Setting up a reliable sweepstake? Check out these 8 tips!

Running a sweepstake? Here’s how to do it right and keep your brand reputation intact.

Setting up an online sweepstake? Make sure it’s reliable! When organizing an online sweepstake, it is crucial to ensure that it is set up in a trustworthy manner. You do not need a license to run a promotional game of chance (sweepstake); however, there are conditions you must meet. Additionally, the credibility of your sweepstake is strengthened when it is clear that a winner is chosen independently. Ultimately, a reliable sweepstake is essential to maintaining the integrity of your brand and keeping participants satisfied.

Reasons to set up a reliable sweepstake:

Organize responsibly
Meet the conditions of the gambling authority
Ensure participant satisfaction (your customers)
Protect your brand’s reputation

To help you set up a reliable sweepstake, we have compiled our 8 most important tips. And at the end, we’ll also highlight what you should absolutely avoid. Considering launching a sweepstake? Read more on our page about how to quickly and easily set up a sweepstake with Lotify. Have any questions? Feel free to contact us – we’re happy to help!

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1. Clear and transparent rules

Set clear rules for the sweepstake and ensure transparent communication about these rules, the prizes, participation conditions, and the winner selection process. Consider aspects such as age restrictions and a clear deadline.

The easiest way to do this is on the platform where participants sign up for the sweepstake. If there’s too much text for social media, summarize the key points and link to a page or document with all the rules.

2. No purchase required

Ensure that participation in the sweepstake is free and that participants are not required to buy products or services to enter.

If you charge money for participation, it becomes a lottery and is subject to strict laws and regulations. In a sweepstake, participants pay by providing their personal details. Only after submitting a name and email address can they enter and have a chance to win the prize package.

This makes participation accessible since it is free and requires no financial commitment, increasing the likelihood of people joining your sweepstake.

3. Follow GDPR guidelines and ensure privacy protection

Protect your sweepstake participants in accordance with GDPR regulations. This privacy law has specific rules and requirements regarding the processing of personal data. The key rules to consider are:

Obtain participants’ consent for collecting and processing their data.
Collect only necessary information and avoid gathering irrelevant data.
Ensure participants can correct or delete their data and have procedures in place to facilitate this.
Clearly state how the data will be used.
Communicate transparently about data collection, usage, and retention.
Secure the data properly, even after the sweepstake ends.

By using Lotify’s platform to set up your sweepstake, you can be sure you meet these requirements.

4. Equal chances for all participants

It is essential to ensure that all participants have an equal chance of winning. Just as important is communicating this clearly so that participants know, for example, that the winner is not chosen based on the number of followers.

By organizing a fair drawing and communicating transparently about equal chances, you will positively impact your brand’s credibility.

Using Lotify’s sweepstake software guarantees a fair winner selection. Our certified drawing system ensures that the winner is chosen 100% randomly. Want to learn more? Give us a call – we’d be happy to explain!

5. Announcing the winner publicly

The most exciting part of the sweepstake is announcing the winner! If you use Lotify’s software, the tool will select the winner, and you will be notified as the organizer.

Make this moment count by announcing the winner where the sweepstake was promoted. You can also highlight the winner in your newsletter or a blog. Perhaps the winner will even share their experience on social media—take advantage of that opportunity!

6. Send out prizes quickly

Nothing is more frustrating than winning a prize and then having to wait a long time to receive it. Ensure that prizes are sent within a reasonable timeframe after the sweepstake ends. Or better yet, hand over the prize at the time of the announcement. However you choose to do it, don’t keep the winner waiting too long!

7. Use official rules and disclaimers

Make sure everything is legally covered to protect both yourself and the participants. While you can find rules and disclaimers online, be careful—they may not fit your specific sweepstake.

By using Lotify’s software, you ensure that your sweepstake is legally sound. Our tool automatically generates terms and conditions that comply with the promotional games of chance code of conduct.

8. Evaluate and improve

There is always room for improvement. After your sweepstake ends, assess what went well and what can be improved. Consider these questions:

How can we reach a larger audience?
How can we increase sign-ups relative to views?
How reliable did participants find the sweepstake?
Can we run an A/B test next time to see which communication works best?

By evaluating, you can organize an even better sweepstake next time with even greater results.

What NOT to do in a sweepstake?

To be sure, here are some things you should avoid when organizing a sweepstake. We know that many businesses ignore these rules, but that only harms your credibility. Plus, regulations are getting stricter to protect participants. So our advice: follow the rules and avoid these mistakes!

Requiring participants to share the sweepstake – this causes spam and is not allowed.
Requiring participants to tag friends or like your page.
Promoting the sweepstake from a personal page—always use a business page.
Allowing participants under 18 without parental consent.