Sending an email to competition entrants

by Jean
(Spain)

I have 2 sites www.fab-weight-loss-program.com and www.fab-weight-loss-spain.com

I am running a competition on my Spain site and have over 160 entries (the winner will be picked on 31.06.11) and at some point i want to send out an email to everyone else who entered to say thx for entering, sorry you didnt win but we are offering you a reduced rate on our weight loss retreat.

I was wondering if you had any good tips/ideas on how I go about this

ANSWER

First, Jean, a quick word about the comp (at least for future reference). I hope you understand that I'm not familiar with Spanish laws. However, in the UK you should comply with the CAP (Committee of Advertising Practice) Code for comps and prize draws.

I've sent you a factsheet with some more info. You should have a set of terms & conditions for your comp. Not only does this keep you compliant, but it's also good practice because your customers know exactly what they can expect, and you can nail down exactly what you are and aren't offering in terms of prizes.

Plus, if you intend to send marketing to comp entrants, then you should state so. Either:

1. give them a clear option to opt-out of marketing, or

2. make entry to the comp absolutely conditional on entrants providing you with whatever contact info you require

With option 2, you must state this condition very clearly and visibly so there's no doubt they will receive some marketing from you. Of course, this marketing must comply with anti spam laws - see my website and Email Marketing Plan Checklist for more info. Bear in mind that the relevant legislation (the Privacy & Electronic Communications Regulations) apply across the EU.

For the email, I'd suggest a couple of things:

First, time limit the offer you make to losing entrants, which helps prompt a response.

Second, clearly identify the winner. Include a name and, if possible, a picture. This adds credibility to your comp and will encourage future participation. If you can use it to generate wider PR, even better.

By the way, using the winner for publicity is a good example of a condition you'd want to include in your comp terms & conditions.

Hope that helps.