Remember when we said all prizes come in different shapes and sizes, depending on budget, audience, etc.? Let’s take that thought process a step further and, repeat after us: “Not all prizing has to be physical, material things.” If the idea of using a physical “gimme” makes you nervous or will blow your marketing budget, go ahead and scratch gift cards, t-shirts, and stickers off of that list of yours and focus your attention on digital downloads. From branded wallpapers and exclusive or remixed tracks to Ebooks and personalized video messages, digital downloads are cost effective solutions for driving engagement and boosting brand awareness. This is the Digital Age after all!

Best Practices For Driving Engagement With Digital Downloads

To make the most of these budget- and digital- friendly prizes, we’ve got the game plan (aka best practices) on how to engage your brand’s audience through the use of digital downloads.

Make Them Exclusive

“I don’t want to be first” said no one ever. Let’s forget about the old schoolyard rhyme “first is the worst, second is the best” and be honest: everyone wants to be first. First in line. First with the new phone. First to find that new band or song. Tap into that drive to be #1 and engage users by calling out your brand’s digital downloads as exclusive.

Some ways to incorporate exclusivity into your messaging are::

• “First Look Just For You At Our Brand’s Gag Reel!”

• “Insider Access To Our Band’s Upcoming Album!”

Users are more likely to engage when content is framed this way because it makes them feel like VIPs. They’re such valued fans, you’re willing to give them exclusive “members only” access to your content to share with their friends, furthering that VIP feeling. Providing exclusive content on a regular basis keeps your audience visiting regularly since your content is always new and fresh.

Make Them Useful

While providing downloadable content is great in-and-of itself, most consumers who download branded content are downloading it because it serves a purpose – whether that purpose is to provide information on the nearest location or just to dress up the background of their phone. Nobody wants to have something useless taking up space on their precious phone memory, so your downloads should be resources that offer your fans something of value in return.
When it comes to your SocialToaster program, it’s a good idea to use a smaller digital download as a “sign-up” prize. If your content is evergreen and continues to provide value and generate downloads, why not continue using it as prizing until you see things taper off.

Some ideas for creating useful digital content are:

• A “how-to” video tutorial: If you’re a makeup brand , reward your users for signing up by showing them the latest fashion trends using a classic “how-to” tutorial for an everyday look. There are so many ways to apply the tutorial video to other brands too: a food brand that provides recipes, an auto parts retailer with step-by-step replacement directions, or a banking institution with “Investing 101” classes.

• A background for a smartphone: What fans don’t want to unlock their Android or iPhone and have an exclusive wallpaper of their favorite brand that no one else has staring back at them? Your brand is promoting ongoing brand awareness and your fans feel really freakin’ cool.

Your fans are investing the time to engage with your brand, so make it worth their while! Consistently delivering downloadable content that provides value encourages users to engage with your brand. Engagement develops trust, and in return, you will eventually see dollar signs.

Make It High Quality

Now that you’ve got your fans all excited about your awesome new exclusive and useful downloadable content, you have to make sure the content itself is *insert best Oprah impression* AHH-MAAAAAZINGGGGG!. It is the bread and butter after all and your fans are hungry!

Here are some questions to help you make sure your content is optimized for quality and easy download:

Image

• Is the image sized properly?

• Can it be received on multiple devices (i.e. iOS and Android)?

• Is it aesthetically pleasing?

Video

• Is your background properly lit?

• Is your subject in focus?

• Are your captions and titles readable and up for an appropriate amount of time?

Audio

• Is there any background interference?

• Are the vocals clear?

• If it’s a remix, how are the songs overlaying with each other?

Answering these questions before showcasing your download will ensure your consumer will associate your brand with the high quality content you want to be known for. Always save your content in the format that makes downloading easy but doesn’t take away from quality. Here are good examples of high quality digital wallpaper, video, and audio remixes.

Did You Want More?

Here we go, another prize idea blitz!

• Exclusive desktop wallpaper

• Exclusive mobile wallpaper

• Digital track or single

• Digital albums

• Personalized videos

• Behind-the-scenes videos

• First look at movie trailers

• Digital coupons

• Digital eBooks

• Digital images

The better the download is, the more likely people will be to like, comment, share it with their friends, and generate buzz about it – aka ENGAGE with it. If your brand is looking to increase engagement with some amazing digital downloads, let us know! Send us an email, request a free demo, or give us a call at 855.62.TOAST today!