Running a small or medium-sized business on Shopify means juggling everything at once. You’re managing inventory, fulfilling orders, running ads, answering customer emails, and somehow finding time to actually grow your business.
Meanwhile, your customer acquisition costs keep climbing. Those Facebook ads that used to bring in customers for $15 now cost $45. Google Ads? Even worse. And with third-party data disappearing thanks to iOS updates and cookie restrictions, you’re spending more to reach fewer people.
You need a smarter way to grow—one that doesn’t drain your budget or require a full marketing team.
That’s where sweepstakes come in. Specifically, sweepstakes that run directly inside your Shopify store, turning every transaction into both a sale and a marketing opportunity.
Why Small Businesses Are Turning to Sweepstakes Platforms
Sweepstakes aren’t just for big brands with massive marketing budgets. They’re actually perfect for small and medium-sized businesses because they solve three critical challenges at once:
Lower Customer Acquisition Costs
Instead of paying $30-$50 per customer through paid ads, sweepstakes let you incentivize purchases while collecting valuable customer data. Every entry represents someone who’s already engaged with your brand—not a cold prospect who might never buy.
Build First-Party Data You Own
When third-party cookies disappear, you need your own customer database. Sweepstakes participants willingly provide their email addresses, preferences, and purchase behavior. This first-party data becomes the foundation for retargeting campaigns, personalized offers, and lookalike audiences that actually convert.
Increase Average Order Value
When customers know they earn sweepstakes entries for every dollar they spend, they add extra items to their cart. You’re not just getting a sale—you’re getting a bigger sale, plus permission to market to them again.
Learn more about how sweepstakes drive growth in our guide: Viral Marketing with Shopify Sweepstakes on the Sweeppea App
How Sweepstakes Work for Shopify Stores
The beauty of running sweepstakes through a dedicated platform like Sweeppea is simplicity. You don’t need to hire developers, juggle multiple tools, or leave your Shopify dashboard.
Here’s how it works:
1. Install the Sweeppea app from the Shopify App Store (takes about 5 minutes)
2. Set your entry mechanics — award one entry per dollar spent, or customize the ratio for specific products
3. Choose your prize — gift cards, product bundles, store credit, or exclusive experiences
4. Launch your campaign — the app handles everything automatically
5. Watch it work — entries are tracked, data is collected, and winners are selected randomly
The entire sweepstakes runs inside Shopify. Your customers never leave your store. You never leave your dashboard. Everything just works.
For a detailed walkthrough of ecommerce sweepstakes, check out: How to Run Contests or Sweepstakes for an eCommerce Store.
Key Features Small Businesses Need in a Sweepstakes Platform
Not all sweepstakes platforms are built for small business needs. When you’re running lean, you need features that save time, reduce complexity, and deliver results without requiring a dedicated team.
Dollar-Per-Entry Mechanics
The Sweeppea Shopify app lets you award sweepstakes entries based on purchase value. A customer spends $50? They get entries automatically. No manual tracking. No complicated systems. Just seamless integration with your existing checkout process.
You control the ratio. Award one entry per dollar spent. Offer bonus entries for new products. Create tiered entry levels for different spending thresholds. The flexibility is yours.
Built-In Compliance Tools
Running legally compliant sweepstakes used to require hiring lawyers and compliance experts. The Sweeppea platform includes an Official Rules Wizard that walks you through every requirement, ensuring your sweepstakes meets all legal standards.
You don’t need to worry about bonding requirements, registration rules, or state-specific regulations. The platform handles it for you.
For more on legal requirements, see: Everything You Need to Know About Sweepstakes Bonding & Registration.
First-Party Data Collection and Export
Every sweepstakes entry gives you permission-based customer data—emails, preferences, purchase history, and engagement behavior. The Sweeppea app lets you export this data and use it for:
– Custom audiences in Facebook and Instagram ads
– Lookalike audience creation
– Email marketing campaigns
– Personalized product recommendations
– Retargeting campaigns with dramatically lower costs
This is the data that replaces expensive third-party targeting and brings your customer acquisition costs back down to earth.
Dive deeper into data strategy: Build Your First-Party Data with Sweepstakes.
Real-World Application: A 30-Day Growth Campaign Challenge
Let’s walk through a practical scenario for a small Shopify business launching a new product line.
Week 1: Setup
– Install the Sweeppea app on Monday morning
– Configure a sweepstakes offering one entry per $10 spent on new products
– Set the grand prize at $500 store credit
– Use the Official Rules Wizard to generate compliant rules
– Launch by Friday
Weeks 2-4: Campaign Running
– Customers automatically earn entries when they purchase new products
– Average order value increases as shoppers add extra items to maximize entries
– The platform collects opted-in email addresses from every participant
– Social sharing features encourage customers to tell friends about the opportunity
Day 31: Post-Campaign
– Sweeppea automatically selects a random winner and sends notifications
– Export your participant data (hundreds of engaged, purchase-ready contacts)
– Upload to Meta for custom audience campaigns
– Create lookalike audiences based on high-spending participants
– Send post-sweepstakes email with exclusive discount to non-winners
Results May Include:
– Immediate sales boost during the campaign period
– Hundreds of first-party email contacts for future marketing
– Lower-cost retargeting audiences that actually convert
– Increased brand awareness through social sharing
– Higher customer lifetime value from engaged participants
Why Sweeppea Works for Resource-Strapped Teams
Small business teams don’t have time to babysit marketing campaigns. You need tools that work automatically while you focus on running your business.
The Sweeppea platform is designed for this reality:
Automated Entry Tracking
No manual spreadsheets. No counting entries by hand. The app tracks every entry automatically as purchases happen in your store.
Automated Winner Selection
When your campaign ends, the platform randomly selects winners based on your criteria. No bias. No manual drawing. Just fair, transparent results.
In-App Support
When you have questions at 4:30 on Friday afternoon, you need answers. Sweeppea provides email and phone support from real people who understand sweepstakes. Plus, our AI chatbot sweepstakes expert is available in-app 24/7 for immediate guidance.
We’re not just a platform provider—we’re your sweepstakes strategy partner.
Beyond Basic Giveaways: Advanced Strategies
Once you’ve run your first campaign, you can level up with advanced tactics:
Closed Sweepstakes for Current Customers
Reward your existing customers with exclusive sweepstakes they can only enter if they’ve purchased before. This builds loyalty and encourages repeat purchases.
Learn more: Closed Sweepstakes for Current Customers Only
Product-Specific Campaigns
Award bonus entries for purchasing specific products you want to move. This gives you a powerful inventory management tool disguised as a sweepstakes.
The Bottom Line for Small Business Growth
Your Shopify store is already making sales. Your customers are already buying from you. Why not make every transaction work twice as hard?
With the Sweeppea sweepstakes platform, you turn sales into entries, entries into first-party data, and data into lower customer acquisition costs and higher lifetime value.
You don’t need a big team. You don’t need a massive budget. You don’t even need to leave Shopify.
You just need a smarter way to grow—and sweepstakes deliver exactly that.
For more information on how Sweeppea can help you with your next sweepstakes, contact us at support@sweeppea.com or call us at +1 (888) 705-2049.
