(All bases on this page by Loopy)
Despite being in my tutorial section, this is not really a tutorial. It's not so much a how-to, but rather a nest of opinions. I can't really dole out guaranteed tips for success because doll contests are very nebulous and unpredictable monsters. I have no idea what makes one contest work and the other one not work, but as someone who has 1) entered a lot of contests and 2) hosted contests that have been both successful and utter failures, I think I can share some thoughts and pointers on how you might be able to host a successful doll contest.
1. MECHANICS
I think THE most important thing is to avoid contest limbo at all costs! I'd say about half the doll contests I've entered have ended in a state of unexplained nothingness. You know what I'm talking about: the entries/results/awards never get posted, or the site disappears altogether. This is very frustrating for someone who took the time to craft a doll for your contest, and if the limbo perpetrator holds a second contest, there isn't a lot of trust or incentive to enter again.
Sometimes periods of limbo can't be helped. Real life can be demanding, and short site hiatuses happen to us all. That said, if it's at all possible, let your contestants know what's happening if your contest goes off schedule, either by email or an easy-to-spot note on your site. (Note on the main page = easy to see; note on your Tagboard = not so easy to see.)
Somewhat related to the above point is to be communicative. It can be fairly time consuming, but I think it's worth it in the end to let your entrants know how the contest is progressing. I usually do this by email, but leaving notes on your main page or in dolling forums can work too. Definitely let entrants know about changes to the contest schedule, and when the awards have been posted. An optional but nice gesture is emailing each contestant to let them know that you've received their entry.
Do your best to be understanding, courteous and flexible. If you insist on having an attitude and/or imposing ridiculous rule restrictions, you're going to chase a lot of potential entrants away. Don't find excuses to alienate dollers or restrict entries. Open your contests to beginners and experts, pixel shaders and tool shaders, people who have doll sites and people who don't.
I haven't been holding contests long enough to have figured this out for sure, but it seems to me that there are high and low periods of activity in the dolling community over the course of the year. I personally feel that activity is the highest in late winter/early spring (February - May), and in the fall (September - November). I think it's the lowest during the summer and in December. Try to avoid having contests during periods of low dolling activity.
This
is a fairly debatable point, but I really think it helps: give
your contest a definitive deadline! Why?
- It's a good way to avoid contest limbo
- Procrastinators will have a fixed time in which they know they have to make
a doll. Contests that have "number of entry deadlines" will only encourage
a procrastinator to keep putting it off and off and off.
- It makes it easier to advertise your contest on a contest calendar
That doesn't mean you can't be flexible with a deadline. I've extended the deadline to more than one contest because I received a handful of emails from dollers in which they expressed interest in entering, but needed a bit more time. (This ties into the flexibility rule too!) Just don't keep extending it - be firm with the deadline once you've reset it.
What is a decent length of time before you set a deadline? Another tricky question! It takes awhile for a contest to get noticed and for entries to come in. I wouldn't have a deadline shorter than a month from the start of the contest. I think 6 weeks is ideal, and 8 weeks, although it seems like a long time, works fairly well. I don't think I'd go longer than 10 - 12 weeks, though.
Another thing I've learned is when to cut my losses. Don't be afraid to cancel a contest, even if it kills you. ;) It completely sucks when you don't get entries, especially when you're in total love with the subject, but canceling a contest will save you from the dreaded contest limbo and will allow you to move on from an idea that obviously isn't working. That said, don't give up too easily! Make sure you've done your share of advertising and that entrants have been given ample time to enter. If things still aren't rolling after, say, 2-3 months, then (politely and apologetically) cancel it. Don't get too self-piteous about it - you can always try the idea at a later date.
When describing the contest on your site, be as detailed as possible. Give written examples of how far an entrant can stretch their creativity. Providing a sample doll or sample picture can be inspiring, and links to resources that will help the entrants is never a bad idea. Sell your contest, man!
Be fair with your judging. Try your best to judge the dolls "blindly" (without a bias for the person who dolled the entry), or better yet, find an objective judging panel, and then add a few "______'s Choice" awards of your own choosing. Another thing you may want to try is making a wide array of categories, so that people of all dolling levels & skills have a chance to win something. Give awards out for both technical merit and artistic impression/best effort. Don't pander, but do play fair.
Try to make your prizes worthwhile. At the very least, everyone who entered should get something, even if it's a generic "thanks for entering" plaque. But having an excellent prize, whether it's a custom doll, or a site feature, or something even more creative, generates extra incentive for the potential entrant.
Keep you site updated on a fairly regular basis. Add new content if you have it, but if you're going through a dry spell, then at least leave regular notes on your main page. Why? I think it makes potential entrants a little nervous when they're about to enter a contest and they see that the last site update was made six months ago. It shows a potential for contest limbo, even if that's not your intention at all.
2.
CONTEST SUBJECTS
This is probably the hardest area to give good advice on. I really think the secret to a good contest subject lies in the ability to balance a specific and unique idea with an idea that has a large appeal. What I mean about a specific and unique idea is try not to use an idea that's been done a thousand times before, and try not to make the subject too broad. A "summer contest" may dissuade an entrant because a) every year there are several summer contests and b) there are so many options when it comes to summer clothes that it's easy to become overwhelmed by all them and not be able to come up with one good idea. But if you were to hold a "Pirate Summer Fashion" or a "Doll a Summer Drink or Snack" contest, then the possibilities are more focused, but there's still lots of room for a doller to exercise their creativity.
That said, sometimes a contest subject can be too narrow. Sometimes there are too many restrictions and rules as to what you can and can't do, and sometimes the subject doesn't leave a lot of room for inspiration, for example, a contest based on one specific poem or song, or an obscure movie that only six people have seen. Let's face it, there are some contest subjects that will always generate interest. Your best bet is to to take an existing popular subject and introduce a unique twist to it.
Experiment with your contest ideas and be persistent. If your contests are flopping, try going in another direction with your contest subject matter. Study contest sections at doll forums and note which contests generate the most interest. (Use this for inspiration, but don't copy them!) Be prepared to have a flop or two - it happens to everyone, even the "popular" dollers. Take some time off from holding contests, but don't give up! It's a slow and unpredictable process at first, but once you get the ball rolling, you can start to build a name for yourself.
3. ADVERTISING YOUR CONTEST
I think the best way to advertise your contest is to go through as many "official channels" as you can. Look for contest calendars and contest forums and start there. Also, if you haven't already, join a dolling forum. Advertise your contest in the contest section, and make an eye-catching forum signature with a banner and/or contest example doll. Don't forget to be active in the doll forum. What's the point in making a great signature ad when you only post 3 or 4 times? No one will see it!
When advertising your contest on a forum, give the details of your contest in the post. You don't have to spell the whole thing out, but at the very least, give the title of the contest and the general gist of it. A lot of posters simply state that they're holding a contest and provide a site link to check it out. I honestly feel that only half the people reading the post will click on that link. The whole contest section is full of people holding "a" contest - what makes yours stand out from the rest? Plus, a lot of people surf forums very casually - if they don't see contest details right there in the post, they might just gloss over that post without giving it a second thought (or a click!).
Go all out with advertising, but know when to draw the line. Don't beg for entries. If your contest isn't generating enough interest, I feel it's okay to give people gentle reminders about it from time to time on dolling forums and contest sites, but watch your tone. Don't adopt a piteous, "no one likes me" attitude, because a) this is called drama, and it will send other dollers running for the hills and b) no one should ever take a lack of interest in their contest personally.
Another thing to avoid is spamming. Don't spam your contest! If you start spamming tagboards and guestbooks with frequent solicitations for your contest, you're going to generate more animosity than entries, guaranteed. Avoid engaging in frequent post-bumping at forums, and do not send unsolicited emails to dollers asking for entries. Everyone. Hates. Spam!
I hope this has given you some contest holding inspiration! I look forward to seeing your creative, well-planned, well-advertised contest soon! ;)
HOLDING
A CONTEST