Generating Revenue with Best of Elections

Running a "Best Of" contest can do more than just engage your community—it can also serve as a valuable revenue-generating opportunity for your organization. By strategically incorporating sponsorships, participation fees, and premium features, organizations can transform community awards into a source of income while still celebrating the best local businesses, landmarks, and attractions. In this post, we’ll explore how to generate revenue from Best of Elections while keeping the process fun, transparent, and engaging for participants.

1. Event Sponsorship: Highlighting Local Businesses and Brands

One of the easiest and most effective ways to generate revenue from a Best of Contest is by securing event sponsorships. This involves partnering with a local business or brand to sponsor the overall event, which provides valuable exposure for the sponsor while bringing in revenue for your organization.

Use "Event Sponsored By" Language in the Title

‍When promoting the contest, use language that highlights the sponsor, such as "Best of Local Businesses: Sponsored by [Sponsor Name]". This type of sponsorship gives the sponsoring business visibility throughout the event, from the contest website to promotional materials and announcements. It’s a win-win situation: the sponsor gains recognition, and you gain the financial support needed to run the contest.

Sponsors can also choose to feature their logo on specific map points or via an image overlaid on the map associated with the contest or have their business highlighted in email newsletters and social media posts promoting the contest. The visibility provided by being a contest sponsor helps local businesses build their reputation within the community, making this a valuable opportunity they’ll be willing to invest in.

2. Paid Nominations: Charging a Fee for Participation

Another way to generate revenue is by narrowing down the pool of nominations to those businesses or entities that choose to pay a participation fee. This strategy not only adds an income stream for your organization but also ensures that the nominees are invested in the contest and motivated to promote their participation.

Charging a Nomination Fee

‍You can introduce a modest nomination fee that businesses or individuals must pay to be considered for a category. For example, if a coffee shop wants to be nominated for the Best Coffee Shop category, they would need to pay a participation fee to secure their spot on the list. This fee can be tiered based on the size of the business or the number of categories they want to be nominated in.

This approach incentivizes businesses to actively campaign for votes, as they’ve made a financial commitment to participate. It also allows the contest to remain manageable by limiting the number of nominees to those who are serious about winning.

How to Implement Paid Nominations

‍Once a business pays the fee, they are automatically listed as a nominee in their chosen category. The fee structure can be flexible, with options for businesses to sponsor multiple categories for increased exposure.

3. Sponsored Maps and Premium Features for Contest Winners

Once the contest is over and the winners have been crowned, you can continue generating revenue by offering premium features such as map sponsorship and glowing, custom or enlarged icons for the winning businesses. These features not only give the winners enhanced visibility but also provide your organization with additional income opportunities.

Map Sponsorship for Contest Winners

‍After the contest, you can create a map showcasing all the winners of the various categories, such as Best Restaurant, Best Park, or Best Tourist Attraction. Offer the winners the chance to sponsor their place on the map, with premium options like glowing featured points or custom icons that make their business stand out. For example, the Best Coffee Shop could have a coffee cup icon, or the Best Fitness Center could have a custom fitness-themed symbol.

These sponsored map points will draw more attention to the winners, giving them enhanced visibility in the community. Businesses can use this as a marketing tool to attract more customers, proudly displaying their "Best Of" status and encouraging others to visit their location.‍

Premium Features as Incentives

‍To further incentivize businesses to participate in your contest, offer premium features as part of the prize package. For example, winners who sponsor their map point could receive:

• Featured Listings: Their business could appear larger on the map with a highlighted spot or glowing icon.
• Custom Branding: Offer the ability for winners to customize their map point with their logo or business colors.
• Exclusive Promotion: Feature the sponsored map on your organization’s website, social media, or newsletter, giving the winners extra exposure.

These premium options can be offered at different price points, allowing businesses of all sizes to participate and benefit from the increased visibility.

Turning Contests into Revenue Streams

Best of Elections offer a unique opportunity to both engage your community and generate revenue for your organization. By securing event sponsorships, charging nomination fees, and offering premium features for contest winners, you can create a sustainable income stream while celebrating the best that your community has to offer.

These strategies not only enhance the contest experience but also provide value to participating businesses, making your Best of Election an exciting, mutually beneficial event for everyone involved.

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