What's Wrong with Our Contests?

[SunshineGirl]

I'm starting to wonder what is wrong with the contests that we have been running. We have two really great prizes up for grabs right now and hardly anyone is even applying! Is it the contests themselves? The prizes? What's up? It's going to be hard to ask advertisers to continue to give us prizes when we can only get 25 entries in a contest.

[Blessing and Miracle]

I'm sorry, what are the two contests?

[OhMari]

I have a hard time finding the contests too on the regular Sunshine boards. I know you post them in the Forums, but It is hard to find them on your site. Like the Christmas one, the only way I can find it is either through this forum or Facebook.

[dwkay8]

I think what often happens for me is that I see the post about it on the forum, but plan on coming back later to enter. But since I started using the "New Posts" button on the forum, if someone doesn't post on that thread, I never see it again and it slips my mind. The Gemvara one is a good example, I forgot to enter until you bumped the thread recently.

Personally, I pay most attention to posts in the forum, but I also wonder if there are members who would participate, but just don't visit the forum or know the contests are going on?

[SunshineGirl]

Interesting! Helpful feedback. :)

The two prize contests (Gemvara and Appliance Art) are in the blog (http://www.sunshinerewards.com/videoblog).

The Holiday Contest should be right there on the left side of every page of the site as a text link. Maybe I need to make a banner for it so that it stands out more??

[MdCaterer]

I was just coming to the forum to read through the boards to find the link about the Holiday contest. Maybe you could have a separate category for CONTESTS and we could click on that link and get all the info fit to print!

[OhMari]

Interesting! Helpful feedback. :)

The two prize contests (Gemvara and Appliance Art) are in the blog (http://www.sunshinerewards.com/videoblog).

The Holiday Contest should be right there on the left side of every page of the site as a text link. Maybe I need to make a banner for it so that it stands out more??

I live up to my "blond" days sometimes. I never looked to the left side of the page. I always look at the top drop down menus. I found everything, plus I also found the Black Friday coupons posted already. Once in awhile, the old dogs (I'm speaking for myself), need to learn new tricks.

[MdCaterer]

I live up to my "blond" days sometimes. I never looked to the left side of the page. I always look at the top drop down menus. I found everything, plus I also found the Black Friday coupons posted already. Once in awhile, the old dogs (I'm speaking for myself), need to learn new tricks.

I agree with you I did not look to the left either. But I did try the contest section of the boards and these are not listed there. I love this site and try to keep up with everything but I do not read the lists going down the sides of the page normally, I will start to read them now.

[m 'n c]

Like with most other things it is all about location and visibility. I think adding a contest banner or contest "section" with links to the direct pages/posts would be most helpful.

[jnorth1007]

I tried the Gemvera and went and created a piece but couldnt figure out how to get a link for it so I could come back and post it. Im pretty tech savvy and it was strange for me so maybe others are having the same issue.

[chipndale]

I'm sorry, what are the two contests?

That is what I was going to ask. I didn't know we had any contests other than the Christmas one.

[Hedy]

Interesting! Helpful feedback. :)

The two prize contests (Gemvara and Appliance Art) are in the blog (http://www.sunshinerewards.com/videoblog).

The Holiday Contest should be right there on the left side of every page of the site as a text link. Maybe I need to make a banner for it so that it stands out more??

That would help-I'm on the forum multiple times per day and missed the appliance art one...

[jnorth1007]

I also had no idea there was an appliance art one. Perhaps the videoblog is not the best way to announce contests. I wonder if people are just skipping over the video blogs completely. I also agree that some people dont use the forums but use the main site. Perhaps having a better way to make them visible on the main site would be good. Maybe something to bring people from the main site to the forum for more info. That way we can increase traffic to the forum while also making sure that everyone knows what contests are happening.

[SunshineGirl]

Is anyone seeing the Facebook announcements of the contests coming through their streams?

[jnorth1007]

When I go to Sunshine's page I can see the post but I don't remember seeing the post yesterday morning about the appliance art contest. I think the new setup on facebook is messing things up. I get a long string of contected posts at the top of my feed. Yesterday I seem to remember them all being about Christmas and after 2 or 3 posts there was a more link for more posts. I wonder if it wasnt lost in there. Today it is Veterans Day posts and has the same thing. I am noticing I am missing out on more and more posts on Facebook especially if I check it through the ap on my phone and not the site on the computer.

[jnorth1007]

Funny I just went to look at my feed on my phone and the first post is your personal one about the walk. I wonder if you need to avoid the most common terms of the day when you are posting to assure that they aren't getting lost in the new "grouping" thing facebook is doing.

[SunshineGirl]

I think part of the problem that we are having with FB is that if you do not interact with the SR Facebook page, you don't see the posts as much. So a lot of people are not seeing them anymore.

[jnorth1007]

The facebook post you just did came through fine. I have a group of christmas posts and a group of veterans day posts and then your post came through alone. I think it helped that it didnt mention christmas or holiday.

[dwkay8]

Does the video blog update facebook through "Networked Blogs"? I noticed after the news feed redesign, all posts generated by Networked Blog stopped showing up in my news feed, SR as well as several others. Only recently have they started reappearing, and I don't know why.

The post you did today I'm more likely to notice than the Networked Blog posts, and they also show up more consistently in my news feed. Text accompanied the link with catches my attention.

[SunshineGirl]

Does the video blog update facebook through "Networked Blogs"? I noticed after the news feed redesign, all posts generated by Networked Blog stopped showing up in my news feed, SR as well as several others. Only recently have they started reappearing, and I don't know why.

The post you did today I'm more likely to notice than the Networked Blog posts, and they also show up more consistently in my news feed. Text accompanied the link with catches my attention.

I noticed that with the Networked blogs! I am thinking about shutting that down and posting everything manually.

[sammielynn]

I think the contest are hard to find, and I don't go to the video blogs.
I knew about the jewelry, but was not interested, because I don't do fancy jewelry. I didn't know about the Appliance art until I read this post. The Appliance Art is very cute, but nothing I'm interested in owning. I really don't like posting about contest on FB and I don't do twitter.
I love contest, but I don't have time to hunt them down. If they are on the home page in a banner I would check them out.
I hate to sound like a Negative Nellie but I just have never liked the video blog contest.

[kristenrice]

I think the contest are hard to find, and I don't go to the video blogs.
I knew about the jewelry, but was not interested, because I don't do fancy jewelry. I didn't know about the Appliance art until I read this post. The Appliance Art is very cute, but nothing I'm interested in owning. I really don't like posting about contest on FB and I don't do twitter.
I love contest, but I don't have time to hunt them down. If they are on the home page in a banner I would check them out.
I hate to sound like a Negative Nellie but I just have never liked the video blog contest.

I'm in the same boat...

I look at the "Offers and Contests" thread (which is where I figured the "contests" would be located) and if they are not mentioned, I don't go looking for them. I don't do FB very much (I check it maybe once a month) and I always forget about the video blogs.

I LOVE the contests, don't get me wrong, but if the prize isn't something I am interested in (i.e. the jewelry) or it is too much effort to find it, I just pass on it. I love the survey contests and the ones where the entries are "no-brainers", like the Holiday Shopping Contest:sunshine:.

[mmm611]

I think the contest are hard to find, and I don't go to the video blogs.
I knew about the jewelry, but was not interested, because I don't do fancy jewelry. I didn't know about the Appliance art until I read this post. The Appliance Art is very cute, but nothing I'm interested in owning. I really don't like posting about contest on FB and I don't do twitter.
I love contest, but I don't have time to hunt them down. If they are on the home page in a banner I would check them out.
I hate to sound like a Negative Nellie but I just have never liked the video blog contest.


I'm in the same boat...

I look at the "Offers and Contests" thread (which is where I figured the "contests" would be located) and if they are not mentioned, I don't go looking for them. I don't do FB very much (I check it maybe once a month) and I always forget about the video blogs.

I LOVE the contests, don't get me wrong, but if the prize isn't something I am interested in (i.e. the jewelry) or it is too much effort to find it, I just pass on it. I love the survey contests and the ones where the entries are "no-brainers", like the Holiday Shopping Contest:sunshine:.

Ditto. Sorry, but as others have said, sometimes I'm just not interested in the prize and it seems better to let someone who actually would like it win.

[m 'n c]

Ditto. Sorry, but as others have said, sometimes I'm just not interested in the prize and it seems better to let someone who actually would like it win.

I thought the same way until Tricia said that a lack of interest on the contests means that no one will want to have SR host one. So for these two I went ahead and submitted an entry. I figure if I win then there will probably be something that I can use or give to someone as a gift.

But I agree with the other parts. I have limited time now so I only look at a few websites when I do get online. SR main site, SR forum, and anything that pops up in the facebook feed. My twitter time is really low and I always forget about the video blogs and podcasts.

[Steph_in_MA]

To be honest, I'm not interested in the prizes for the two contests that are out there right now. If I'm not interested I will let someone who is have a chance at the prize.

I hope that doesn't sound bad..I love Sunshine Rewards but I will wait for a contest with a prize I am interested to come around.

[sammielynn]

I entered, for the same reasons as Cate. They would make nice gifts.

[warner440]

come on people get with it and sign up. there are some great prizes!!!

[speechteachri]

Wow...this is the first time I have been on the forums since 11/7...I have just been too busy to be on SR at all. I have really been limiting my computer timein general lately because it has become a necessity.


Is anyone seeing the Facebook announcements of the contests coming through their streams?

I have been on FB occasionally, but not nearly as much as I used to be, so no, I haven't seen the contests come through.


I think part of the problem that we are having with FB is that if you do not interact with the SR Facebook page, you don't see the posts as much. So a lot of people are not seeing them anymore.

I think that is my problem. Since I haven't been on FB nearly as much lately, lots of people and groups I usually see have fallen off my stream.

[SunshineGirl]

So I'm trying to do a better job of getting the word out. :) I had some banners made for the site and the forum about the big Holiday Giveaway and started posting on FB directly instead of Networked blogs. I also did a mailing today with news of the week to hit on all of the major SR happenings.

I really do appreciate the feedback. I want SR to be a place that is beneficial for EVERYONE! Our merchants, our members, and us. :)

[jnorth1007]

I like the forum banner for the appliance art contest. I was able to click on it and go directly to the contest and complete entries for it. Perfect!