Do you want to delight your Facebook followers this season while increasing your revenue? Although holiday sales represent roughly 20% of annual retail sales each year, your profit is often higher due to increased volume without extra fixed costs. The right mix of Facebook contests, polls, and giveaways expands your reach while directing your audience towards gift-giving solutions.
If your main goal is to boost sales in December and attract last-minute buyers, then these ideas will get your creative juices flowing. Discover nine fun ways to engage your audience then start filling up your editorial calendar.
How Facebook Contests Increase Brand Awareness and Holiday Sales
From comic relief to a fist bump of solidarity with online friends, Facebook contests, polls, and giveaways reduce your follower’s stress and encourage fun. People are exhausted trying to keep up with the holiday spirit (and family, friends, and co-workers).
A well-done campaign isn’t a hard sell. Instead, it’s a gradual nudge towards purchasing a product that provides a solution. Do your part to increase brand visibility and holiday sales by developing a Facebook promotion strategy designed to capture the attention of your time-strapped (and tired) audience members.
1. Christmas Countdown Facebook Sweepstakes Ideas
If you want to start counting down on the 12th of December, wonderful. If you’d rather get started at the beginning of the month, then even better. The thing is, for many consumers, the Christmas countdown and the pressure began as soon as retail stores added Christmas products to the shopping aisles. With a Christmas countdown sweepstakes, you determine the timeline. Popular options consist of:
- A weekly countdown. Only three Fridays left until Christmas! Get your entry into our weekly contest now.
- A daily countdown. Sixteen days until Santa comes! Stay tuned for winners of our daily Christmas countdown sweepstakes.
2. Elf on the Shelf Poll and Contest Ideas
Love it or hate it, Elf on the Shelf is continues to draw attention on the web. Since 2005, more than 11 million copies of the book have been sold. With millions of elves on shelves across the country, an Elf on the Shelf Facebook poll, contest, or giveaway is sure to increase engagement on social media.
The key to an Elf on the Shelf contest is knowing your audience, as not all people consider the elf harmless. Authors of an academic study say, “Although The Elf on the Shelf has received positive media attention and has been embraced by millions of parents and teachers, it nevertheless represents something disturbing.”
Take a Facebook Poll: Elf Escapades? Yes or No?
- Does your family participate in the elf craze?
- Do your friends go too far with their Elf on the Shelf activities?
Poke Fun With a Facebook Giveaway: Inappropriate or Creepy Elves
- Share your worst Elf on the Shelf moment in the comments.
- Tag a friend who hates your Elf on the Shelf.
Join in on the Festivities With a Facebook Photo Contest
- Invite Elf on the Shelf participants to tag a friend and share their best photo moment.
- Use the gallery option to display elf on the shelf photos and ask followers to vote.
3. “Caption this” Hilarious Holiday Comment Giveaway Ideas
From frazzled parents shopping for that sold-out toy to festive all-day extravaganzas with friends, the holidays present plenty of intriguing shopping moments. With the availability of photo editing software, you can choose a personal photo and inject a hilarious element.
Consider adding a blank thought or speech bubble to your Facebook photo. Then, create a Facebook contest where users submit their best captions, and you choose a winner.
4. Winter Solstice Giveaway and Contest Ideas
Winter solstice is both the shortest day of the year and the official start of winter. Plus, it’s a fun way to involve your audience in non-Christmas related events. Now, it’s not well-known, but the exact hour of winter solstice varies according to your location. Promote the solstice on your Facebook page by:
- Requesting user-generated content with a Facebook photo contest. Ask followers to share a photo of what they’re doing on the longest night of the year.
- Creating a Facebook giveaway the day after Winter Solstice to celebrate the increase in daytime hours.
- Sharing a daily giveaway that leads up to the winter solstice.
- Hosting a Facebook live giveaway on the hour that winter solstice begins.
5. Do This, Make That: Share Your Holiday Fail
More than 250 million people use Pinterest every month for a variety of reasons, from finding a recipe to planning a party. Yet, hundreds of thousands of people also follow boards related to Pinterest fails. In an Instagrammable world where life appears perfect, social media users flock to sites showing a more human side.
Take advantage of this concept by tailoring a Facebook contest to your audience. For example, if your followers love baking, then ask them to share their gingerbread house fails, or a Christmas treat that tastes way better than it looks.
6. “Best of” Facebook Holiday Polls and Contests Idea
Your audience wants to help others make the best choices, which is why they share useful Facebook posts. Plus, consumers use social proof for their decision-making as well. Create Facebook polls and photo contests that generate goodwill so users can give and receive ideas to make the holidays better. Leverage the Facebook gallery option to provide social proof and encouragement.
- Best self-care tips for the holiday season
- Best cookie recipe
- Best tree topper
- Best gifts by age groups
- Best way to save money on stocking stuffers
After your Facebook poll or contest ends, sum up a few (or all) of the responses and share with your audience via a Facebook live video, blog post, or other methods of promotion.
7. Celebrate Cookies on Facebook
Throughout the year, 244.96 million Americans consume store-bought cookies. However, even non-bakers find themselves pulled towards a cookbook in December. Delight your Facebook followers by celebrating one or both of the national cookie days.
- December 4th: National Cookie Day Contest
- December 22nd: National Cookie Exchange Day
You can ask users to send in their best cookie recipe, tag a friend who bakes or submit a photo. Go a step further and include a gallery so your followers can vote on (and be inspired by) their favorite images or recipes.
8. Wish List Sweepstakes
We’ve all heard the refrain, “Treat yourself,” when it comes to making a purchase. But, during the holiday season, shoppers expect to spend roughly $344 on gifts for themselves. Build upon this idea by asking users to share their (or a family member’s) wish list with your brand.
- Share handwritten notes from their children that are sure to bring a laugh or sense of nostalgia.
- Post the top three items on their list.
- Take a selfie with their personal wishlist.
- Comment on what they received last year from their significant other along with what they really wanted.
Since 23% of shoppers plan to use social media to help with their holiday shopping process, a Facebook wish list sweepstakes is a fantastic way to showcase your company’s products and reach your Facebook goals.
9. Gift Wrapping While Rapping Facebook Video Contest
People aren’t afraid of video, so get them involved with a video contest called Gift Wrapping while Rapping. You can either come up with a rhyming rap for followers to repeat or ask them to create their own songs. Want to get extra brand visibility with this Facebook contest? Request videos of your followers wrapping your company’s products. After all, user-generated content (when mixed in with your brand’s videos) increases engagement by 28%.
Last Thoughts
The right mix of Facebook contests, polls, sweepstakes, and giveaways will generate an abundance of user-generated-content while increasing your sales and brand visibility. Fill your editorial calendar with suggestions from this list. Or discover more inspiration with these social media contest ideas and examples.
Get Help from Woobox Support
Need help planning your December Facebook contests? Woobox Support is available for help from 8 am until 5 pm PST, Monday through Friday at 1-360-450-5200 or support@woobox.com.