One of the most popular promotions companies offer is a gift card, and this trend shows no signs of abating. But gift cards do more than just bring in extra cash flow; they also build brand recognition, customer loyalty, and interest in certain products.
- In 2023, there were 620 million giveaway-related Google results.
- More than 150,000 new giveaways are posted to social media sites daily.
- On Twitter, giveaway tweets have an average of 1350% higher engagement.
These numbers should convince you that gift card giveaways are a good investment for your company. A social media campaign is the best option to get gift cards into people’s hands. Even better, you may use the gift card campaign to collect vital data, such as their email addresses, for future marketing efforts. The more people you know and keep in contact with, the more likely you are to turn them into paying clients.
What is a Gift Card Giveaway?
A gift card giveaway is a simple-to-run campaign where you use your social media presence to get customers’ contact information. By offering a gift card with a generous amount on it, you will generate a lot of interest and get more leads.
Why Run a Gift Card Giveaway?
If you want to quickly and cheaply expand your brand’s social following, email list, and overall visibility, consider doing a gift card giveaway. WalletHub reports that 41% of consumers prefer a gift card to a traditional present. Because of this, efforts involving the distribution of gift cards are successful and may reach many people.
Increase brand awareness
Promotional competitions on social media are an excellent method to increase brand awareness and attract new customers. Fortunately, this is an easy task to do. So long as you make liking or following your brand mandatory, you’ll increase your reach. Using a giveaway platform like Kickofflabs, you can give entrants extra entries or points for liking and following your socials.
Create brand ambassadors
You may convert your audience into brand ambassadors by offering them something of value for free. People are more likely to enter a social media contest if they stand to win anything of value. Many participants will feel compelled to tell their personal and professional networks about the opportunity to win. So, your admirers will actively spread the word about your company.
Creates visibility on social media through the engagement you create
Participation is boosted, and new relationships are cultivated via social media competitions. This is typical when contestants are required to come up with their own material for entry, whether it is a picture, video, pinboard, slogan, or jingle. Similarly, voting competitions make people feel more connected to one another. In addition to fostering communication between customers and the business, these competitions energize discussions in relevant online forums.
Information Gathering: Learn more about your audience
People who use the internet are sometimes wary and upset when asked for personal details such as their name, email address, phone number, address, etc. Using a social media contest is a simple and unobtrusive approach getting this data. A company may collect significant lead data by requiring entrants to sign up and establish a login as part of the entry process.
What kinds of Companies Benefit From Gift Card Giveaways?
The following companies might benefit greatly from gift card giveaways:
- Artists and Crafters
- Business (B2B)
- Clothing and Accessories
- Electronic
- Food & Beverage
- Gaming
- Makeup and Beauty
- Photography
- Software
Best Practices for Running a Gift Card Giveaway
If you’re considering hosting a gift card giveaway, here are a few things to remember.
Where to Get Gift Cards for Your Contest
If You Have a Store, Generate a Gift Card for Your Store
If you have a retail store, whether it’s e-commerce only or brick-and-mortar, it benefits you to give away gift cards in these contests. You get leads’ contact information, they get information about your business, and the winner finds products or services they enjoy and will buy again. If you don’t have a store, carefully select a gift card that will appeal to your niche or has broad appeal. If you run canoe trips, it may be off-putting to offer a gift card contest where the prize is for Victoria’s Secret. Likewise, an Xbox gift card might fall flat if you operate a spa or yoga studio.
If you don’t have your own gift cards…
If your store doesn’t already offer your own gift cards you can purchase gift cards almost anywhere these days. Convenience stores, supermarkets, and online retailers offer various gift cards for every kind of service, product, or restaurant imaginable.
Whether a physical card purchased from a retailer or a digital one purchased over the Internet, sending a gift card is usually a simple matter of dropping it in the mail. You may send an electronic gift card by printing off the confirmation email and mailing it in. It’s more convenient than traveling to the shop, but the gift card won’t be quite as exciting if the receiver opens it through an email or a text.
Clearly Display the Gift Card’s Monetary Value
Ensure your marketing materials and posts mention the amount on the gift card a few times. People often take a while to absorb information, and while you may feel like you’re being repetitive, it may be the first time someone sees the information about your gift card giveaway.
Make the Prize Worth Their While
These days, a $5 gift card doesn’t go you very far. You might lose sales if the value of your gift card is too low in relation to the price of your typical item. There are occasions when a little more effort yields a better result. Remember that 72 percent of customers will spend more than the value of their gift card, so choose a quantity that will allow them to try a good bit of your goods. We recommend a minimum of $250 for your gift card amount.
Run More Than One Giveaway
Campaigns that run indefinitely reap the advantages of a gift card offer and help expand the company’s email list. If you’re going to urge your followers to join a contest for a gift card, it’s wise to have a plan in place for those who don’t win. A smaller-value gift card is a fantastic suggestion. Maybe the runners-up all receive a complimentary snack or dessert to thank them for entering or a $10 gift card. You might also provide a discount to those who didn’t win if they come in for a meal and say they participated in the contest. It’s a cheap way to attract customers without draining your bank account. If you can’t afford to give away prizes to everyone who enters, at least add them to an email list where they may find out about future deals and promotions.
Use a Giveaway Platform… Like KickoffLabs
Using a platform specifically for running giveaways and contests may be helpful in several ways. Knowing the site will handle their personal information safely and securely can build customer trust.
A site especially for giveaways will have tools to help you get more engagement and understand the data captured during the contest. KickoffLabs has dozens of templates and features to help you start your giveaway quickly and easily. It can help you double your email list and turn every customer into three more through word of mouth.
You can customize your giveaway for your brand, award custom tags and points, identify influencers, and send your captured leads anywhere with a contest on KickoffLabs.
Here are just a few of the things you can do when you use KickoffLabs for your gift card giveaway:
Personalized Contest Greetings
Make your campaigns more engaging by including a personalized welcome from the visitor’s friends. 
Increased Security Against Scams
Be sure phony likes and shares don’t ruin your campaign. It’s not impossible, and we have the resources to help you do it. 
Learn how your protected with KickoffLabs.
Consider adding a rewards program so that everyone can win something
Rewarding consumers for spreading the word about your goods is a great way to increase your client base and customer loyalty. You could give away stickers or other swag to people who refer a certain number of friends. Picture this: you collect stamps for purchases your friends make! 
Learn more about reward levels at KickoffLabs.
Ready for a Win-Win Scenario?
A gift card giveaway, when run correctly, benefits everyone, from you and your business to the people who enter and win the contest. When you use KickoffLabs to create your gift card giveaway, it is super easy to assemble and get more leads and conversions. Get started with your next gift card giveaway free with KickoffLabs today!. Or, feel free to reach out to our support team at support@kickofflabs.com for assistance with getting started.
Read more Running Viral Giveaways with the next chapter:
17. Online Store Giveaways
Learn 5 ways a giveaway can grow your online store.
