Social Media Contest — San Diego Zoo Safari Park & #TigerTrail

I love social media contests. They are fun, engaging and most importantly get people talking about your business. This weekend I was at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. (You should definitely go by the way.) The Safari Park just launched their newest attraction, the Tiger Trail. Upon entering the Tiger Trail I was welcomed with a huge sign about their Instagram contest.

You know me, I love contests so of course I got my game face on. The contest is simple. Tag your pictures from the Tiger Trail on Instagram with the hashtag #TigerTrail for your chance to win a safari for four. The safaris at the park are an additional fee and can run you up to $100 per person. A $400 value for posting a picture, count me in.

I was snapping away the whole time at the Tiger Trail. I was engaged with the brand by doing so.

I hope I win. San Diego Safari Park if you are listening, please. 🙂

I’ve never wanted to win anything more than this… #TigerTrail @sdzsafaripark pic.twitter.com/ZdtEX5f3lJ

Stephanie Clegg (@StephanieFrasco) June 7, 2014

Of course I submitted my picture to Instagram and tagged it appropriately. As you can see, I’m not the only one who submitted an entry. And while I really felt the connection with that tiger, the competition is fierce. In fact it forced me to go back and take more pictures just for another chance to win. This is why it worked.

This contest is a success because it was done right. Not only am I sharing my experience with my followers and encouraging them to go to the park, I am also engaging with other customers who went to the park as well. Social media enhances customer experience. This is a great example of that.

Here’s how you can make your Instagram contest a success as well.

1. Post Signs

This is especially true for a business that has a physical location. The more signs you put up around your store, the more likely people are to play along. If you don’t promote it, people won’t think it is worth their time.

2. Give something good away

The better the prize, the more entries. It’s as simple as that.

3. Use a unique hashtag

You don’t want to use a hashtag that has a ton of other posts already using it. You want yours to be unique. So unique in fact that when someone searches that hashtag on Instagram only pictures representing your business show up.

4. Assign an ambassador to the case

Make sure your contestants feel the love. By assigning a brand ambassador or yourself to like and comment on the posts you are going to make your fans and entrants feel like they did something worth it. It’s all about validation.

Have you seen any good Instagram contests lately? Tell me about it.

PS – San Diego Zoo Safari Park – I hope I win! 🙂