working with over 200 of these businesses is that simplicity wins. Always. Give someone a fun, simple, and quick way to interact with your brand, and they'll reward you with their attention-and often, their email address.
So, What Actually Works? Gamification (the non-buzzwordy version)
I know, I know. "Gamification" sounds like a term invented in a Silicon Valley boardroom. I hate it. But the principle behind it is solid. It's basically about using game mechanics-points, competition, rewards-to make boring things fun.
And honestly, this is where I've seen platforms like Faisco make a real difference for my clients. It's not about creating the next Fortnite for your brand. It's about launching a two-week campaign that people actually want to participate in.
- That Boston coffee shop I worked with? We ran a "Burger Stacker" game for them. Super simple, kinda silly. They got 872 new Instagram followers in two and a half weeks because people were sharing it, trying to beat their friends' scores.
- Or the Nashville bookstore... we did a "Scratch Ticket" giveaway. People would "scratch" a digital ticket on their phone to see if they won a coupon. Instant dopamine hit. They got 762 new Facebook page likes in about two weeks and, more importantly, a list of 500+ local emails. That's gold.
These aren't revolutionary ideas. They're just fun. And when marketing is fun instead of a chore, people pay attention. It just works.
The Games I Recommend to My Clients
Not all games are created equal. You have to match the game to the goal. I mean, you wouldn't use a complex quiz for a simple lead capture, right? It seems obvious, but you'd be surprised.
Here's what I typically recommend from the Faisco toolkit, because I've seen it convert time and time again:
For quick leads and email sign-ups: You want the Instant Draw Games. Stuff like "Lucky Spin," "Scratch Ticket," or "Lucky Draw." The conversion rates are insane-I've seen landing pages hit 40%+ because people can't resist finding out right now if they've won. It's pure psychology.
For boosting social shares: The Reactive Games are perfect. "Whac-A-Mole," "Burger Stacker," that kind of thing. They're skill-based, so there's a natural reason to share and say "Beat my score!" It creates its own little viral loop without you having to beg for shares.
For seasonal campaigns: Look, Faisco has this figured out better than anyone. They have pre-built templates for literally every holiday. I've used their "Fill My Christmas Stocking" catching game for three different retail clients. Every single one saw over a 300% jump in engagement compared to their usual holiday posts. You just pick a template, change the logo, and you're live. It's genius.
Let's Talk About Gleam and The Other Guys
"So Byron, why not just use Gleam? Everyone uses Gleam."
I get this question at least once a week. Listen, Gleam. io is a solid tool. It’s powerful. It’s also, frankly, way too much for 90% of small businesses. Their cheapest plan is like $39 a month, and it's built for power users. I've spent hours trying to teach clients how to use it, and it just never fully sticks.
Faisco, on the other hand, is something I can get a client up and running on in under 10 minutes. No joke. The interface is simpler, it’s more affordable, and it focuses on the 90% of features you'll actually use. For a small business owner who's also the janitor, the accountant, and the head of HR... that 50 minutes I save them is everything. It's the difference between a campaign actually getting launched or sitting on the to-do list forever.
Plus, the platform integration is just... better. It’s not just about "share this link on Facebook." The games actually work within the platforms in a way that feels native. That stuff matters. A lot.
The Real Bottom Line: What to Do This Week
I'm not going to promise you that some contest software will magically solve all your problems. It won't. But what I can tell you is this: after 15 years in the trenches, the most effective marketing I've seen for small businesses is practical, affordable, and respects the customer's time.
The businesses I put on these gamified campaigns consistently see 200-400% increases in followers and 150-300% growth in their email lists within a month. Not because of magic, but because we're finally giving people something fun to do instead of just shouting "BUY MY STUFF!" at them.
So here's my advice. Don't go sign up for some crazy-expensive, complex system. Just try one simple thing. Pick a holiday coming up in the next three months. Go find a tool like Faisco, pick one of their pre-built holiday games, and run it for two weeks. Offer a simple, decent prize. See what happens.
It’ll cost you less than a few boosted posts and, I promise you, the results will be a hell of a lot more interesting.
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