In February 2012 the Candles off Main team ran a Belle Fleur giveaway built around the Grapefruit Muguet candle and room spray. The contest is long over, but the post is a nice snapshot of how a small candle shop used its blog and Facebook to get people talking.
Join us as we celebrate Belle Fleur Home Fragrance for a chance to win a Grapefruit Muguet candle and room spray.
From February 6 to February 16, 2012:
- Earn 1 raffle entry for liking our Facebook page and posting your favorite Belle Fleur fragrance (or the one you’d love to try) on our wall.
- Earn 1 raffle entry for liking the Belle Fleur, Home Fragrance Facebook page and posting your earliest scent memory on their wall.
- Earn 1 raffle when you follow our blog and post a comment on any of our Belle Fleur blog posts (including this one – we’ll try to publish at least 3 more during the contest).
- Earn 1 raffle entry for any Belle Fleur purchase on our website or at our store.
- Earn 1 raffle entry by posting a review for any Belle Fleur product on our website.
On Friday, February 17, 2012 we’ll draw a random winner from all the raffle entries. We’ll ship the winning prize pack to any continental US address.
Good luck!
How the Belle Fleur giveaway worked
The raffle ran from February 6 to February 16, 2012, and there were five ways to earn an entry. You could like the shop page and post a favorite Belle Fleur fragrance, share an earliest scent memory on the brand page, follow the blog and comment, buy any Belle Fleur item, or review a product.
One winner was drawn at random on Friday, February 17, 2012, and the prize pack shipped to any continental US address. Entries were free except for the purchase route, which is a fair way to reward both browsers and buyers.
The rules also tell you what the shop valued: social posts, blog comments, reviews and sales all counted. That variety gave every fan some way to join, whether or not they wanted to buy.
Because the Belle Fleur giveaway ran only ten days, entries had to be quick and simple. That is a good design for any contest, since long forms and hard rules put people off.
Reading about the Belle Fleur giveaway today, you can still use the entry ideas as a checklist for any brand you follow.
A snapshot of the Belle Fleur giveaway
Reading the post now, the Belle Fleur giveaway is a good picture of how a small candle shop worked in 2012. Facebook, a blog and a shop counter were all part of the same conversation.
The scent-memory entry is my favorite. Asking people for their earliest scent memory is a clever way to make them think about why they like a fragrance, and it is a question worth asking yourself before you buy any candle.
It also shows the brand had its own Facebook page, which gave fans a place to post about it. That mix of shop, brand and blog is why the Belle Fleur giveaway got people talking.
In the end, the Belle Fleur giveaway is a small piece of candle history. It records what a shop did to introduce a new fragrance brand, and the same ideas still work for anyone running a blog or a shop page.
About the Grapefruit Muguet prize
The prize was the Grapefruit Muguet candle with a matching room spray. The scent pairs grapefruit with muguet, which is the French name for lily of the valley.
If you want to read an actual review, we wrote one about the Belle Fleur Grapefruit Muguet candle. For another citrus option, our favorite citrus candles roundup compares several.
A candle and a room spray also make a useful pair. The candle gives a steady background while the spray is for a quick refresh, such as before guests arrive.
The Grapefruit Muguet prize also shows how a brand introduces a new customer to its range: one candle, one spray, one scent family. A matched pair is a neat way to try a fragrance in two forms.
If you ever find a similar contest running today, ask yourself whether the prize is something you would use. A giveaway is only fun if you like the scent.
Whatever the prize, the real value of a contest like this is the conversation. Fans swap favorites, shops learn what people want, and everyone leaves with a few new scents to try.
It also reminds us that a prize pack should match the winner’s taste. A grapefruit and lily of the valley scent suits fans of fresh, clean rooms, which is a good thing to know before you enter.
Entering a candle contest: lessons that still apply
A few practical thoughts for anyone who takes part in a brand contest. Keep a note of which entries you have completed, and screenshot your posts in case a prize draw needs proof.
Think about privacy too. A Belle Fleur giveaway asked for public posts on a Facebook wall, so only share a memory you are happy for others to read.
Check the dates and the shipping area first, because many giveaways only ship to certain countries. Read each entry rule carefully, since they usually need a specific comment or tag to count.
Contests are also a cheap way to try a scent. If you do not win, you still learn which fragrances people name as favorites, and that is a good shortlist for your next purchase.
To see what else the brand does, read our interview with the Belle Fleur founders, or learn more about scented candles in general.
If you want to follow a brand like this, use the same simple method as the Belle Fleur giveaway did: like the page, read the posts and join in once you feel comfortable. You do not have to buy anything to enjoy the community.
Finding a Belle Fleur candle after the giveaway
Since the Belle Fleur giveaway is closed, the way to try the brand now is to read about the individual candles first. We have written about the Velvet Santal and the Rose Immortelle candles, among others.
Pick by mood, not by name. If you like fresh and zesty, the grapefruit one is the obvious start. If you like deeper florals, read the rose reviews first.
