“Have you ever wondered if a simple training challenge could skyrocket a brand’s visibility?”

When I was younger, I worked as a marketing specialist for a business called Z. At the time, this IT training company had only one trainer (the boss) and three additional staff. Many IT training organisations were in the area then, and Z was just one of them, sometimes months, with no pupils. Z hired me as a marketing specialist after I received my bachelor’s degree. My boss once asked me how to get more people to know about Z in the training market. I pondered for two days before coming up with an idea: “a contest.”

Why is it beneficial for a company to conduct a contest?

In my opinion, there are numerous reasons for this, some of which are listed below:

• a.Time-Bound Engagement: People are more willing to commit to short-term goals rather than long-term ones. A one-month challenge is long enough to observe tangible benefits while remaining manageable. It gives participants a defined beginning and finish date, which can be encouraging.
• b. Challenge Virality: Challenges, particularly those with a set deadline, are proclive to go viral on social media platforms. People enjoy sharing their progress, tagging friends to comment, or using particular hashtags. This virality can significantly increase brand visibility without the need for extra promotion.
• c. Community Building: Challenges foster a sense of belonging. As they participate in the challenge, participants can discuss their experiences, offer support, and celebrate their accomplishments. This creates a positive relationship with the company and a devoted following.
• d. Content Creation: Participants frequently create user content, such as images, videos, and testimonials. This user-generated material can be shared (with permission), giving legitimate brand endorsements while minimising the requirement for brand-driven content creation.
• e. Demonstrate Product or Service: If the difficulty directly relates to the brand’s product or service, it is a good platform for demonstrating its value. Whenever a training business offers a one-month training challenge, it emphasises the efficacy of its workout equipment, supplements, or routines.
• f. Incentives for Participation: Incentives for participation might be internal (such as a sense of accomplishment or improved skills) or extrinsic (such as merchandise, discounts, or recognition). These incentives can increase engagement and brand interactions.
• g. Improve Brand Recall: Consistent daily involvement keeps the brand in participants’ minds. They are reminded of the brand every time they participate in the challenge, resulting in increased brand recall.
• h. Data Collection: Challenges enable the collection of participant data such as email addresses, preferences, feedback, and other information. This information can be quite helpful for future marketing campaigns.
• i. Feedback and Improvement: Obtaining real-time feedback during the challenge might provide insights into what customers enjoy or believe can be improved. This tool is helpful for fine-tuning products, services, and future marketing campaigns.
• i. Differentiation from Competitors: In a crowded market, brands always seek new stand-out methods. A well-executed challenge may set a business apart from the competition by emphasising its dedication to consumer involvement and value addition.

Why are the challenges underlying a contest so effective?

Challenges captivate us emotionally, feeding our intrinsic desire for personal success. Completing them gives us a euphoric sense of accomplishment and validates our talents. Beyond individual victories, challenges inspire community participation by bringing various persons together to work towards a common objective. This collaborative atmosphere not only boosts motivation but also forges long-lasting friendships. Furthermore, the psychology of short-term commitments is fascinating. They appear more accessible, increasing our likelihood of diving in and exceeding our imagined limits. In essence, challenges are appealing because they appeal to our own ambitions, communal inclinations, and the attractiveness of attainable goals.

What exactly is the challenge?
The ‘One-Month Cisco Training Challenge’ was a specialised programme designed to provide participants with fundamental Cisco networking skills in a short period of time. Participants went through intensive training sessions covering the important components of Cisco systems, from fundamental networking principles to more complex settings and troubleshooting procedures, over the course of a month. By the end of the one-month session, each participant should be ready and capable of passing the Cisco certification exam.

Why was it one month in particular?
The one-month period was chosen to provide a balance between intensity and feasibility. Given the substantial prizes at risk, particularly the free year of instruction and the brand-new car, the task was supposed to be difficult. A month is intense but accessible to cover the required Cisco curriculum while guaranteeing that only those who are truly motivated and passionate about IT and networking remain committed. The time limit worked as both an incentive and a filter, identifying individuals who could manage the strain and fast speed of the IT sector.

Were there any check-ins or milestones throughout the challenge?
Given the condensed nature of the challenge, frequent check-ins were required to track progress and address any concerns. Weekly milestones were established, specifying specific modules and subjects participants expected to master. There were evaluations at the conclusion of each week to assess their understanding of the content. These check-ins also allowed participants to connect with instructors, clarify questions, and ensure they were fully prepared for their certification exams. As the certification test approached, participants were provided regular feedback to ensure they knew where they stood and what areas needed additional attention.

How did we publicise the competition?

To maximise reach and engagement, we used a multi-channel strategy:

• Social Media: Aside from the company’s website, the principal outlet at the time was a blog and other virtual tech forums. Posts contained training tips, prize teasers etc.
• Email Newsletters: We sent out interesting emails to our existing database of IT professionals and students, describing the challenge, its benefits, and the grand prizes.
• Influencers: Working with IT and tech influencers, primarily bloggers, allowed us to gain access to their large following. They expressed their perspectives on the significance of Cisco certifications while quietly supporting our challenge.
• Partnerships: To market the challenge, we collaborated with tertiary colleges and online course platforms, ensuring that we targeted individuals who were really interested in upgrading their IT abilities.

Participation incentives

Incentives were critical in increasing participation and ensuring commitment:

• Grand Prizes: As previously stated, the fastest achiever would receive a year of free additional instruction and a brand-new car, which was a key incentive.
• Incentives for Completion: Each participant who finished the challenge and obtained their certification received an amount of money in the form of a shopping coupon.
• Shout-outs: Recognising excellent participants on our internet platforms was an incentive and a catalyst for healthy competition among participants.

These promotional methods and incentives were created to generate excitement about the ‘One-Month Cisco Training Challenge’ and attract many committed participants.

Metrics and tracking

We didn’t have any bustling metrics tools at that moment, so we chose the two below:

• a.Feedback surveys: At the halfway and final points of the challenge, participants were requested to complete surveys. This provided qualitative insights into their experiences, suggestions, and general brand engagement.
• b.Website Visits: Using Baidu Analytics, which is identical to Google Analytics, we tracked the total number of visitors to our challenge landing page, among other things. Any traffic spikes were associated with specific promotional activity to assess their effectiveness.

Engaging Visuals

To document participants’ knowledge and expectations during the ‘One-Month Cisco Training Challenge,’ we began with introductory interviews. We photographed their study areas, noting changing arrangements and notes. Screen captures depicted their path from early hesitancy to confident navigation. We saw a shift from general discussions to in-depth technical discussions while recording group interactions. We recorded hands-on lab attempts, contrasting initial trepidation with later mastery. Emotional reactions were also recorded, contrasting the early excitement with the end-of-challenge achievement. Camera angles and lighting were kept consistent, and participants’ consent ensured an accurate, comfortable portrayal.

The campaign’s results

• Website Traffic: We saw a 60% increase in website traffic, with many of these visits attributed to referral links from blog shares and tech forums.
• Brand Mentions: We noticed a 50% rise in brand mentions across various tech blogs and forums.
• Number of Trainees skyrocket: After that month’s contest, we recruited nearly a thousand new trainees for the following month’s training sessions.

Overall, Z has grown into a recognised IT training firm due to this competition.

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