Easy steps for creating buzz…………………………..

Start your contest out with a bang; remember your contest is part of the bigger picture to use as a stepping stone to achieving your e-commerce goals.

1. Set Goals: Contests are a great way to engage users, get customer feedback and drive traffic to your site. It’s important to be realistic with your expectations and set specific goals. Are you trying to increase your websites traffic? Showcase a product or service?  Think of how your website will engage these new users. Some of the factors you can take into account to measure success include earned media; email opt-ins, engagement across social networks. Plus, you can gather monthly site traffic data via the easy and free Google analytics.

2. Make sure your contest theme is fun and interesting for your audience: It would be silly to create a cat contest for a community of dog lovers or a meatloaf recipe contest for a community of vegetarians.   Think, about what people are passionate about. Keep contest “theme” clear so photographers know the guidelines.  PhotoScramble offers a drop down menu of theme suggestions, but the sky’s the limit. Be creative and be relative.

3. Promote, Promote & PROMOTE again, the contest on your homepage, company newsletter, or company’s social network page(s)

• Encourage peer-to peer sharing! Friends tell co-workers; co-workers tell friends!
• Use the social sharing buttons available on PhotoScramble to share, tweet and blog about your contest.

• Encourage as many entries as possible, invite your work associates, friends, family, who will in turn invite their peers to view and vote.

• Use video promotions on YouTube.
• Use press releases sites, many are free.
• If you have a brick and mortar business, you can create fliers, postcards or other media pieces for your place of business. Fliers can be posted and handed out at  social events.

4. Name your Contest: If possible use your Company’s name as part of the title of your contest
something like; “XYZ Company’s Cutest Puppy Photo Contest.” This will help brand your contest to your organization plus, your Google ranking will go up!

5. Consider a joint venture. Maybe two organizations are associated with the contest.  You can run the first contest and let them donate the prizes.  You get double the exposure.

6. Give enough time to for the Word to Spread: On PhotoScramble you can select the length of time your contest is to run.  If you are new to the world of Photo contest select a longer time to run. We allow up to three (3) months. This will allow time for the buzz and sharing to spread. If you run contests continuously, you can shorten the time a contest is to run to a month or as little as one  week.

7. Keep the Entry simple: Make participation easy. Don’t require complicated shooting techniques or fancy camera angles. Clearly define the type of photographs you want to see. Define submission date deadlines and let contestants know when the winner will be picked.

8. Keep Your Contest Legit: Please follow the contest rules and regulations for your city and state. After all, we want this to be family friendly and fun, so please do not run a contest that exalts the negative or profane. You do not want to create controversy for your website product or services and neither do we!

9. Offer a Great Prize: Generate interest with a promotional prize and or recognition. Everyone likes to win, but you do not need to give away an expensive car. Gift Certificates or a selection of products or services from your company make a great prize.  Plus this adds the benefit of being a great promotional piece for your organization. Recognition and bragging rights are used as incentive for photographers to join your contest.  Offer what makes sense for your business. Remember the better the prize the greater the interest and buzz around your contest.