Feedback needed for giveaway contest idea

[HotSeatGame]

We are releasing a new iPhone app this weekend called HotSeat, a multiplayer trivia game where you earn points not only for what you know, but also for accurately you judge what your friends know.

We want to run a contest to giveaway free copies of our app. Here's our idea, but we'd love to get some input on it or other ideas for running a giveaway.

1. Person posts about our app to their Twitter timeline or Facebook page (ex: Check out this new app game, HotSeat; there's a free giveaway for HotSeat game, etc.).
2. That person or friends takes a snapshot of the post and emails it to us along with their email address for iTunes.
3. We gift them a free copy of the app, up to 5 people per unique post; limit 100 free copies total.

[Haraldo]

I've been thinking about similar things. Questions...

1. What is your channel to promote the contest?

2. How much does the app cost? Is it worth the trouble for people for a low-priced app?

3. Wouldn't most people want to already have the app, so they can try it, form an opinion, and then spread the word? Personally, I wouldn't post about an app I have not tried first. And then, if they already have the app, what's their incentive to be gifted the same app? Or are you saying that they can include up to 5 friends' emails who are also gifted?

Hmmm...

P.S. Post when the app is live. Would like to check it out. And maybe enter your contest!

[HotSeatGame]

Good questions!

Originally Posted by Haraldo

1. What is your channel to promote the contest?

We are planning on promoting the giveaway via our Facebook page and Twitter feed, along with our personal versions of the same. Not sure if we can put the giveaway text in the app description in iTunes, but if so we'll probably post it there as well.

Also, there are lots of discussion boards where you can post about your app release, so we will post about the giveaway there as well.

Originally Posted by Haraldo

2. How much does the app cost? Is it worth the trouble for people for a low-priced app?

Hmm, good thought. I always assume everyone is cheap like me so free is better than paying. Anyway, our app will be priced at $0.99.

Originally Posted by Haraldo

3. Wouldn't most people want to already have the app, so they can try it, form an opinion, and then spread the word? Personally, I wouldn't post about an app I have not tried first. And then, if they already have the app, what's their incentive to be gifted the same app? Or are you saying that they can include up to 5 friends' emails who are also gifted?

We had similar thoughts initially. The app is a multiplayer real-time game. Our initial idea was that people play the game, take a screen capture of their winning score, and then we would send them a free copy to gift to a friend. Only problem is then they have to give us their friend's email address, plus it doesn't generate buzz for us (unless they really like it and post about it to impromptu).

Our hope with the current thought is that since it's a multiplayer game, they will want to advertise to their friends so that everyone gets free copies so that they can all play together. That's our thought with a limit of 5 screen caps of the same post -- the individual and up to 4 of their friends could send us the image and get free apps.

What's your take? Would you be willing to spend $0.99 to play the game and win a free copy for a friend? Or are you more likely to play it if you get the free game yourself?

Originally Posted by Haraldo

P.S. Post when the app is live. Would like to check it out. And maybe enter your contest!

Will do! Hoping to release it this weekend, I think.