How to Create Branded Challenges and Contests That Drive Engagement

Irene NgengaSep 17, 2024

Brands need creative strategies to capture and hold their audience’s attention and one of the most effective ways to do this is by creating branded challenges and contests. These interactive campaigns not only boost engagement but also build brand loyalty and expand your reach. When done right, a well-crafted challenge or contest can ignite excitement, encourage participation, and foster a sense of community around your brand.

This guide will walk you through the essential steps to creating branded challenges and contests that captivate your audience and amplify your marketing efforts.

Why Challenges and Contests Work

Before diving into the how-to, it’s important to understand why branded challenges and contests work so well. Here are a few key reasons:

Interactive Engagement: People love participating in fun and exciting activities, especially when there’s an opportunity to win a reward or showcase their skills. Challenges and contests encourage active involvement with your brand rather than passive consumption.
Viral Potential: A well-designed challenge or contest can go viral. Participants are often motivated to share their experiences on social media, which can lead to massive brand exposure.
Community Building: When people participate in a challenge or contest, they feel like part of something bigger. This sense of belonging can turn participants into loyal customers.
User-Generated Content: Contests often involve participants creating and sharing content related to your brand, giving you a treasure trove of user-generated content (UGC) to leverage in future marketing campaigns.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Branded Challenge or Contest

1. Define Your Objective

The first step is to clearly define what you want to achieve. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive social media engagement, or collect user-generated content? Defining your goal will shape every aspect of your challenge or contest, from the format to the reward.

Example: If your goal is to increase brand awareness, a social media challenge that encourages sharing and tagging others may be most effective. If you’re looking to generate UGC, a photo or video contest where participants showcase your product in creative ways could work best.

2. Know Your Audience

To create a successful branded challenge or contest, you must understand your audience’s preferences, behaviors, and motivations. Are they active on Instagram, TikTok, or another platform? What type of incentives or themes would resonate with them?

Example: If your target audience is Gen Z, they might be more likely to engage with short, snappy challenges on TikTok. On the other hand, if your audience is more business-oriented, a LinkedIn contest may be more appropriate.

3. Choose the Right Type of Challenge or Contest

There are several types of contests and challenges you can run, each with its own benefits. Here are a few popular options:

Photo/Video Contest: Encourage participants to submit photos or videos featuring your product. These are ideal for generating UGC and building a library of brand-related content.
Hashtag Challenge: Create a branded hashtag and ask participants to complete a specific challenge while using your hashtag. This is perfect for viral potential on social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok.
Trivia or Quiz Contest: Engage your audience by testing their knowledge about your brand or industry. Offer rewards for high scores to keep things competitive.
Referral Contest: Incentivize your audience to refer friends or family to participate in your contest, expanding your reach while keeping engagement high.

4. Set Clear Rules and Guidelines

Transparency is key to building trust and ensuring smooth participation. Clearly outline the rules, eligibility criteria, deadlines, and how winners will be selected. Make it easy for participants to understand what they need to do.

Tip: Keep the entry process simple. Overly complex rules or steps may discourage people from participating.

5. Offer Exciting Rewards

Motivation drives participation, and the rewards you offer play a huge role in this. Your prizes should be valuable enough to encourage people to invest their time and effort in your contest. Whether it’s a free product, exclusive discount, or even a cash prize, make sure your rewards align with your brand and audience.

Example: A fitness brand could offer a free year’s subscription to their workout app, while a fashion brand might give away a limited-edition clothing item.

6. Promote Your Challenge or Contest

Even the most creative contest needs promotion to succeed. Use a mix of marketing channels to get the word out, such as:

Social Media: Post regularly about your challenge or contest on all relevant social platforms. Use stories, reels, and posts to keep your audience engaged.
Email Marketing: Send a well-crafted email to your subscriber list, inviting them to participate.
Influencers: Partner with influencers or brand ambassadors to help promote your challenge to a wider audience.

7. Engage During the Contest

A successful contest isn’t just about launching it and waiting for results. Engage with participants throughout the contest period. Respond to comments, share entries, and keep the momentum going. This makes participants feel valued and encourages others to join in.

Example: Share standout entries on your social channels or highlight some creative submissions to inspire others.

8. Announce the Winner and Showcase Results

Once your contest or challenge ends, announce the winner promptly and publicly. This creates closure and adds excitement for future campaigns. Don’t forget to showcase the best submissions, as this helps build credibility and demonstrates the quality of participation.

Tip: You can create a “winner’s gallery” on your website or social media to highlight top entries and encourage future participation.

Measuring the Success of Your Branded Challenge or Contest

After your contest wraps up, it’s important to evaluate its success. Here are some key metrics to track:

Engagement: How many people participated? How many likes, shares, or comments did your contest generate?
Reach: How far did your contest spread? Look at impressions, views, and the number of unique participants to gauge your brand’s exposure.
User-Generated Content: How much valuable content did your audience create? This can be measured by the volume and quality of submissions.
Conversions: Did your contest lead to more sales, sign-ups, or other desired actions? Tracking conversion rates can show how your contest impacted business goals.

Best Practices for Running Contests and Challenges

Make it Fun: The more entertaining your challenge, the more people will want to join.
Keep It Simple: A complicated contest will turn people away. Stick to easy-to-follow steps.
Align with Your Brand: Ensure your contest theme, tone, and rewards reflect your brand’s values.
Leverage FOMO: Promote limited-time participation to create urgency and boost engagement.

Real-World Example: The Ice Bucket Challenge

One of the most successful branded challenges of all time was the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Participants were challenged to dump ice water on their heads, post a video, and nominate friends to do the same, all while raising awareness for ALS. The campaign’s viral success generated millions of dollars in donations and became a global sensation.

While you don’t need to replicate the Ice Bucket Challenge’s exact formula, you can take inspiration from its simplicity, viral nature, and clear purpose.

Conclusion

Creating branded challenges and contests is an excellent way to engage your audience, generate user-generated content, and expand your brand’s reach. By following the steps outlined in this guide and keeping your audience’s interests at the forefront, you’ll be well on your way to running a successful campaign that leaves a lasting impact on your brand’s growth.