Each year, we host a birthday giveaway on CanadaCreate, offering exciting prizes in exchange for following us on social media, sharing the contest, or subscribing to our email newsletter. These giveaways not only reward our readers with valuable software to enhance their businesses but also significantly boost our email list and social media following.
We believe that giveaways are one of the quickest methods to expand your email list, drive traffic, and increase sales. They allow you to connect with new audiences and enhance user engagement on your website.
Having conducted these giveaways for several years, we have gathered the best strategies and insights to maximize the effectiveness of your WordPress giveaways.
In this article, we will guide you on how to leverage a giveaway to accelerate the growth of your email list.
Why Should You Use a Giveaway to Expand Your Email List?
Did you know that email marketing generates an average return on investment (ROI) of 4300% for businesses in the United States?
Individuals who subscribe to your emails are already interested in your offerings, making them highly likely to convert into paying customers. The challenge lies in attracting more people to join your email list.
This is where hosting a contest or giveaway on your WordPress site becomes beneficial.
This strategy will help you expand your email list, gain more social media followers, and drive additional traffic to your website.
Giveaways deliver immediate results by creating urgency and leveraging the fear of missing out, motivating people to enter your contest. Additionally, they allow you to connect with new audiences and increase your email subscribers for your WordPress site.
That’s why we frequently implement giveaways on CanadaCreate.
For more information, check out our guide on how we successfully executed a viral giveaway on CanadaCreate.
Now, let’s explore how to kick off your own giveaway.
Choose an Enticing Prize for Your Giveaway
Before launching a giveaway, it’s essential to select an appealing prize. A desirable reward will encourage your website visitors to join the giveaway and subscribe to your email list.
A great starting point is to offer a prize that aligns with your business and appeals to your target audience. For instance, at CanadaCreate, we often reward giveaway winners with free licenses for WordPress plugins and themes.
Conversely, if you operate an eCommerce store, consider offering gift cards, free shipping, or complimentary products as prizes. You might also attract more participants by giving away popular gadgets like laptops, smartphones, or headphones.
Each month, we host exciting giveaways featuring the latest gadgets exclusively for our WPForms subscribers.
Now, let’s explore how to create a giveaway using WordPress.
How to Create a Giveaway in WordPress
The simplest way to organize contests in WordPress is by using RafflePress. This user-friendly giveaway plugin allows you to set up contests in just a few clicks.
We personally use RafflePress for our giveaways and appreciate how straightforward it makes the entire process. For more information, check out our RafflePress review.
Important Note:For this tutorial, we will be using the RafflePress Pro version, as it integrates with popular email marketing services and provides additional giveaway options. A free version of RafflePress is also available for you to try.
First, you need to install and activate the RafflePress plugin. If you require assistance, please refer to our guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
Once activated, you will see the RafflePress welcome screen in your WordPress dashboard. Next, enter your license key and click the ‘Verify Key’ button. You can find your license key in your RafflePress account area.
After that, scroll down and click the ‘Create Your First Giveaway’ button.
This will open the RafflePress giveaway builder.
On the next screen, enter a name for your giveaway campaign and choose one of the available templates.
Since your objective is to expand your email list, select the ‘Grow Your Email List’ template.
Now, you can provide details about your giveaway in the ‘Details’ section located in the left sidebar.
Start by entering a name and description for your giveaway. You can also upload an image, set the start and end date and time, and choose a timezone.
Define Your Giveaway Actions
Next, navigate to the ‘Actions’ section. Here, you can choose all the ways participants can engage with the giveaway.
The ‘Join the Email Newsletter’ option will be included by default in the Grow Your Email List template. You can also add additional actions, such as encouraging users to follow you on Twitter (X) or visit your YouTube channel.
Remember, providing more entry options can lead to better engagement. To prioritize email list growth, assign more entry points to the Join Newsletter action and make it mandatory.
Simply click on the ‘Join an Email Newsletter’ action in the template to customize it further.
With RafflePress, you can specify the number of entries users receive. Additionally, you can customize the title text, automatically subscribe participants to your email list upon signing up for the giveaway, and set the action as mandatory.
You can assign a higher entry value to motivate more sign-ups. In our example giveaway, we assign a ‘+3’ value, allowing users to earn 3 entries when they subscribe to the newsletter.
There is an option to enable opt-in confirmation, ensuring that participants consent to being added to your email list. This feature helps you comply with data protection regulations such as GDPR.
Connect with Your Email Marketing Service
Next, choose an email marketing service from the ‘Integration’ dropdown menu. RafflePress seamlessly integrates with popular platforms like Mailchimp, Aweber, ActiveCampaign, Constant Contact, Drip, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), and others.
After selecting an email marketing service, the next step is to link it to your giveaway.
⭐ Each email platform has different settings for connecting with RafflePress. Simply follow the on-screen instructions and provide any necessary information such as API key, client ID, security keys, or authorization code.
Next, navigate to the ‘Design’ section in the left menu to personalize the appearance of your giveaway.
RafflePress offers various options to modify the layout, fonts, button colors, add a background image, change the background color, and input custom CSS.
Afterward, head to the ‘Settings’ section from the left menu.
Here, you can adjust the general settings of your giveaway, including the title, page URL, and additional options.
Once you’ve made your adjustments, simply click the ‘Save’ button located at the top.
Publish Your Giveaway
Next, you’ll need to publish your giveaway. To begin, click on the ‘Publish’ tab at the top of the screen.
RafflePress allows you to publish your giveaway as a block within a page or post, as a widget, or as a standalone landing page.
We will select the ‘Giveaway Landing Page’ option for its simplicity and speed.
Click the ‘View Page’ button to see your live giveaway in action.
Promote Your Giveaway
Once your giveaway is live, it’s essential to promote it so that more people can participate and subscribe to your email list.
There are numerous effective strategies to promote your contest. Start by ensuring your giveaway is prominently displayed on your website, including your homepage, sidebar, and key pages.
For instance, adding a floating bar on your homepage with a link to your giveaway increases visibility. Incorporating countdown timers can also instill a sense of urgency.
Promoting your giveaway on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is an excellent way to draw in more participants. This approach helps convert followers into email subscribers, even if they haven’t signed up yet.
To generate excitement for your giveaway, share it across various online communities. Additionally, consider reaching out to influencers in your niche to help promote your giveaway.
Utilizing web push notifications can further enhance engagement for your contest. Encourage your push notification subscribers to join your email list if they haven’t already, or to refer friends and family.
Select a Winner for Your Giveaway
After your giveaway concludes, it’s time to select a winner. RafflePress allows you to automatically choose a winner at random.
Simply navigate to the RafflePress » Giveaways Navigate to the page in your WordPress admin area, then select the ‘Needs Winners’ option for your giveaway.
RafflePress will prompt you to specify how many winners you want for the giveaway and whether unconfirmed emails can be eligible.
After setting your preferences, click the ‘Choose Winners Now’ button.
RafflePress will then randomly select a winner for your giveaway.
You can contact the winner via email so they can claim their prize.
Frequently Asked Questions About Using Giveaways to Expand Your Email List
Giveaways are an effective strategy for growing your email list, but you may have some questions. Below, we address common inquiries to help you maximize your campaigns.
What types of prizes are most effective for giveaways?
Prizes that are relevant to your business or brand tend to perform best. For instance, at CanadaCreate, we often offer WordPress plugins and themes as prizes since they align with our audience’s interests and needs.
How can I ensure my giveaway complies with data protection regulations?
Utilize tools like RafflePress that allow participants to confirm their subscription to your mailing list. We also suggest using a reputable email marketing service to safeguard participant information.
What is the best method for notifying winners of their prizes?
The most effective approach is to contact winners directly via email. Tools like Drip can assist you in automating these messages while ensuring they feel personal and engaging.
We hope this guide has provided you with valuable insights on leveraging giveaways to expand your email list. Additionally, consider exploring our comprehensive guide on lead generation in WordPress and our expert recommendations for the top giveaway plugins available for WordPress.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel for helpful WordPress video tutorials. You can also connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.
