Campaign: How To Create And Manage A Photo, Video Or Essay Contest From Start To Finish (Step-By-Step)

Introduction

Launching a social media contest is an excellent way to build your brand and engage with your audience. This comprehensive guide covers everything from setting up the contest to declaring a winner, detecting fraud, boosting referrals, and setting up email autoresponders.

Creating a Mother's Day Photo Contest

1. Selecting the Contest Type:

• Begin by choosing the type of contest – photo, essay, or video. For our example, we'll create a Mother's Day Photo Contest.
• Access the campaign settings in your software and select ‘Add New' for creating a new campaign.

2. Customizing Your Contest:

• Customize your template with a header, instructions, a countdown timer, and options to upload photos.
• Include detailed instructions for participants on how to submit their entries.
• Consider adding a footer for additional information.

3. Setting Up the Submission Form:

• Customize the submission form to collect relevant information like email, name, and phone number.
• You can choose to allow one or two photos per entry.
• Ensure to link your contest rules and disclaimer for participants.

4. List Integration and Email Notifications:

• Integrate your contest with your email list provider (like MailChimp, SendFox, etc.).
• Set up email notifications for form submissions and confirmations.

5. Defining Contest Options:

• Decide on the contest start and end dates.
• Choose between two contest periods (submission and voting) or a single period where both can happen simultaneously.
• Set the voting frequency to encourage more engagement.

6. Customizing the Design:

• Add logos and customize the design elements like page background, header, countdown timer, etc.
• Preview the design on mobile devices to ensure optimal appearance.
• Utilize advanced settings for SEO optimization, tracking, and retargeting.

7. Setting Up Social Share Options:

• Customize the sharing options for when participants share their entries on social media.
• Add relevant hashtags and customize the shared content for different social platforms.

8. Deploying Your Contest:

• Use the ‘Save and Deploy' feature to get a microsite URL.
• Choose to embed the contest on your website using widgets like pop-ups, tabs, iframes, etc.
• Optionally, add the contest as a tab to your Facebook page if applicable.

9. Moderating and Approving Entries:

• Regularly review and approve submitted entries to avoid inappropriate content.
• Set up email alerts for new submissions.

10. Determining the Winner:

• After the contest ends, review entries and votes for fraud.
• Use the contest console to view and manage entries, including viewing voter IP addresses for fraud detection.
• Declare winners and update the contest page to highlight them.

11. Notifying Participants and Publicizing Winners:

• Send out a final email or use other communication methods to announce the winners.
• Update the contest header or page to showcase the winning entries and congratulate winners publicly.

Here is a starting template you can use for your Contest Rules:
Template: Social Media Contest Rules

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can effectively create, manage, and conclude a successful social media contest. It’s a great opportunity to engage with your audience and promote your brand. For any questions or assistance, feel free to search the Knowledge Base or reach out to support.

Note: Ensure your contest complies with all legal requirements and social media platform rules. Always have clear and accessible contest rules and privacy policies. If you're in doubt, be sure to consult a legal professional.