Interest in Contest Declining?? Tell me your thoughts

[SultrySerenaSC2]

Hey Ladies,
I've noticed the interest in the contest seems to be declining.

I'm wondering why we have so few entries?

Please let me know how you feel the contests could be improved so that more of you would enter.

Is it the themes?

Is it the newest rule of the winner having to wait 90 days before she can win again?

I'm gonna set up a poll, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. If you don't want to post them publicly, then please send me a pm

[HaydeeRodriguezSC1]

I think Themed Contests is still a GREAT idea! This pays hommage to the current Season/Holiday and makes things much more fun.

[dimontySC1]

I love the theme as it means I have to think about my entry. To encourage more people to enter the competition, maybe add a link to the SC main page that takes people directly to the competition. Dimonty xxx

[SultrySerenaSC2]

I think Themed Contests is still a GREAT idea! This pays hommage to the current Season/Holiday and makes things much more fun.

Thanks so much for your input

[SultrySerenaSC2]

I love the theme as it means I have to think about my entry. To encourage more people to enter the competition, maybe add a link to the SC main page that takes people directly to the competition. Dimonty xxx

Thanks so much for your input

I think I'll ask William to include the contest information in the first of the month newsletter he sends out.

[SultrySerenaSC2]

I was trying to figure out a way to make the winner selected totally by chance - randomly, with absolutely no possibility of cheating and my husband nailed it!

Instead of a voting poll, which seems to cause alot of suspiciousness and distrust, the winners will be chosen completely by luck. A lottery of luck

When the charm posts her picture in order to be in the running for the cash prize, she'll have to post her lucky number from 1 to 70 along with her photo. The charm must not EDIT her post after she's submitted it. An edit to the post with the photo and number she's selected will disqualify that charm for the prize. Each charm must have a different number.

https://www.megamillions.com/

I will use the Mega Millions winning lottery numbers pick the winner. Mega Millions posts new winning numbers every Tues and Friday. So for June - I'll use the lottery game date of June 27 as the set of numbers to use. The contest will go live on June 1 and the charm will post her "lucky" number with her photo. The charm who posts a number closest to the THIRD selected winning lottery number, wins.

The deadline for posting photos will be Before the lottery drawing day. So for June, it will be June 26.

There will be one contest and two winners.
The second place winner will be the charm who is second closest to the THIRD selected winning lottery number.

Zero chance of cheating, extended time for posting photos, two winners.


AND hopefully our amazing fans will be rewarded by even more entries!

I'm keeping the poll and suggestions open for a while longer to determine what the majority feels about themes.

[Italian Lace SC4]

I've always looked at the contest as a way to drive traffic to the forum, and I treat it as such every month when I enter. I post in the text on my updates twice, once when the voting opens, and once at the end of the voting period asking my fans to go vote for me, and linking directly to the poll. I also post on Twitter, and reach out to individual loyal fans to remind them to go vote. The fans who vote for me get very excited to "help" me win and seem to appreciate the way they get to interact and contribute. I feel like a lottery-style would remove the customer from the equation completely.

I love the themes as well, but I have a lot of sets to choose from so I don't have trouble matching themes usually. Perhaps a "suggested" theme but giving Charms the leeway to post outside of the theme if they don't have anything to match that theme.

I would also suggest one vote per person, as I think that would cut down on "clique" voting where a small group of people are voting for their friends every time. It should be about getting your fans to come to the forum to vote for you, in my opinion.