3 postseason college football promotions you don't want to miss

Whether you ran promotions throughout the football season or not, there is still time to take advantage of the revenue opportunities with postseason college football. This year, the college postseason bowl games run from Dec. 19 through Jan. 11, with the playoff games held on Dec. 31 and Jan. 11.

So, if you're thinking your football promotions are starting to wind down, think again. Here are three great promotions you should start running right now.

1. Bowl Game Pick'Em Contest
With more than 40 bowl games scheduled, a bowl game pick'em is a great way to tap into a huge and passionate audience of college football fans. No matter your media type, be sure to utilize VIP pickers for your contest like your sports columnists or anchors, local celebrities and representatives from your advertiser. These VIP pickers will engage your users with your contest, plus they can post about the contest on their own social media pages to drive more attention.

When it comes to revenue, these contests can really be big money makers. Combine different levels of sponsorship on your pick'em to maximize your earnings. For a large investment, a title sponsorship will provide one business with a ton of branding, and you can offer them exclusive opt-ins or survey questions when users sign up. Other sponsorship levels can also showcase a number of other businesses within your advertisements for the contest.

2. Sweepstakes
One of the simplest ways to capitalize on the college postseason is through a sweepstakes. Sweepstakes are one of the most efficient ways to grow your reach, build your email database and increase your social following. Plus, you can offer different levels of sponsorship to maximize your revenue potential.

The key to a successful sweepstakes is a fantastic prize. With the college postseason, you have a lot of prize ideas. Tickets or a trip to go watch one of the big games is a definite win with a big audience. Another option would be offering a complete bowl game party package – food, drinks, etc. – either catered to the winner's home or at a party rental space with a great TV for viewing the game.

3. Personality & Trivia Quizzes
If you're looking for a really engaging opportunity, quizzes are your answer. Develop a trivia quiz about the history of some of the famous bowl games and players. One of our favorite topics is trivia match-up quizzes about the history of a classic team rivalry. Fans love to prove their knowledge of their favorite teams.

When you're looking for sponsorship opportunities, a quiz bundle is the way to go. Create a set of themed quizzes about the bowl games like "Test Your College Bowl Game Trivia," "Name That Famous Football Movie," "How Much do You Know About the CFP 2015 Playoffs?" Maximize your revenue by selling the entire quiz bundle to one sponsor who can release a new quiz every 1-2 weeks.

Matt Coen is the president and co-founder of Second Street, a leading provider of private-label online promotions platforms and partner success services for media companies based in St. Louis, Mo. He can be reached at (314) 880-4902 or matt@secondstreet.com.