11 Tips for Successful Bingo

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Here are 11 best practices we have learned from smart newspaper executives on how to do this promotion profitably and successfully.

1. Show what the prizes are
   This is the main incentive for people to play the game so you want to keep that information front and center!
2. Offer multiple ways to win
   Be sure there are varying levels of difficulty. The first straight line (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) will be won fairly quickly. It’s good to have several more levels of difficulty to avoid a long stretch with no winners.
3. Maximize the advertising space
   Use a photo or information about your sponsor wherever you can.
4. Make the bingo card colorful and attractive
   Other than the bingo grid for the variable numbers, you have a blank canvas – and even the bingo grid can have an image, pattern or color in the background as long as it is light enough for the black numbers to show up. Here is a card that makes very effective use of the bingo grid to make the overall card very attractive. The column headers that spell BINGO can also be colorful or funny or whatever you like.
5. The Free Space in the center can also include a logo.
   You have to leave enough space for the control number which is usually the letter B and then 5 digits, but you can still add a logo or icon of some sort.
6. Print the short version of rules on your bingo card.
   As long as you have the basic information about how to play, what the prizes are and how to claim them, you can print the full “fine print” version on the web site or in the newspaper.
7. Recommend that your sponsor use a “Call-to-Action”
   This is a great opportunity for your sponsor to offer a coupon or special deal. It will help spur interest – and also quantify the results of their advertising.
8. Use as much space as possible for your sponsor on the back also.
   This is a great value for your sponsor so you want to take full advantage of it.
9. Consider adding a reply form.
   Including a form to be filled out and returned for a second chance drawing will help build a marketing database and add another way to win for readers.
10. Multiple ways to win of varying degrees of difficulty helps keep readers engaged.
    The straight line vertical, horizontal , and diagonal will be won pretty quickly so it is good to have  more difficult ones to avoid that dry spell between the easy wins and the coverall. As you can see in our diagram, the “T” requires 8 numbers, the  “F” requires 11,  the  “O”  and “S”  both require 16 .
11. A picture is worth a 1000 words.
    Show, don’t tell the different ways to win. An image instantly conveys what can be confusing if expressed only in words.