Hungry Jacks App Success

The long standing competition between Hungry Jacks and McDonalds in Australia has been doing on for decades, and will probably continue for longer than we think.

Hungry Jacks however are reaping in the rewards from its App created in 2012 which is still heavily used today through social media promotion.

The Hungry Jack’s Makes It Better App (or simply the “Hungry Jack’s App” as everyone calls it) features a “Check-in & Win” feature which gives you a free product or discount code when you check in to the score via your social media account.

To check-in and win you must be within 1 km of a store and allow the app to check you in there on Facebook for your friends to see. Most people will agree that it is worth sharing that you’re at Hungry Jack’s with your friends for a chance at free food. You then have to shake your phone and an animation of a ticket printing out with a prize on it will come out.

The random prizes have generated discussion from people. People liked the sound of these prizes and wanted to get the app themselves. I usually do not eat take out foods, however I am guilty of downloading the app and shaking to see what i would win, all because the checkins and free foods were flooded on my Facebook page.

This app has changed the way many users choose their fast food. Many people check into the store from their offices, homes, schools etc to see what prize they got. If it was something they needed or wanted or a good prize they would then go into the store to get it. If was something that they didn’t need or felt like then it will redirect them to another store. However, you have already shared the link through Facebook and you didn’t even end up getting anything- A great marketing ploy used by the fast food company and they had to do nothing!

Hungry Jacks have been smart about the way they have given away prizes, for example if you win a free burger, you are almost always going to order a serve of fries and a drink. You maybe getting something for free but at the end of the day you are spending money in there when you may not have intended to at all.

An all round successful social media marketing use that has captured a massive audience and is still used today, even after 3 years.

10 tips for creating a social media contest!

Running a social media contest is a great way to boost your businesses presence, increase your list of email subscribers, get new Twitter and Facebook likes, and create a fun experience in the process.

Outlined in this blog are 10 recommendations for you to next consider when creating your next successful social media contest!

1. Know what you want
Are you trying to get newsletter subscriptions, expose certain products/ services, gain brand recognition, or drive up Facebook fans? Knowing what your goals are will help guide the process.

2. Choose the type of contest you want to have
Its important to decide what contest you are going to run for example:

• Sweepstakes contests are the easiest to enter, with the lowest barrier of entry.
• Photo or video contests with fan votes get the most engagement.
• Caption contests or quiz contests are often successful.
• Winners can be randomly selected, picked by you or a panel of judges you select, or voted on by other readers etc.
  

3. Decide how long the contest will run
Determining how long the contest will run is important. If you don`t have a huge budget but just want to spur some engagement, you can  do flash contests, which are often one day contests done weekly/ fortnightly. These contests bring small bursts of engagement without being to costly.

4. Choose a platform 
Decide whether you want the contest to run on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Choose one and stick to it, though you can still cross-promote your contest on other social networks its important to keep a focus with the ease of monitoring.

5. Create a plan for artwork
Depending on which platform you use, you may need to set aside some time and resources to create artwork for the contest. Some images need to be customised for different platforms.

6. Make sure the contest is targeted 
Ensuring the prize your giving away is closely related to what your business offers is crucial. If you can get people to show their loyalty to a brand, that’s going to get more targeted people.

7. Make it sticky 
You can provide motivation in the form of extra contest entries for those who share your contest on social media, but nobody wants to share a boring contest. Increase the “stickiness” by making it fun and engaging even for those who don`t win. An interesting contest gets shared more, whether you combine it with incentives in the form of added entries or not.

8. Promote the contest 
No matter how great the giveaway, your content won`t promote itself. Consider using paid options on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms to help spread the word. Using hashtags for the contest is often effective.

9. Keep people`s attention with other content
No matter what the contest, some people will sign up for the prize and opt out as soon as the contest is over. However, if the contest is done well, they`ll be exposed to a bit of your brand throughout the process.

Yes, you want to promote the contest, but while you`re doing the contest you have their attention. Use that opportunity to integrate your brand messages into the contest – whether it`s adding product information that may catch people`s attention into the contest itself or throwing other posts to your Facebook page with interesting information about your brand.

10. Have clear contest rules
One big takeaway is that some people will cheat, so ensuring strict and clear contest rules is important to promote.

Do you have plans for a social media contest to help your business?

Share any tips you have in the comments.