We've been trying to get ideas on how to make our calendar contest run smoother, have more participants and sell more units. The mods have been talking on the moderator forum, but we thought we'd like YOUR feedback too, so we're bringing the discussion here for your input. Here's what Jacqui said:
"I think (atleast for me) if the contest was started earlier, it would allow more folks to try taking a special picture for the contest. Normally be the time we start the contest, my tortoises are in for the winter and thus outdoor pictures are not going to even be an option. So what if we start the contest to run the month of September. That would give the first weeks of Oct to do the voting. Then between the last weeks of Oct and the first weeks of Nov would be a month to put it together, get it printed, and packaged for mailing by Thanksgiving.
Back to holiday themed ideas, instead of the monthly contest, we:
1) Could continue to try to allow the winners to pick the month of their choice.
2) We could have mini contests within the contest. Such as you can choose to only compete for certain months (such as winter, spring, summer, or fall). So 4 areas to choose to compete in.
3) Or the mini contests broken down by either entering the holiday or the regular contest (such as December, July, October as the holidays and then all the rest are one). So two voting parts or four depending on how it was set up.
Other ideas?"
I thought that if we require an entry fee with the fee going towards the purchase of the calendar, we would sell more calendars.
I'd like to see different pictures for the months, like 4th of july stuff for the July calendar, Christmas stuff for the December calendar. But how would be work the contest towards that end?
Give us your help and let's make next years contest the best one yet.
"I think (atleast for me) if the contest was started earlier, it would allow more folks to try taking a special picture for the contest. Normally be the time we start the contest, my tortoises are in for the winter and thus outdoor pictures are not going to even be an option. So what if we start the contest to run the month of September. That would give the first weeks of Oct to do the voting. Then between the last weeks of Oct and the first weeks of Nov would be a month to put it together, get it printed, and packaged for mailing by Thanksgiving.
Back to holiday themed ideas, instead of the monthly contest, we:
1) Could continue to try to allow the winners to pick the month of their choice.
2) We could have mini contests within the contest. Such as you can choose to only compete for certain months (such as winter, spring, summer, or fall). So 4 areas to choose to compete in.
3) Or the mini contests broken down by either entering the holiday or the regular contest (such as December, July, October as the holidays and then all the rest are one). So two voting parts or four depending on how it was set up.
Other ideas?"
I thought that if we require an entry fee with the fee going towards the purchase of the calendar, we would sell more calendars.
I'd like to see different pictures for the months, like 4th of july stuff for the July calendar, Christmas stuff for the December calendar. But how would be work the contest towards that end?
Give us your help and let's make next years contest the best one yet.