Splash Sports Contest Playbook: How to Run a Great Contest

Keys to Running a Great Contest

• Find the Right Contest Type for Your Community

• Create Engaging Content to Keep Your Contest Engaged

• Build Your Community Through Splash Sports

• Analyze and Optimize For Future Contests

Running a successful contest on Splash Sports requires strategic planning, community engagement, and effective promotion. Whether you're an influencer, a seasoned commissioner, or a sports fanatic looking to engage your network, here's a playbook to maximize participation and commissioner rewards.

Pick the Right Contest Type

Splash Sports offers various contest formats such as Pick’Em, Survivor, Tiers, and One & Done contests. Picking the right format can make or break participation levels. Here’s a quick guide:

• Pick’Em Contests are great for both weekly and season-long engagement, letting participants compete in weekly contests or a season-long contest.

• Survivor Contests create high stakes and excitement, ideal for those who want a long-term challenge.

• Tiers and One & Done Contests are perfect for major events like The Masters or other golf tournaments, allowing for strategic, low-maintenance gameplay.

Tip: Consider your audience's preferences. Casual fans might prefer simpler formats like Pick’Em, while more engaged sports enthusiasts might enjoy strategic challenges like Survivor or One & Done.

Build Your Community and Create Excitement

The key to a great contest starts with community engagement. You don’t need a massive following to succeed; start with your immediate network. Reach out to friends, family, colleagues, and anyone who shares an interest in sports. Use social media, group chats, or even word of mouth to generate buzz. Share the excitement of competition and emphasize the fun and camaraderie of playing together.

Take a page to learn how influencers like RickRunGood engage their audience. He consistently creates content around his contests, including pre-tournament insights and post-contest recaps, which keep his community invested and eager to participate. By weaving contest announcements into existing content, he effectively keeps his audience engaged without feeling overly promotional.

Tip: Leverage Splash Sports' tools to invite participants seamlessly and provide regular updates to maintain excitement.

Utilize Content to Drive Engagement

Content is king when it comes to promoting your contest. Whether through YouTube videos, Instagram posts, or tweets, sharing valuable insights or humor around the contests can generate hype for your contest. Consider how RickRunGood uses his expertise to create strategy videos, share behind-the-scenes insights, and spark conversations around his picks.

You don’t need to be an influencer to use this approach. Create posts that build anticipation, share your picks, and encourage others to share theirs. This sense of community and competition enhances engagement and drives more participants.

Tip: Be authentic and consistent. If you don’t create videos, consider written posts or even short-form content like stories or tweets. The key is to stay relevant and maintain momentum.

Make It Exclusive and Rewarding

Creating a sense of exclusivity makes participants feel special and enhances community bonding. Offer private, community-exclusive contests that cater to your followers’ interests. This approach was effectively used by RickRunGood, who seamlessly integrated his contests into his content, creating a community feel and driving more than 400 new participants in less than a month.

The best-performing content creators on Splash offer rewards for participating in contests. Whether it’s a shoutout on their channel, giveaways, or simply highlighting top performers week-by-week, creating that personal touch in a contest helps drive long-term participation and engagement. 

Tip: Add a personal touch by engaging with participants directly.

Leverage the Splash Ecosystem

Take advantage of the full Splash Sports ecosystem. Splash not only provides a seamless platform to host contests but also helps promote guaranteed contests across our newsletter and social media channels. This can expand your reach beyond your existing network.

RickRunGood effectively leveraged this by collaborating with Splash, helping him reach over 2 million new potential users. You can also cross-promote your contest by collaborating with other community leaders or influencers in your niche.

Tip: Use every channel at your disposal. Email newsletters, social media, and even cross-promotions with other users can amplify your reach.

Analyze and Optimize

After your contest concludes, take time to analyze the results. Review participation levels, feedback, and engagement metrics. This data is invaluable for understanding what worked and what didn’t. Use these insights to optimize your next contest, ensuring you keep improving the experience for your participants.

Tip: Consider using feedback forms or community polls to get direct input from participants.

Winning with Community and Consistency

Running a successful contest on Splash Sports isn’t just about the game; it’s about creating a community and consistently engaging with them. By leveraging the power of content and choosing the right contest format, you can grow your community and earn rewards along the way.

Whether you're a first-time commissioner or a seasoned influencer, this playbook gives you the strategies to create exciting, rewarding contests that keep your audience coming back for more. Ready to get started? Create your March Madness Survivor contest today and start building your community and earning rewards!