This presentation is from Affiliate Summit East 2013 (August 18-20, 2013) in Philadelphia, PA). Session Description: Learn, step by step, to use contests to generate free user generated content and build your editorial site. I’ll use case studies and specific examples to help you launch your contest program.

1. How to Use Contests to
Get User-Generated
Content
Corey Post
ContentAndContests.com

2. My Background
 Speaker and Writer
 Content and Online Marketer for Over a Decade
 Experience
 VP Marketing at Shoeboxed.com
 Director of Online Marketing, Cornerstone OnDemand (IPO -
CSOD)
 Director of Consumer Memberships, IAC/InterActiveCorp
 Social Media Consultant, ReachLocal (IPO – RLOC) and
LegalZoom.com
 Founder, ContentAndContests.com
 MBA from The Darden Business School at The University of
Virginia

3. Why Content Contests?
 Provide an Engaging, Interactive Experience for Your Users
 Create Brand Ambassadors
 Develop Leads and Expand Your Customer Base
 Build a Library of Evergreen Content
 Earn Social Shares and Links
 People Share the Content They Create
 Search Engine Rankings - User Generated Content is “Google Food”
 Rank for “Real World Terms” That Users Enter as Queries
 Rank for Long Tail Terms
 Search Engines Look for Social Proof
 Learn About Your Users

4. Steps for a Successful
Content Contest
1. Determine the Goals of Your Contest
2. Outline Your Contest Parameters
3. Develop Your Budget
4. Optimize Your Content for Search and Social
5. Promote Your Contest
6. Choose the Winner
7. Notify and Promote the Winner

5. Determine the Goals of Your
Contest
 Photo, Essay, Video
Submissions
 Survey Responses
 Social Shares – Facebook,
Twitter, Pinterest
 Links
 Sales
 Registrations/Leads/Email
Addresses Captured
 Visitors/Unique Visitors
 Time on Site
Shoeboxed Messy Desk Contest

6. Parameters – Content
 Original Content Creation and Submission
as Requirement to Enter
 UGC Forms
 Text
 Images
 Video
 Audio
 Relate Content to Your Business
 Interests Existing and Future Customers
 400 Word Piece About the Benefits of Your
Product
 Picture or Video of Your Product in Use
 (Generally) More Difficulty in Creation =
Fewer Pieces of Content Created
 Exception – Audio
 Quality Videos are Difficult to Produce

7. Parameters – User Data
 Determine Your Data Goals
 Sales/Leads
 Learn About Your
Customers/Readers
 (Generally) More Data =
Fewer Entries
 (Generally) Lower Entry Time
(time it takes user to
participate) = More Entries
 Only Ask for What You Need
 Maximize Your Participation
 Minimum Ask = Name + Email

8. Parameters – Time Frame
 Shorter Contest Time Frame
 Benefits
 Excitement
 Top of Mind
 Challenges
 Potential for Fewer Entries
 Potential for Lower Quality of Entries
 Longer Contest Time Frame
 Benefits
 Potential for Higher Quality of Entries
 Potential for Higher Volume of Entries
 Challenges
 Procrastination/Loss of Excitement
 Reader Forgets to Enter
 Amount of Time is Subjective
 Found Two Weeks to Hit Center of Bell
Curve

9. Parameters – Prizes
 Giveaway Your Product
 Connect to Your Product
 If You Offer an IPad, Your
Product Should Relate to
Technology, Business, etc.
 Have Multiple Prizes – 1st
Place, 2nd Place, etc.
 Multiple Chances to Win
 Make Sure the Prize is
Valued by Your Target Market
 What Has Your Competition
Successfully Used?

10. Parameters – Guidelines
 Different State and Federal
Laws May Apply
 Consult an Attorney if
Necessary
 Facebook, Twitter and Other
Social Networks Have
Specific Rules
 Don’t Risk Your Social
Presence – Follow All
Platform Rules
 Go to
ContentAndContests.com/AS
E for Links to Rule Sets

11. Budget
 Prize
 Large Range, From T-shirt (~$10) to Tech Gadget Like a Tablet (~$300)
 Offer Your Product to the Winner (cost of goods)
 Offer Your Services to the Winner (cost of time)
 Press Release
 Written In-house (free) or by a Freelance Writer (~$40)
 Distribution on a PR service (~$350 for one release)
 Blog Article Announcing the Contest
 Written in-House (free) or by a Freelance Writer (~$30)
 Facebook Page for the Contest
 Developed In-house (free)
 Contest Administration (reviewing submissions, contacting winner, etc.)
 Managed In-house (free)
 Celebrity Judges
 Barter for Services or Pay for Time

12. Optimize Your Content for
Search and Social
 Host Contest on Subfolder, not
on Subdomain, not on Mini-
Site
 Own the Links!
 Use Keywords in Your H1,
URL, Meta
 Do Your Research with
Your Favorite Keyword Tool
 Consider Long Tail Terms
 Make Contest Easy to Share
 Use Social Share Buttons
 CMS Should Facilitate
This
 Consider a Voting
Mechanism

13. Promote Your Contest
 People Need to Know About
Your Contest for it to be a
“Winner”
 Email
 Include Prize in Subject
Line
 Newsletter
 Blog Post
 Announce Contest, Give
Updates
 Press Release
 Forums
 Contest Directories
 Blogger Outreach
 Social Media
 PPC (if you have the budget)

14. Choose the Winner
 Celebrity Judges
 May Help Promote Your
Contest
 You Might Have to Pay Them
 Staff Picks
 More Control
 Votes
 Users May Encourage Friend
Involvement
 Social Engagement
 Consult Social Network Rules
 “Random Drawing”

15. Notify and Promote the
Winner
 Notification
 Email - Opportunity to Interact with All Entrants
 Blog Post/Social - Traffic and Shares
 Promotion
 Write a Blog Post
 Create YouTube Videos
 Interview the Winner
 Video
 Email
 Feature on Social Channels

16. Case Study - Shoeboxed
 The Messy Desk Contest
 Offered iPad mini with Shoeboxed
App Installed
 Relates to Our Product
 Created Landing Page
 Asked for Original Photos of
Messy Desks
 Judged Contest on Repins
(Pinterest)
 Promoted Through Email,
Newsletter, PR Service, Facebook
Paid Campaign, Social Following,
Blog
 Results
 200 Incredibly Messy Desk
Photos
 25,000 Repins
 155 Links

17. Questions?
 ContentAndContests.com/ASE
 Will Include Links to Social Platform Contest Rules
(extremely important for social contests)
 Will Include Case Studies/More Examples
 Linkedin.com/in/coreypost
 Twitter.com/coreypost
 Corey@ContentAndContests.com