Tips for creating an online video contest

An online video contest can broaden your digital reach through viral social media interaction. A well-crafted contest costs little or no money to launch, giving you an effective way to tap into the creativity of hobbyists and filmmakers looking to practice their skills. Videos are the backbone of online digital entertainment, and people love to be the star of their own show.

Hosting a video contest can be part of your marketing campaign to increase reach and engagement. But you need to follow a few key strategies to ensure your target demographic finds the video content exciting.

1.Set clear expectations and rules

From the launch of the online video contest, you need to be clear about eligibility and the rules of the contest. Design the contest rules using the following points:

• Age restrictions
• Geographic location
• Number of video submissions
• Length of the videos
• Accepted file formats
• File size limits
• Information to include in the video
• Video submission method
• Contest dates
• Criteria for judging
• Number of winners
• Prizes for the winners

Share these rules with all participants. Written rules provide a structure for the contest as well as legal protection for your company.

2.Check legal restrictions

Talk with your legal team to avoid the risk of legal trouble. Not only do you need to follow contest rules set by the social media platforms, but you also need to consider state and federal laws relating to contests. Professional legal advice is essential to ensure you don’t make a mistake that results in unexpected legal issues in the future.

For example, the simple act of stating “no purchase necessary” in the contest rules prevents lottery consideration in the campaign. Since private lotteries are illegal, your contest wording needs to be clear that no purchase is necessary to participate.

3.Choose an appealing prize

While people enjoy creating videos, the right prize helps by enticing participants to engage in the competition. What will motivate your audience to enter the contest?

• Gift cards
• Products
• Exclusive experiences
• Trips
• Cash

Consider your audience’s preferences and interests when choosing prizes.

4.Integrate company branding

The benefit of an online video contest is the opportunity to share your brand with a new audience. Participants create the content, then engage their friends and family in the voting process. Throughout the contest, both participants and voters see your branding and learn more about your company. Even the smallest interaction can increase brand awareness, with the goal of ongoing marketing engagement in the future.

You can build your audience and marketing list through the video contest, but your branding must be front and center at all times.

5.Promote the video contest

The video contest will only be as successful as your promotion of it. How will you notify your current list and potential customers about this contest? Look for creative ways to engage your target audience through social media and email marketing.

Building hype into the contest launch is an important step in generating excitement. You might share an example of a good submission or create an entertaining invitation.

6.Collect marketing data

Use online forms to gather information from participants at specific points during the contest:

• Collect participant registrations.
• Build your marketing list.
• Accept video submissions.
• Aggregate viewer votes.

Jotform’s free video submission form is a simple, effective way to collect data. This form gives you a seamless method for collecting video submissions online. You can easily embed it on your website, share the form with a link, or add it to your email newsletter.

7.Announce the winners

Just because the voting ends doesn’t mean that your marketing campaign is over. Announce the winners and share the results across all social platforms. Celebrate the contest results, talk about the prizes, and share the reasons for selecting the winners. For example, this announcement might summarize the voting results and comments from the panel of judges.

Continue leveraging video submissions for digital content going forward. This media gives you a way to keep the excitement alive by honoring the runners up.

8.Start your online video contest

An online video contest can be an effective way to leverage user-generated content in a marketing campaign. Video content is an important component of social media marketing and can give companies a creative way to stand out in the industry. Running an online video contest is easier than you think — and it’s a great way to bring more attention to your brand.