Excitement
Contests, bets and general activities where a winner is selected, have withstood the test of time. They are still as popular now, as when the early paper newspapers encouraged readers to submit responses in an envelope with the stamp.
There may be something about competitions that pique curiosity and get people to set aside time to participate, whether it’s finding a ballpoint pen or clicking through different answer options.
The competition channels themselves have changed over the years. Today almost all competitions on digital surfaces are either on news pages or social media. The essence is similar to the previous editions, the participants find it exciting to participate. Why is this form of entertainment so powerful?
Prizes
First and foremost, you must have prizes that stand for the wager and odds of winning. Participants want to create an idea that they are the lucky winner in the end. Adding consolation prizes or giveaways increases your motivation to participate.
Chance and knowledge game
You might think that knowledge games are more popular than chance games, but there the jury is still out. In fact, there is just as much chance that someone will participate in the various forms of games, although knowledge games in a clear vertical are more accurate with a specific customer group.
Limited time
An important factor for increased participation is that the competition is timed. It is not fun with open competitions, or that a game of hide-and-seek lasts two months. Then you are sorry before the winner is chosen. The most important thing is that the competition closes for new entrants within a short period of time, to create a form of “urgency”.
Gamification
A major trend in several industries and parts of our lives is what we call “gamification” or gamification. For example, there are many more competitions and awards presented in elementary school now, although it is not graded, to create competition in young people to give them motivation on the task they are given.
Cheap fun
Most competitions have a low threshold for participation. This may be due to the fact that money in competitions is regulated in most countries, but also that the organizer wants as many as possible to participate.