Overview
Sweepstakes and giveaways are a powerful way to quickly grow your email or SMS marketing lists, engage new audiences, and drive excitement for your brand. With Extole, you can run these programs with no development required. Participants simply submit their information for a chance to win a coveted prize, and with Extole’s sharing capabilities, your campaign can become self-sustaining by integrating shares as a way to earn entries.
General Flow
Promotion: Use on-site banners, email campaigns, influencers, and paid / organic search to promote your sweepstakes.
Entry Page: Prospects and customers are directed to an Extole-hosted microsite to enter their details (like email, phone number and postal code).
Sharing & Referrals: After entering, participants get a unique link to refer friends. For every friend who joins (and/or makes a purchase), they earn more entries.
Default Rewards
By default, the participant earns a Sweepstakes entry when they enter the sweepstakes, as well as an additional entry if their referred friend signups up for the sweepstakes or makes a purchase onsite. These entry qualifications are configurable if you work with the Extole team.
Default Fields
The sweepstakes program by default collects the participants email, phone number, postal code and opt ins, but similarly can be configured to collect other information by working with the Extole team.
Steps to Implement
Define Your Program
Decide on your audience, marketing channels, and the reward
Determine your desired timeline for launch.
Build and Launch
Create and configure promotion links and calls-to-action (CTAs).
Update campaign copy, disclaimers and creative assets - check out our Sweepstakes Asset Guide to help you get started.
Work with Extole to update the counting of the entries if customized
Complete an end-to-end test - review the entry process, referrals, and email notifications.
Choosing a Winner
At the end of the campaign, export all qualified entries from Extole’s reports.
Use a random selection method (ensure local legal/regulatory compliance) to pick your winner.
Tip: If you have already run an Extole sweepstakes in the past, create your campaign in a new program to ensure entries are tracked separately from past sweepstakes.
Best Practices
Promote broadly: Use every touchpoint—email, social, homepage banners—to maximize reach.
Offer a valuable, exciting rewards: Because these rewards are a fixed cost, go big with your rewards to entice participants. Extole clients have seen success both with a few large prizes (two $2500 rewards) or ongoing smaller prizes (5 winners each week get $250)
Monitor & optimize: Track key metrics (entries, referrals, conversions) and adjust tactics as needed.
Follow legal guidelines: Include terms & conditions, eligibility criteria, and winner selection processes per your local regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I customize the entry criteria or bonus rewards?
Yes! Extole sweepstakes are flexible—work with your CSM to set custom entry rules, bonus actions, or even multi-tier rewards.
How do I announce winners?
At the campaign’s end, select and contact the winner using your collected entry data. You can announce via email or social, depending on your terms.
How do I integrate opt ins with my ESP?
Extole integrates with ESPs in multiple ways. Check out our Extole Opt-In/Opt-Out Sync Guide for more information.
How do participants refer friends?
After entering, each participant receives a unique referral link they can share via email, text, or social media.
Can I send out rewards via Extole?
Extole supports many reward types, commonly gift cards for this type of campaign.
Can I use the pop up or embedded experience instead of the microsite?
Absolutely, you can easily embed the Sweepstakes Experience tag on your page from our Tag Generator or update the share destination to the pop up instead of the microsite.