What kind of subscriber acquisition cost should I expect from a well-run contest?

In a well-executed contest, you can achieve around 50 cents per subscriber. This includes your giveaway item cost, shipping, and ad spend. For example, a $40 print with shipping plus $150 in ads ($200 total) generating 400 subscribers equals 50 cents per subscriber. This is an excellent acquisition cost, especially considering messaging subscribers are currently more valuable than email subscribers due to higher engagement rates. Compare this to the time and cost of acquiring subscribers through art shows, other paid campaigns, or traditional methods—it’s significantly more efficient.

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Asked by artists evaluating contest ROI · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2018-01-09