6 Contest Metrics That Matter (and How I Track Them)

Giveaways can feel exciting, especially when the notifications start rolling in. I’ve launched contests that racked up entries fast, with plenty of likes and shares to match. But after the dust settled, I couldn’t always tell if any of it actually helped my business.

That’s when I started paying closer attention to the numbers behind the buzz.

It turns out some of my flashiest contests didn’t bring in more traffic, email signups, or leads. Others that seemed quiet on the surface delivered steady, measurable growth. The difference came down to tracking the right contest metrics.

In this guide, I’ll show you which numbers are worth paying attention to, how to measure what matters, whether you’re using tools or just a spreadsheet, and how to use what you learn to run better campaigns next time.

In this guide:

What Are Contest Metrics?

Contest metrics are the numbers that show whether your giveaway is actually working. They go beyond surface-level stats and tie directly to your real business goals like traffic, leads, and brand awareness.

I used to focus mostly on how many people liked or shared a giveaway post. But once I started tracking things like new subscribers or referral traffic, I got a much clearer picture of what was really helping my business grow.

You might also hear these called “giveaway KPIs,” “campaign performance data,” or “promotion analytics.” No matter the name, the idea is the same: track what matters so you can keep improving.

Why Measuring Contest Success Matters

Before I started tracking contest data, it was all guesswork. Some campaigns delivered leads or traffic. Others didn’t, and I had no idea why.

Tracking contest metrics gives you real answers.

• You learn what actually helps your business grow.
• Time isn’t wasted on strategies that don’t deliver results.
• It becomes easier to show value to your team, clients, or even yourself.
• These insights help you plan your next giveaway with more confidence.

Even basic tracking makes a difference. It’s the only way to know if your giveaway is doing more than just generating clicks.

The Most Important Contest Metrics for Small Businesses

These are the key numbers I pay attention to when running an online contest. They’re simple to track and give you a clear picture of how your contest is performing.

Metric	What It Tells You	Why It Matters
Total Entries	Overall reach and interest	Shows how many people participated
New Email Subscribers	Growth of your list during the giveaway	Helps you build long-term value
Website Traffic	Visitors to your giveaway page	Helps track reach and interest
Social Media Engagement	Follows, likes, shares, and comments	Measures awareness and interaction
Referral (Viral) Shares	Entries from people who shared your contest	Shows how well viral sharing worked
Entry Conversion Rate	Percentage of visitors who entered	Helps spot problems with your page or CTA

One smart way to benchmark your results is by calculating your entry conversion rate. WebFX recommends using this as a “simple success metric” for social promotions:

Divide the number of entries by the number of people who saw the contest. This gives you a clear way to evaluate performance and spot areas to improve.

How to Set Contest Goals That Actually Help

Early on, I treated giveaways as a way to get “more traffic,” but I didn’t define what success looked like. Without something specific to aim for, it was tough to measure the outcome or know what to improve.

Setting clear, focused goals gave me a much better way to track what was working. The easiest way to do that is by using the SMART method:

• Specific: “Gain 100 new subscribers”
• Measurable: “Track follower growth with a daily screenshot”
  Achievable: “Hit 50 entries in the first 3 days”
• Relevant: “Grow leads before a new product launch”
• Time-bound: “Run for 10 days from June 5–15”

Tip: Tie each goal to a contest metric so you know what to watch.

How to Track Contest Metrics (With or Without Tools)

You don’t need expensive tools to start tracking giveaway results. I’ve run successful campaigns using nothing more than a spreadsheet. It’s a simple way to get started, but it does have its drawbacks.

Basic Tracking (No Tools Needed)

For small campaigns or first-time giveaways, manual tracking can still give you a good overview. You can use a basic spreadsheet to log:

• New email subscribers from your email platform
• Social follower counts before and after the contest
• Website traffic using Google Analytics or your host’s dashboard
• Total entries from your form or giveaway landing page

This method works, but it relies on you remembering to check and record everything. It also won’t show you which entry actions performed best or where most of your traffic came from. If you’re running more than one campaign or trying to compare results, things can get messy fast.

Tools I Use to Make Contest Metrics Easier

When it comes to tracking contest metrics, I like to keep things simple but effective. That’s why I use RafflePress for all of my giveaway campaigns.

RafflePress is a WordPress giveaway plugin that helps you grow your email list, website traffic, and social media followers through viral contests. It includes a drag-and-drop builder, so you can create a professional-looking giveaway in minutes without needing any code.

But what really makes it helpful is the built-in tracking.

Inside the RafflePress dashboard, you can see:

• Total entries
• Actions performed
• Who entered
• And more

RafflePress also tracks referral shares, a smart move given referred customers are nearly 4x likelier to convert, and they have a 37% higher chance of repeat purchases.

Growth licenses can also see an Entries Report which breaks down which giveaway actions were the most successful.

This gives you instant feedback on what’s working and what isn’t. You don’t have to dig through spreadsheets or try to piece things together manually.

If you want even more data, RafflePress also includes an option to add a tracking script. You can use this to connect your giveaway to Google Analytics, so you can track page views, conversions, bounce rates, and traffic sources, all tied to your campaign.

For me, that combination of built-in insights and optional Google Analytics integration makes it much easier to measure results and improve my strategy.

How to Use Your Data to Improve Future Campaigns

Once your giveaway ends, the real value comes from what you learn.

I always take a few minutes to review the data before planning the next campaign. Even a quick look at your top metrics can reveal what worked and what didn’t.

Here are a few questions I ask myself after every giveaway:

• Which traffic source brought in the most entries?
• Did certain entry actions perform better than others?
• Was the prize something my audience actually wanted?

Based on the answers, I adjust the next campaign. For example:

• If most entries came from email, I’ll focus more on email list promotion next time.
• If one entry method barely got used, I’ll swap it out or remove it.
• If engagement was low, I might test a more targeted or higher-value prize.

Giveaways are one of the easiest marketing strategies to improve over time, as long as you use what you learn.

FAQ: Common Questions About Contest Metrics

Track What Matters and Keep Improving

You don’t need complicated tools or detailed reports to understand if a giveaway worked. Just choose a few contest metrics that line up with your goals and track them consistently.

When you track the right data, your contests stop being a guessing game. They become a repeatable way to grow your list and attract the right people.

Ready to run a giveaway that actually grows your business?

Get started with RafflePress and track the contest metrics that matter, no guesswork needed.

Looking for more ways to improve your giveaway campaigns? These guides can help:

• How to Run a Legal Giveaway
• How to Create a Giveaway Funnel that Converts
• How to Write Giveaway Rules Like a Pro
• How to Use Good Giveaway Copywriting to Drive Entries
• How to Use Contest SEO to Boost Your Website’s Rankings

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