Did you know that social media contests are an efficient and inexpensive way to engage your database of past, current, and prospective patients, increase awareness of your practice and drive conversions? Check out these social media contests that work especially well and are easy to do.
A Word About Contest Prizes
Prizes should be simple but not a “percentage off” a treatment or product, but a real and free treatment or product. Think especially about products, as you surely have some that are near their expiration dates that you’d gladly give away before you can no longer sell them. Be warned: contest winners do not want expired products.
1. Like and Share: Your followers are asked to like and share a specific post to increase the reach of your content. Offer a prize to the top X numbers of sharers (assuming you can follow and confirm their “shares.”)
2. Stories, Photos and Videos Contest: Followers submit written stories, photos and/or videos that are connected to a service, procedure, or product that you provide. Alternatively, you can base the contest on an upcoming event or holiday theme, such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving, etc. To avoid conflicts about religion, avoid religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter. Not only does this contest engage followers, but it also creates user-generated content (UGC), which you can share. Consider choosing a winner at random to avoid offending any of your followers.
3. Caption Contest: Post a photo and ask followers to caption it. It’s easy for participants to chime in and it can create a sense of community as they enjoy one another’s inventive and/or humorous responses.
4. Quiz Contest: Post a question that will drive followers to your website, blog, or other social media sites. Award a prize for the first correct answer. This contest can be used to educate your audience about products and services and share details about your staff and yourself.
Contest questions like the following are both easy and popular:
- Where did Dr. Surgeon go to medical school?
- How many breast procedures are on Dr. Surgeon’s website?
- What is the topic of the blog dated 2/4/21on Dr. Surgeon’s website?
- Does Dr. Surgeon’s practice use Botox, Xeomin, or both?
5. Hashtag Challenge: Ask followers to vote on a list of catchy hashtags that you create or give a prize to the creator of a hashtag you then use.
6. Random Draw Contest: Participants simply comment on a post that you write, and you select the winner at random. Do this once a week on a random day and time and watch your following engagement numbers go through the roof!
7. Pinterest Pin-to-Win Contest: Ask followers to create a Pinterest board with images related to your practice. Could be products, services or procedures or even interior and exterior photos of the practice facility.
8. Live Facebook Party: Host a virtual party and give away door prizes to attendees. You can source these from local vendors (movie tickets, etc), as well as from your own products and/or aesthetician services.
9. YouTube Video Contest: Ask follows to create and upload a video about your product or services. After 30 days, give a prize to the video with the most views or likes.
10. Quote Contest: Ask followers to share a favorite inspirational quote related to your brand or industry. Choose the winners based on the most relevant and/or motivational quotes. Here are 2 samples: “Just Do It;” “Beauty is Power.”
11. Holiday-Theme Contest: Ask followers to submit photos of Halloween costumes, vacation pix and the like and randomly choose a winner.
Keep in mind that the key to a fun and fruitful social media contest is to share the rules, deadlines, and prizes very clearly, and to promote any contest throughout each of your social media challenges.