Contests?

[N F C]

I saw this thread yesterday and from my side, here are my thoughts.

We'd LOVE to run more contests more often and I tried to come up with ideas for new and fun contests. With mixed results... The mini contest series I started with the calendar prizes did awesome and is definitely going to become an annual event.

We tried some other new ones, like the Halloween Picture Contest and the Christmas in the Coop! contest... Both got lukewarm response... Which disappointed me as they are both pure fun!

Picture contests are great fun and I enjoy having those running now and then, but I'd love to see more contests that generates good content for this website too. For example the DIY Contest - Show us Your Project and Win! and the Chicken and Egg Recipes contest. I'd love to run more contests like those! They are nice, meaty contests, we get great entries, good information and content, BUT... they take forever to attract enough entries to make it worthwhile continuing? I'm hesitant to run the above two again, because it took so long to get them done.

And this is my dilemma, I don't want to start more and more contests and have them not be successful enough to make it worth everyone's time and effort. I don't like having the entrants have to wait and wait and wait until we finally can wrap it up and determine the winners. And I'd love to have a good mix of easy, fun contests like the pic contests and more "heavy" contests like the DIY one, so we all benefit from it.

And I try to make it worthwhile for the winners. More and more often lately I'll email @Nifty-Chicken before I start a contest and push and push hime to get one of our site sponsors or advertisers to sponsor a nice prize for contests, because we get some awesome prizes from them. But we have this little worry then that they may not get enough interest and entries to make it worth it for the sponsors too...

So this is where I lay. I really want to do this more, have more contests, etc, but I need interest and entries for them to make it successful.

And they do take time...time to set up, time to run, time to judge. Not an easy solution for sure. I'm open for some brainstorming or helping however I can.

Just say the word and whatever you need Sumi, give me a shout. And if it's best to wait, that's ok too.

 

[sumi]

I'd be interested in running contests and supplying prizes if I could.
@sumi have you thought about guaging community interest in a poll/introduction thread prior to making a contest?

Thanks! I'll keep this in mind and be in touch.

 

[sumi]

And they do take time...time to set up, time to run, time to judge. Not an easy solution for sure. I'm open for some brainstorming or helping however I can.

Just say the word and whatever you need Sumi, give me a shout. And if it's best to wait, that's ok too.

Thanks! You, lady, are and have been a great help with the contests

 

[PirateGirl]

So it sounds like there needs to be a contest to come up with the best contest ideas

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

So it sounds like there needs to be a contest to come up with the best contest ideas

We've totally done that before!

 

[WVduckchick]

My favorite contests are Broodies and Babies picture contests. I know it’s not broody time right now, but spring is just around the corner!

(Wishful thinking while I’m currently freezing my buns off! Lol)

As for gifts, I think it’s a given that the bigger prizes and more poultry related items grab the most interest. I often browse the Clearance shelves at the feed stores. Next time till I’ll pick something up to donate.

 

[casportpony]

I love the broodies and babies too, also like the poultry in the natural setting (no fences, buildings, people, chairs, hoses, etc.), flappers, poultry with non poultry animal, and many others.

 

[Cyprus]

My favorite contests are Broodies and Babies picture contests. I know it’s not broody time right now, but spring is just around the corner!

(Wishful thinking while I’m currently freezing my buns off! Lol)

As for gifts, I think it’s a given that the bigger prizes and more poultry related items grab the most interest. I often browse the Clearance shelves at the feed stores. Next time till I’ll pick something up to donate.

I'll do the same.
I also draw and paint breeds and varities within them, but my skills are not professional.