Mike’s Points

During the past several months, I’ve been professionally and personally involved in and have watched online contests and events that one way or another involve social media. During that time, I’ve learned a thing or two about what to do to help make them successful.

Before

Contests: As with any outreach project, plan how to promote your contest to help others spread the word. Include promoting the contest on your own online locations (blog, Twitter, Facebook Fan Page, etc.). Research those bloggers who have a passion and blog about the subject or geography connected to your contest. Also, there are A LOT of contest blogs — some bloggers I’ve gotten to know a bit include ContestforMoms (@PetiteMommy) and AContestBlog (@Valmg). As with any other blogger you engage, be sure that you know their audience, know them and DON’T OFFER THEM JUNK PR.

Also, if Twitter is any part of your contest promotion, decide on and promote the hashtag.

Finally, as you start to develop and promote a contest, if the actual contest process changes from the initial process you promoted — tell people about the change.

Events: Facebook and LinkedIn are two social networks that come to mind with easy event tools. If your event is a Tweetup or related to Twitter, check out Twtvite. If it might have news value, don’t forget to draft up a news release and send it to the appropriate contacts at the media that would be be interested in it.

Also, if the event is tied to a geographic community, many have event listing sites, like this one in Toledo.

Again, as with a contest, if Twitter will play any role, develop and promote a set hashtag for the event.

During

Contest: If it’s news worthy, give updates via the previously-researched outreach channels. If you have a Twitter account, give updates there (but still mix in plenty of community-oriented info.). Blog updates. Communicate with those who have entered. Still, reinforce your hashtag if you’re using Twitter in any way.

Events: Encourage attendees to send Twitpics or other Twitter-related picture and video tools. If possible, consider broadcasting it via a service like Livestream or UStream. Also, check out Twubs (a neat event-aggregator I’m also checking out).

After

Contests: Reconnect with those media outlets who expressed interest in or mentioned your contest (either the first announcement or any updates). Promote the contest on your own online media (blog, Twitter, Facebook Fan Page, etc.).

Event: Post a recap — blog, Flickr, etc. — of who attended, amount raised (if it was a charity event), thank your sponsors, attendees and others involved. Depending on the type and size of the event, the previous will vary. Definitely publicly thank others who do any recap or Tweet a congrats on a well-run event.

So, any other to-dos if you’re organizing a contest or event?

And, of course, if I can be of any assistance in brainstorming or helping to develop, organize and promote your event or contest, please don’t hesitate to ask.

-Mike

Image: Courtesy of Janeile Cudjoe. It’s of Mark Pannell recording during the first ever Tattooleetup that he and Sara Lopez organized. See more of Janeile’s images from the event on Facebook.

If you’re any where near a regular reader of my blog, you know I hardly ever use this platform for personal reasons. (Though, in reality, aren’t all blog posts some how personal?)

Anyway….My wife and I (mostly my wife, Amy) entered the Merillat Good Life $30,000 kitchen contest, and we are among the 10 finalists. We’ve passed the internal selection process, and now our fate is up to the general public.

We would very much appreciate your vote for Amy Driehorst on the Merillat contest Facebook page. (If you follow the link, see item #2 for the link to vote.) You don’t need a Facebook account to vote  You do need to be logged into your Facebook account to vote,* and you can vote once a day throughout the run of the public voting process — which ends July 7, at 11:59 p.m.

You are not allowed to vote more than once a day. In otherwords, YOU CAN VOTE ONCE A DAY, EVERYDAY.

To see all of the 10 finalists (including ours), go here. To just see our entry on my YouTube page, go here.

For video credits, most of the credit goes to Amy. The focus of the video, script, etc., is pretty much all hers. I had some input and did the recording. Our very good friend, Shawn Sieg, did the editing.

Now, per the contest rules, we cannot offer any “inducements” for you to vote for Amy:

Finalists are prohibited from obtaining votes by any fraudulent or inappropriate means, including, without limitation, offering prizes or other inducements to members of the public, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.

So, the only thing I can guarantee to give you if you vote for Amy is very sincere, heart-felt THANK YOU!

-Mike

The image is a taken from the video showing how “momma would be happy” if we’d win the Merillat Good Life contest.

*Post was updated 6/25/2009 with a link to the main contest page on Facebook, and corrected information that one does have to be a registered Facebook user to have his/her vote count.