How Does a Competition Increase Sales for Your Business?
With a competition, you’re not dangling a price tag in front of customers or asking them to put items into their baskets. Marketing manager, Natasha House, reported an average of £3,500 of sales made from the competitions she ran for jewellery retailer, F. Hinds. So, how exactly does a competition earn you new sales?
In an increasingly competitive digital landscape, businesses are under constant pressure to capture attention, engage audiences and convert interest into revenue. Traditional advertising alone is no longer enough to cut through the noise. Consumers are more selective about the brands they interact with and trust; value exchange and relevance now play a critical role in purchasing decisions.
This is where competitions become a powerful commercial tool. When executed strategically, a competition is not simply a brand awareness tactic; it is a proven mechanism for driving measurable sales. By leveraging The Competition Platform, businesses can create campaigns that attract high-intent audiences, generate qualified leads and influence purchasing behaviour both during and after the competition lifecycle.
Competitions as a Sales Engine, Not a Giveaway
A common misconception is that competitions only attract ‘freebie hunters’ who have no genuine interest in a brand. In reality, when hosted on a trusted environment like The Competition Platform, competitions reach engaged audiences who are actively seeking product inspiration, brand discovery and value-led experiences.
The key difference lies in intent. Users on competition platforms are already in a browsing and consideration mindset. They are open to discovering new brands, exploring products and engaging with marketing content in exchange for the chance to win something meaningful. This creates an ideal entry point into the customer journey.
Capturing High-Quality Data to Convert Leads
One of the best ways to see return on investment for your competition is data capture. When a user enters a competition on The Competition Platform, they provide valuable first-party data such as email address, preferences and consent to receive future marketing communications.
This data is not passive. It becomes the foundation for ongoing sales activity.
Unlike cold audiences reached through paid media, competition entrants have already taken a positive action towards your brand. They have seen your product, read your messaging and chosen to engage. This means they are significantly more likely to convert when nurtured correctly.
Businesses can use this data to:
- Build segmented email lists based on interests or demographics
- Retarget entrants with tailored offers or product recommendations
- Re-engage users who did not purchase initially
- Create lookalike audiences for paid campaigns
The result is a pipeline of warm leads who are primed for conversion rather than starting from zero.
Driving Immediate Sales Through Strategic Incentives
While competitions are often viewed as top-of-funnel activity, they can also drive immediate revenue. Many businesses successfully pair competitions with exclusive incentives, such as limited-time discount codes, early access to sales, or bundled product offers.
For example, when using Prize Sponsor Benefits, users can be directed to:
- A dedicated landing page showcasing best-selling products
- A post-entry email offering a time-sensitive discount
- A reminder email highlighting social proof or customer reviews
Because the brand interaction is fresh and positive, these create an easily accessible touchpoint for users to seamlessly transfer between competition and your website. This approach often leads to impulse purchases, particularly for giftable or lifestyle products.
Building Brand Trust That Influences Purchasing Decisions
Trust is one of the most significant factors influencing sales, especially in competitive markets. Hosting a competition on The Competition Platform provides an immediate layer of credibility. The platform’s established audience, reputable publisher partnerships, and transparent competition mechanics reassure users that your brand is legitimate and worth engaging with.
This third-party validation is particularly valuable for:
- Emerging brands looking to build credibility
- Established brands entering new product categories
- Businesses targeting new customer segments
When consumers trust a brand, they are more likely to purchase, recommend and return. Competitions act as a low-risk introduction, allowing users to engage with your brand before committing financially.
Gaining Exposure to Affluent Audiences
The Competition Platform provides access to audiences that many traditional marketing channels struggle to reach efficiently. A significant proportion of our publisher partners operate premium, subscription-based titles with readerships that fall predominantly within the ABC1 demographic. These audiences typically demonstrate higher disposable income, stronger purchasing power, and a greater propensity to invest in quality products and services.
Unlike broad-reach paid media or social campaigns, competitions can be placed within highly relevant editorial environments. With access to over 20 established publisher titles, brands are able to align their competition with publications that closely match their target market. This ensures that exposure is not only high-volume, but also highly contextual and commercially relevant.
As a result, competitions connect products with audiences who both value them and have the means to purchase—significantly increasing the likelihood that engagement translates into sales.
Leveraging Product Exposure at Scale
Competitions on The Competition Platform provide extensive exposure across multiple touchpoints, including publisher sites, email newsletters, and social channels. This repeated visibility plays a critical role in driving sales, even when conversion does not happen immediately.
Repeated exposure increases brand recall. When a consumer later encounters your product on your website, in a retail environment or through an ad, familiarity increases the likelihood of purchase. This is especially effective for considered purchases, where consumers may take weeks or months to make a decision.
In this way, competitions support both direct and assisted conversions, contributing to overall revenue performance.
Turning Engagement Into Revenue
Ultimately, a competition on The Competition Platform is not about giving something away for free. It is about creating a compelling value exchange that benefits both the consumer and the brand.
By attracting the right audience, capturing high-quality data, building trust and implementing effective follow-up strategies, businesses can turn competition engagement into real, measurable sales.
In a market where attention is scarce and consumer loyalty is hard-won, competitions offer a strategic, scalable way to drive growth. When executed with clear commercial objectives, they become not just a marketing tactic, but a powerful sales driver for businesses of all sizes.
If you want to see the results for yourself, contact content@dmri.co.uk or call 0114 399 0828 to get your competition set up today!
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