My New Contest.

Hi Everyone,

i wanted your feedback on this. i just posted a new contest on my new forum..

http://bestdestinationwedding.com/f/wedding_forum/showthread.php?t=60

i went on my myspace profile and sent a bulletin to a few of the bridal groups i am on promoting the contest and hope to attract new member to my forum.

let me know what you think?

It looks like an affiliate scam and I wouldn't join your forum for that.

I hang up on people trying to sell stuff like that daily.

I suggest you "really" give something away. That is an ad, not a contest.

/end frankness

Tammy I really have to agree with noppid here. I wouldn't have done that, as it does look like a 'scam', and if I'd seen this, I would have laughed, perhaps clicked to read the whole thing, but kept right on surfing. I'd never have joined for this.

What might have been better is to have a referral contest and actually purchase a gift certificate from say, FTP Florist, or some nationally known bridal invitation company, better still, a gift certificate from Orbitz.com or a national travel agency, or any number of other things, to give as the prize.

really :( ...i only posted that because since it is a destination wedding forum, alot of brides need to do recon trips to do research, schedule vendors, etc....

I have a similiar contest on my other destination wedding forum but this one is for the most posts for sept. and it has gone really well and acitivity has been way up this month so i thought maybe this new contest would have the same sort of response.

i own the travel agency and we specialize in destiantion wedding packages and our prices are alot better then expedia/orbitz so most brides doing DW don't use expedia/orbitz.

oh well, i guess i'll have to think of something else to gt people to join. :(

Since you own a travel agency, then give a $50 gift certificate, rather than credits, towards a travel package, hotel accommodations, or something of that nature. People, for the mostpart, like to know that there is a tangible prize, know what I mean?

I've had 3 referral contests on my adult site. One prize was a gift certificate for an online adult store. The second contest I awarded a graphics software cd that someone donated. The third contest, well... I can't say what that prize was. But they kept getting better :D

Tangible prizes is almost always the way to go.

peggy, thanks you for your feedback...originally it started as a gift certificate but then the legal dept. said there had to be rules and exceptions like, not for just air travel, etc...let me see if i can change it w/o getting in any legal trouble. i think if i take out the min travel amount...what do you think?

How about a gift certificate redeemable towards any one service (of their choice) that your agency provides?

they don't want it for just air, car rentals, but it can go towards any trip or vacation...so i just have to figure out how to word it so it says that without scaring people off.

my brain is hurting

Well there ya go then. $50 gift certificate redeemable towards the purchase of (or deposit for?) any trip or vacation package.

that sound good...i'll go over and change it!

yaaaaayyy! I'm glad we got that settled! lol

thanks peggy...it is always hard to come up with thtat stuff..

Whelp, we're here to help ;)

The third contest, well... I can't say what that prize was
This is no time to get coy...

Whelp, we're here to help
:confused:

Why did you call friscogal a whelp?

This is no time to get coy...
:confused:

Why did you call friscogal a whelp?
She didn't seem to mind! lol

trust me darlin'... you really do not want me to say what the prize was for that third contest ;)

Tammy, will I have to sit through a timeshare presentation with the $50 givaway?

Tammy, will I have to sit through a timeshare presentation with the $50 givaway?

no silly!

it is just towards a travel package...pretty much i will take my commission of and maybe even a hit in the pocket book but i thought it was worth it.

lol

it will be worth it ;)

i hope so...:(

hey what's with the sad face! It'll work, you watch and see ;)

I still think there is no prize. You are asking people to join your forum to get a $50.00 discount on a package you sell and profit from that costs $800.00.

A frugal shopper could do better IMO.

You are confusing marketing with a prize. This is mearly marketing and I think it may hurt more then do good.

I have no problem with marketing. But this is not a prize. It's a sales pitch.

Add to that there is NO content on your site to do research and what do these people get? Not much really.

I'm not trying to be a DH here, I'm just talking from the point of view as a consumer.

OOPs. RE: No Content. I followed your link which goes to a new forum. The home page has some good articles. That is a plus.

I asked my wife to look at this. She said she would not be interested in that deal. Again, I'm trying to help, not be a DH. :)

i changed it so there wasn't a min. purchase on vacation packages...i hope i changed it everywhere...will have to go back and look...also, on internet trav. packages, those pacakges all have a mark up (commission) so i would be able to provide the same cheap pacakge w/ $50 less...i guess it is more interesting to our members because they have to do research trips often to plan their wedding...i don't usually even do a single trip like that unless it is for a very good client because it takes too much time for too little $$...i prefer groups :)

I'm impressed that you are considering the critiques. Good luck with your forum.

Suggestion, get your peers in the office to post and talk to each other to build content. ;)

no silly!

it is just towards a travel package...pretty much i will take my commission of and maybe even a hit in the pocket book but i thought it was worth it.

OK!

Again, I'm trying to help, not be a DH. :)

You are a Dear Husband...I hope.

I was not using the euphamism of DH. :D

lol

I'm impressed that you are considering the critiques. Good luck with your forum.

Suggestion, get your peers in the office to post and talk to each other to build content. ;)

no can do...my coworkers are all old fuddy duddies...:p