Twitter Contests Take Off

O.A.R. used Twitter to engage fans by inviting them to submit lyrics to @ofarevolution (image by Neek11 via Flickr).

Contests and giveaways are becoming a popular way for many marketers to help create buzz for their presence on Twitter. Depending on your company’s goals, these promotions can be extremely effective ways to add followers or encourage deeper engagement. While there have been quite a few Twitter contests that have received attention lately, there have been two in particular that captured my interest: Orbitz’s free ticket giveaway and O.A.R.’s songwriting contest.

If you viewed the Orbitz Twitter page on June 24, you would have been come across the following tweet: “We’re giving away a free airline ticket today! FOLLOW @Orbitz & RT this msg to be eligible to win.” By encouraging people to retweet the message and offering a significant prize, the travel Web site created quite a bit of viral spread for the one day promotion. The promotion spiked the number of Orbitz followers by over 10,000 in a single day (according to Twitter Counter).

As 360i’s Social Marketing Playbook states, it is best to use Twitter “as part of an ongoing program rather than a one off campaign.” So while this kind of growth is great in the short term, Orbitz is looking to continue the momentum and capitalize on these new followers. Since the giveaway a few weeks ago, Orbitz has done a great job interacting with its customers and sustaining the interest of their new followers with tweets about the latest travel deals on the site.

O.A.R, the popular band from Maryland, went a different direction with their Twitter contest. Launched June 9 and ending July 7, fans were given the opportunity to write song lyrics and tweet them at @ofarevolution. Band members will read through all of the entries to pick the verses, bridge and chorus for a future song (I actually submitted one but it may be too corny to share here). Once the lyrics are chosen, fans will also have a chance to come up with the song’s title. Along the way, videos and updates will be posted on the Twitter page capturing O.A.R. in the actual songwriting process.

While a contest like this does not necessarily generate a large amount of new followers, it is a prime example of utilizing Twitter to converse directly with your brand’s core target audience, in this case the O.A.R. fan base and potential influencers. By allowing these people to participate in the writing of a new song, they feel connected to the band on a personal level and will help foster continued enthusiasm from these supporters.

Ultimately, every brand has to determine what their purpose on Twitter will be before taking the plunge into these types of promotions. For those who decide to enter the space or just want to give a boost to an already established presence, contests and giveaways can be a great tactic when properly aligned with your brand’s overall social marketing goals.

- Matt Hirsch, Digital Publicist at 360i