So you and your online team have decided to run a contest? Great idea. In general, people love contests; the more creative the contest, the better. People love the feeling of winning something, no matter what the subject.
Instructions
1. Decide what you kind of submissions you want to receive from your contest entrants. Be very clear in the way you word your call for entries, and let them know exactly what you are looking for. However, do not word your web page in such a way that people feel that your rules are too complex and restrictive. Leave some room for creativity.
2. Clearly state the concrete dates on which the contest starts and ends. Contestants must have enough time to prepare their entries. For example, if people are to submit a video, give them enough time to produce one.
3. Thoroughly explain how the contestants are to submit their works. State the formats you will accept--like Microsoft Word or Excel. In addition, post the email address of someone who can answer questions about the contest.
4. After the deadline has passed, put a note on the web page that the entries are being judged, and be sure to post the date when the winners' names will be revealed.
5. While judging, think of creative categories to honor those who were not chosen. Possible examples include "Honorable Mention," "Second Place," "Third Place" and "Most Creative."
6. Name the winner not only on your contest web page, but on the site's main page and in your newsletter. Give it lots of notoriety, and you will find out that next year's contest will be even more of a success.
