If you've decided you want your company to sponsor a sweepstakes contest as a marketing tool to promote your company, contract out the sweepstakes fulfillment to avoid an unnecessarily huge burden on your company. Essentially, you only need to come up with the idea, and a sweepstakes fulfillment company can take it from there.

Contracting out your contest fulfillment takes the burden of the contest off you, so you can reap the rewards and let an experienced sweepstakes fulfillment house handle the whole back end, including drafting the rules, ensuring legal compliance, bonding and registration, accomplishing IRS reporting, managing entries, weekly reporting on entries received, winner selection, notification, prize fulfillment, issuing/filing 1099 tax forms and post-promotion analysis and evaluation. As you search for the right sweepstakes fulfillment solution for your company:

1. Ensure online entry as part of the contest fulfillment package since it's the most popular way to enter a sweepstakes.

2. Go with contest fulfillment houses that will design sweepstakes that can help you build your brand.

3. Stick with sweepstakes fulfillment houses that design sweepstakes for U.S. citizen participation only, to avoid potential international legal issues.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Think about the grand prize before you talk to a sweepstakes fulfillment company

Since you'll use the sweepstakes to draw attention to your company and your product/service, think of a grand prize your customers would love to win that's relevant to your company's brand. Let each sweepstakes and contests fulfillment house you interview provide feedback on your idea and show you how they'd make it work. Ask if they have suggestions on improving your idea for the promotion.

I recommend: Whether you desire their full-service package or a-la-carte fulfillment services, contact American Sweepstakes and Promotion Company to discuss your prize ideas and receive a free planning guide. Check with TRG, a company that can weave your prize ideas into the overall sweepstakes concept development.

Ensure sweepstakes fulfillment services will accomplish all administrative tasks

You may find the list of administrative tasks involved with creating a sweepstakes overwhelming and requiring a level of attention to detail you probably couldn't attain yourself. If your budget allows, hire a company that will provide the entire gamut of administrative services so nothing falls through the cracks, then you can spend your time more profitably.

I recommend: For an example of what putting together a sweepstakes might cost, check out the menu of costs at US Sweepstakes and Fulfillment Company. You can also have Marketing Resources Incorporated contact you about the services they'll provide for you based on your projected budget and time lines.

Feel confident about the tracking information contest fulfillment houses will provide

When you hire a company for your sweepstakes fulfillment, make sure they can provide you with information about your entrants and the status of the sweepstakes at agreed-upon intervals.

I recommend: CPG can help you track the shopping history of your sweepstakes entrants. If you plan to run an online sweepstakes, GripMedia can provide you with a full range of reports on demand.

Check out online sweepstakes fulfillment services

Consider creating a sweepstakes administered totally online. Since nearly everyone these days enjoys access to the Internet, you can draw a huge response to your event. Moreover, you can ask entrants to complete a quick survey that guarantees automatic entry to your sweepstakes; that survey lets you gain valuable marketing and sales information from customers and potential customers.

I recommend: Check out the online sweepstakes contest fulfillment services offered by Site Systems, or contact Promotion Fulfillment Center for their services and online contest fulfillment costs.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you find yourself wavering between going with a sweepstakes and other marketing tools like rebates or coupons when you research contest fulfillment services, stick with the sweepstakes. You can always try another option later, but you'll work with a fixed budget for a sweepstakes, compared to possibly busting your budget with an unanticipated response to rebate offers or coupons.