If you could improve one aspect of your giveaway, what would that be?
I know that people have different answers:
- The competition prize
- Mechanics of the giveaway
- Landing page images
But today, we’re going to talk about an essential (but often ignored) part of the campaign…
And that is the giveaway copy.
Writing good copy does the following:
Makes people feel excited about your contest. The right choice of words strikes the right emotional chord.
Improves your giveaway’s conversion rate. Do you want your campaign to attract more email sign-ups? How about more sales down the road?
Positively represents your business. How you write your copy reflects your brand. Does your giveaway copy look sloppy because it contains lots of grammatical errors?
Today, I share 7 tips to improve your contest copy.
Return to this list anytime you need quick reminders for your contest copywriting.
7 Tips for Writing Good Copy (That Will Increase Participation in Your Giveaway)
Want to write better and make your contest a huge success? Follow these tips.
1. Write an ultra-specific headline.
The headline is the first thing that greets your audience the moment they land on your opt-in page. It can mean the difference between someone joining your contest and ignoring it.
We’ve found that successful campaign landing pages have one thing in common:
They have descriptive headlines.
Here’s how Groove Watersports, one of our UpViral users, wrote their headline:
Enter to Win a Groove Vest” as a headline is superb.
Why? Because it conveys:
- That people are entering a competition
- What prize they’re going to win
- The company that’s giving away the prize
Sure, mysterious headlines can work for some campaigns - but definitely not for giveaways.
(Check out Groove Watersports’s case study right here.)
A giveaway landing page should offer specific information to convince people to join right away.
Imagine someone reading your headline and not knowing what it’s about. As you might guess, there’s a chance that the person will simply move on rather than stick around.
2. Describe and show your prize clearly.
What this means is that you need to specify all the details of your prize.
Describe the prize as if you were selling it.
Use these questions to guide you in creating a compelling description:
- How much is your prize worth in dollars (or your currency)?
- What are the features or specs of your prize?
- How can your prize help your audience? What are the benefits?
- What makes your prize special?
Take a look at how Groove Watersports describes their prize (below the headline), the Groove Vest:
“Want a chance to win the world’s first impact vest with speakers? We’ve embedded two high-quality waterproof speakers directly into the impact vest so you can enjoy your music as you ride [U.S. Patent # 9894943]. Enter to win a Groove Vest $250 value.”
Below the first paragraph are features and benefits of the prize in detail, with the headings Lightweight Vest, Heavyweight Sound, and Cloud-Like Comfort.
Also, it’s not enough to say how great your prize is. You need to show your audience what it looks like. That said, attach a clear picture or video of the prize.
3. Write a concise call-to-action.
If you want your audience to take action, you should give them a clear instruction on what they should do next. This line is your call-to-action.
On giveaway landing pages, calls-to-action are found on buttons below the sign-up form fields.
These CTAs are meant to entice people to submit their entry after filling out their personal information.Here are some examples:
- “Enter my details to win”
- “Submit my entry”
- “Enter to win”
- “Win a free [prize name]”
- “Join the giveaway”
The screenshot below shows Groove’s CTA:
But what about giveaways on social media?
There are no CTA buttons to catch people’s eyes, which means that you’ll have to rely on plain copy. In that case, here’s what you’re going to do:
At the end of your giveaway description, write in simple terms how people can join the giveaway.
Here’s an example from Instagram:
“To Enter:
- Follow me @mulberrycottage_ox and all companies above (this will be checked)
- Like this post.
- Tag someone else to enter. 1 Tag = 1 Entry. Enter as many times as you like for more chances to win!
- Optional - share to your page/stories”
For an effective call-to-action, speak directly to your audience.
Use action words.
4. Instill a sense of urgency.
Urgency is a powerful technique that convinces your prospects to act fast.
To create a feeling of urgency, you need to let people know that what you’re offering is valuable.
If they don’t see its value, they won’t act right away or stick until the end of your contest. That said, make sure to pick a great prize and convey its benefits.
Next, add urgency words and phrases to your copy to motivate your audience to act fast.
Examples of urgency words and phrases include:
- Now
- Enter now
- Limited time
- Deadline
- Limited edition
- Limited offer
- Now or never
Add these words and phrases on the giveaway landing page and email subject lines.
5. Use simple language.
Another important technique for writing good copy is simplicity.
People have short attention spans so you don't want to bore your prospects with fluffy content.
Write in a clear and precise manner. Avoid long-winded sentences. Cut out jargon.
If you have abbreviations in your copy, be sure to spell them out. Drop unnecessary words.
Whether it’s your landing page headline, the steps to enter your giveaway, or reminder posts, always keep it simple.
6. A/B test your copy.
A/B testing (AKA split testing) is a way to determine which version of your copy is most effective.
What are the things you can split test?
Everything.
That includes your headline, call-to-action text, a certain paragraph on your landing page, copy style, and more.
Remember: Split test one element at a time.Let’s try an example.
For instance, you want to know which giveaway opt-in page gets more sign-ups based on the headline.
In that case, all you have to do is duplicate your opt-in page and only change the headline.
What about tools?
There are a variety of tools you can use to conduct split tests.
UpViral, our viral marketing tool, enables you to split test your lead capture and share pages.
If you need more split testing tips, I share five strategies in another post. Check it out.
7. Proofread everything before it goes live.
If there’s one thing you must never skip when it comes to writing good copy, that’s proofreading.
Typos and unclear instructions could lower your conversions. Now is the time to check spelling, grammar, and unclear words.
Imagine that you’re someone who’s about to enter your own contest.
How do you find it? Is it well-explained? Does it excite you and make you want to join right away?
Make sure to proofread every word before you promote your giveaway.
Final Thoughts
Good copy makes your giveaway campaign stand out. It convinces people to take action. It maximizes your results.
I’ve just shown you tips to produce better copy for your campaign. Are you using one or more of them already? Want to give UpViral a try?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
