Free prize draw

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Free prize draw

Downsizer Forum Index -> Small Business Questions, Ideas and Advice

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Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Thu Aug 16, 07 9:45 am Post subject: Free prize draw

I'm planning on offering a free prize draw for a tea/coffee cosy at the event I'm doing next week. Last year it had a footfall of 7 thousand in 3 days so I thought it would be worth giving something away as a method of harvesting names and addresses of potential future customers.

I was thinking of just a basic ticket with name, address, telephone and email which they'll pop in a box and I'll draw the winner at the end of the event.

I'm going to put on the tickets that I won't pass their details onto anyone else but do I have to put a tick box that allows them to opt out of being contacted by me at a later date (I'd only contact them with details of open studios, events, new ranges etc) ?

woodsprite

Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 2943
Location: North Herefordshire

Posted: Thu Aug 16, 07 9:52 am Post subject:
I do this Stacey and it works for me. My circs are different 'cos I'm selling myself (IYSWIM). I offer a free 2 hour workshop in exchange for contact details and it has got me residencies and loads of work in the private and home ed sector. Well worth doing.

bernie-woman

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7824
Location: shropshire

Posted: Thu Aug 16, 07 9:58 am Post subject:
I am not sure that you have to put a tick box or not for people to opt out but on the whole I think it is good form to do so - after all I would have thought it would be pretty worthless to contact those who would tick it with mail shots anyway -

hedgewitch

Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Posts: 5834
Location: Daft wench GHQ

Posted: Thu Aug 16, 07 10:34 am Post subject:

I've attended a lot of trade shows and conferences where you can enter prize draws if you leave a business card or fill a form for contact details. The deal is always that by participating you are agreeing to be contacted in future. I don't think there's anything wrong with this - if I really don't want to be contacted, I won't give my details and enter the draw.

The only problem I can see is people giving you contact details but not really being interested - just doing it for a chance to win. But I think there is a lot less chance of this for you than for someone who is offering a chance for me to win an i-pod if I let them email about a content management system I have no intention of buying.

About email addresses - do you have info that isn't sent via email? Just thinking if some of your potential customers are not web savvy, you might put 'em off. Not sure of costs of mail shots for you if they are not emails though, but if you do send out via snail mail, let them know that you can send them updates without an email address.

Mind you, I think the blogging world has been taken over by knitters, felters/fullers and other yarn crafters, so you're probably more in danger of them demanding a podcast update rather than wanting something on paper.

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Thu Aug 16, 07 11:26 am Post subject:
Cheers m'dears Glad to know it's a useful thing to do Re email etc If a significant number didn't have email I'll consider a paper newsletter etc. I'll probably do a paper mailshot for things like open studio at christmas etc anyway. Podcasts??? I'm strugling to fit in sleeping time right now

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