Win a Copy of R.C. Sproul's Biography

Campaign Overview

Ligonier Ministries is the Christian teaching ministry founded by theologian R.C. Sproul. In spring 2021 it used giveaway.ligonier.org to promote a new biography, R.C. Sproul: A Life, under the headline "Win a Copy of R.C. Sproul's Biography" and the sub-headline "500 Winners to Be Drawn."

The campaign ran from March 22 to May 1, 2021. The page recorded 220,146 page views and 17,825 sign-ups, of which 14,272 confirmed their email. Entrants completed 14,910 bonus actions, including 3,637 downloads of the Ligonier app.

It was the first of four giveaways Ligonier ran on the domain between 2021 and 2022. Together the series collected 36,474 sign-ups and 29,551 confirmed entrants.

Campaign Strategy

The prize was the product being launched. An audience that follows R.C. Sproul's teaching is exactly the audience that wants his biography, so the giveaway doubled as the book's announcement, and the page pointed entrants to RCSproul.com/biography to learn more. Giving away 500 copies instead of one also changed the odds: entrants could reasonably expect a chance to win, which lowers the bar to entering.

Confirming an email was worth 100 points, which on its own reached the campaign's only reward, the free giveaway entry at 100 points. That is a strong incentive to finish the email step, and 80% of sign-ups did. The bonus tasks then pointed entrants at Ligonier's own channels:

• App (100 pts): download the Ligonier app.
• Video (50 pts): subscribe on YouTube.
• Social (50 pts each): visit on Facebook, visit on Instagram and follow on Twitter.

The tasks were worth 300 points in total, 400 with the confirmation bonus.

Viral Mechanics & Growth Engine

Each referred friend earned 100 points, as much as the app download and twice any social task. For a book giveaway, that makes sharing natural: readers of R.C. Sproul tend to know other readers of his work, and each friend who entered strengthened the sender's entry.

Engagement was balanced across the main channels. Facebook visits led with 3,952 completions, followed by 3,735 YouTube subscriptions, 3,637 app downloads and 3,467 Instagram visits. Each of those four tasks reached roughly a quarter of confirmed entrants. The app download matters most: it was the highest-value task, and about one in four confirmed entrants installed an app that keeps Ligonier's teaching on their phone after the giveaway ends.

The Twitter task was the exception, with only 119 completions.

Results & Impact

• 17,825 sign-ups, of which 14,272 confirmed their email (80%).
• 220,146 page views over six weeks, about 12 for every sign-up.
• 14,910 bonus actions completed in total.
• 3,637 app downloads, about one for every four confirmed entrants.
• 3,952 Facebook visits and 3,735 YouTube subscriptions.
• Four campaigns on the domain with 29,551 confirmed entrants in total.

Ligonier reused the format for the R.C. Sproul Signature Classics giveaway from June 22 to August 31, 2022, offering 100 limited-edition copies of a new collection containing eleven of Dr. Sproul's books. It drew 13,900 confirmed entrants, 257,528 page views and 4,483 app downloads. Two smaller giveaways from the 5 Minutes in Church History program in July and August 2021, for a Treasures of John Owen box set and the Right Now Counts Forever collection, added 958 and 421 confirmed entrants.

Why This Strategy Works

This is reciprocity at scale. Ligonier offered something its audience genuinely valued, a new biography of the ministry's founder, and asked in return for small commitments that deepen the relationship: an email address, an app install, a YouTube subscription. Because the prize was the product, every entrant learned about the book whether or not they won, and 500 winners meant 500 copies in readers' hands.

The structure is also easy to repeat. The same format carried over to the 5 Minutes in Church History draws later in 2021 and to the Signature Classics giveaway in 2022, with the prize, the channel list and a few point values adjusted each time. For publishers, authors, ministries and nonprofits with a new book, course or collection to launch, this is the template to copy.

Key Takeaways

1. Give away the book you are launching. The prize and the announcement were the same thing.
2. Draw many winners. 500 copies made winning feel realistic, which lowers the bar to entering.
3. Reward email confirmation generously. A 100-point confirmation bonus went with an 80% confirmation rate.
4. Point the top task at a channel you own. The 100-point app task produced 3,637 installs.
5. Reuse the template for the next release. The Signature Classics giveaway reached 13,900 confirmed entrants a year later.
6. Drop tasks that entrants skip. Twitter drew 119 completions against more than 3,400 for every other channel.