Online Contest Ideas for your Dealership

[Jeff Kershner]

After reading another post here on the forums "http://forum.dealerrefresh.com/f43/facebook-contest-ideas-your-dealership-2876.html" it had me remembering an even I had put together a few years back. I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread around the event. I figured we could all...

1. Add you own ideas to the event that I have outlined below
2. Share some of your previous online events you have help (use a detailed outline like the one I used below)
3. Share an online event that you have churning in your head (again, use a detailed outline like the one I used below)

I would like to see this turn into collaborative thread of ideas for online contests we could reference to in the future.


Online Easter Egg Hunt - The Easter Egg Hunt for Adults
- who says you're too old for a good ol'fashion Easter Egg Hunt?


We help this even during the Easter holiday (of course) and hid eggs within the vehicle photos (2nd photo). The customer had to find 3 eggs hidden throughout our new and used car inventory then fill out the supplied form with the corresponding numbers displayed on each egg they found.


Im going from memory here since I no longer have the full program written out (in always pissed for loosing it - but could rewrite it if I took the time)


Contest / Rules:


- Customer must find 3 colored and numbered eggs hidden throughout the inventory
- Customer must submit the 4 digit numbers found in each of the 3 eggs using the supplied online forum.
- Find and submit 3 numbers that match our 3 picked numbers and win $500.00. Match 2 and Win $200 and Match 3 and Win $50
- No obligation to purchase
- Winners must redeem their award in person at the dealership to verify
- One entry per person and One winner per house hold


Promotions and support:


- TV buy / commercials to support the event and drive traffic to the website (this was and can be a lot of fun)
- Small Radio buy to support
- Display and Remarketing campaign (a must!) supporting the event
- Homepage, specials and VDP banners supporting the event
- Commercial to online videos pumped out to video sites (YouTube)
- CityTwist conquest email marketing blast
- Quick video to explain the contest rules and prizes


Results:


- Over doubled time on site
- Online form Conversion went down a little but leads volume increased by 20ish% (not counting the egg hunt form)
- Overall Lead to Close that month from website lead alone was 23% (not our highest but solid sales considering the traffic)
- Huge sales month for the dealership
- Ton of buzz around the promotion - people were asking when we were going to do it again.


We didn't half ass it. We made this into a full online sales event and had some great success.


I would love the opportunity to run and event like this again. A few things I would do differently and things to consider:


- Additional TV spend
- Social influence (social wasn't really the hype when I did this years ago) How would you use social into this event?
- Consider a double your prize IF you purchase a car


- I recommend having the eggs in the photo stream so these photos make their way out to the 3rd party listing sites for additional exposure.
- Don't make it hard to play. It's got to be EASY to play.
- Announce winners online / social with photos and video.

What would you change or add to this event to possibly make it better?

Please be detailed in your responses.

 

[Billfred]

- Social influence (social wasn't really the hype when I did this years ago) How would you use social into this event?

I could see social being used a couple of ways here:

a) Hints leading to the location of eggs posted each afternoon (going back to "It's got to be EASY to play")
b) Bonus eggs posted through social channels (hidden behind a Like gate, or posted to a site and then removed a short time later if the medium doesn't have that kind of mechanism).
c) Post a blank egg at the dealership, out on the lot where folks can access it at off-hours too. Tweet a photo of it, and you get the code via DM.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

I could see social being used a couple of ways here:

a) Hints leading to the location of eggs posted each afternoon (going back to "It's got to be EASY to play")
b) Bonus eggs posted through social channels (hidden behind a Like gate, or posted to a site and then removed a short time later if the medium doesn't have that kind of mechanism).
c) Post a blank egg at the dealership, out on the lot where folks can access it at off-hours too. Tweet a photo of it, and you get the code via DM.

I like it!! Good ideas. Love to get more from others. Good stuff!

 

[danoneil]

1. Add you own ideas to the event that I have outlined below -

I would add a Charity in to the mix - people will search more if a donation to their favorite Charity is at stake.

Lets choose Breast Cancer.

Prior to the contest, you "like" as many non profits in your selling area that support breast cancer.

Once you post the contest, it will virally spread to those local charities & watch your FB activity double.

 

[danoneil]

double post