20 Most Powerful Women | Northern Nevada Business Weekly
This ballot encouraged readers to nominate and vote for the women who were making a difference in their careers and local communities. The magazine celebrated the finalists at an event after the promotion was over. It was a huge hit with their readers and the team at the Northern Nevada Business Weekly can’t wait to see their results from year two.
Best of Business | Columbus CEO
Tailor a ballot to the what your readers care about most. This business publication ran a business-themed ballot highlighting categories like ‘the best restaurant to entertain a client.’ With groups of categories such as ‘Meetings & Events’ and ‘Personal Perks,’ this ballot showed the best of the best of their local businesses and workplaces.
Outdoor Dining | St. Louis Magazine
Make your publication stand out by putting a twist on a common ballot theme. While the St. Louis Magazine already runs a popular ballot about best local food, at the start of outdoor dining season, the magazine ran a new ballot all about the best patios. Not only do the results of the ballot make a great digital directory for locals to check out when they make weekend plans, but the magazine is able to repurpose the results in their next issue.
Lynchburg Giving Back | Lynchburg Living Magazine
Ballots can be a great way to give back to your community. The Giving Back Awards ballot from Lynchburg Living Magazine honors the top local non-profits. Locals vote on their favorites, all winners are honored at a gala evening, and the charitable organizations receive tons of branding and publicity to drive awareness about their cause. Check out this Giving Back Awards ballot drove $60K for the magazine.
SWFL Guide to the Arts Cover Contest | Gulfshore Life
Consider running a ballot giving your readers the chance to weigh-in on the next cover of your magazine. Whether it’s choosing their favorite cover image or which stories should get top-billing in your next issue, a ballot is a great way to make your readers feel like their opinion matters. To encourage participation, include a sweepstakes for all voters like this cover contest offering a $100 gift card to a local restaurant.
Ultimate Wedding Ballot | Pittsburgh Magazine
If you have a bridal special section, a Best of Weddings ballot is a great promotion to add to what you are already doing. Check out our Best of Weddings ready-to-run turnkey ballot to make things even simpler. Be sure to include a Winner’s Directory afterwards so future brides in your area can use your publication as a go-to resource for their wedding planning.
Family Favorites | Colorado Parent
Families are always looking for fun activities, kid-friendly places to eat, and the best places to shop for toddlers to teenagers. This parenting magazine created a ballot all about family favorites in their community. From ‘Best Local Kids Menu’ and ‘Best Museum for Families’ as this ballot covered tons of great categories in groups such as ‘Family Fun,’ Camps & Lessons,’ Food & Drink.’ This ballot collects great info for the magazine and the winner’s directory provides a great resource for parents and families all year around.
If your goal is to drive engagement with readers, your team should try one of these ideas soon. No matter your market or audience, ballots are the best way to get your community involved and let their opinions be heard.
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Julie is the Senior Customer Success Manager at Second Street and a former client in local media. Her best advice for driving the most success with your revenue and audience engagement strategy is to include promotions in every business initiative.