A bingo promotion with prizes is a great way to boost single copy sales and reach non-subscribers. People love to play games, especially when there are prizes, but first you need to let those non-newspaper readers know about the game and the great prizes they can win. Consider using other channels like social media, radio, tv, billboards, or direct mail to spread the word.
Is there a big concert or sporting event coming to your neighborhood? Partner with a radio station, booking agent or promoter and give away a pair of tickets as a prize for the winning Bingo card. Since live event attendees tend to be between the ages of 20 – 45, it will also help attract non-readers who fit a younger demographic profile.
Do you have a sponsor in mind who would like to get a boost in foot traffic? Give them bingo cards and some advertising collateral so anybody who comes into their store will see the promotion and the great prizes. They can pick up the bingo cards there for free along with their morning coffee. But as long as you have players cut the number out of a paper and paste it on to the bingo card – and you should – you will sell additional papers throughout the game.
Bingo needs to be played on a “no purchase necessary” basis, but you can fulfill that requirement by making the numbers available in your office. You don’t have to make it easy to play without purchase – just possible.
Bingo players know that it’s more fun to play several cards. And when your readers are playing 3 or 4 cards, you win big at single copy sales – and reader engagement! So let your readers know they can multiply their excitement by playing several! Advertise that more cards equal more chances to win – and then include the places where players can pick up more cards while supplies last. And the more cards your readers play, the bigger the bump in your single copy sales! Even though they CAN pick up the numbers at your office, most readers will buy extra copies on the days the call number shows up on their cards.
