How to make a "Succesful Contest"?

[Generaxius]

This is not a FAQ but I think it going to be useful for beginners to start off right???

 

So let's get onto it!!

[spoiler=Things That Is Needed To Be Explained On List (TTINTBEOL)]

This is like Table of Contents to know what is going to be read in here :)

 

____________________________________________

 

1. First of all

2. Requirements and needs for a good Contest

    A. Creativity

    B. Limit

    C. Catchy Title

    D. Traits of a good Contest maker

    E. Lastly, Rules and Good Explanation

3. Miscellaneous Contents

____________________________________________

[/spoiler]

1. First of all-

This thread doesn't recommend you to do anything written on this. It is just giving you some tips to make a good contest. Spamming is not good so don't do it here. Lastly, contests are different to 1v1 Leaderboard  Challenges so don't actually do anything about this thread reliable to the 1v1 Sub-Forums, if you want to make 1v1 and learn how, just click here. If you end up on the Leaderboard Spring Season Header, scroll down and you will get to the YCM Leaderboard Rules.

 

2. Requirements and needs for a good Contest

 

A. Creativity-

This is actually needed on making a card making contest. You don't want to make it not fun right, so creativeness is good for this. Let's get the example for the contest created by wightpower, named "The Ten Days Contest", this will add the factor to the users to visit it and know what the heck is it? So you can actually make specific things like, Assault Mode monsters contest, RUM contest or maybe some interesting things like Sychro Making or Spell Making. But don't make these ideas as a title, what I meant here is to not put the content's actual challenge to the title and also, you will notice that Mr. wightpower make another title to represent his contest right!!! This adds the thrill to the user what is it about. But if you are making card type contests such as Fusion Making, you can put  the content to the title because it's too difficult to know what it is, so it will end up disappointing users. Why? Because when you put titles that is not about the content, the user will be going to expect something different and go to your contest but don't actually know that it is the actual contest is about. So keep this in mind. Also, we don't want to spoil the third part of this so, let's see on "Catchy Titles" section later!!

 

B. Limit-

This part will be useful to gain more contestants. What this part is about is to make sure your contest have enough time to submit created cards. You don't want to end the contest at a 5-day card accepting. In this case you will get less or lesser than less contestants. Also you must do it like a 20 Days of accepting to gain moar users to come. When it happens to be the case that the deadline passed and you are missing some contestants that didn't submit their cards, Private Messaging them is a good idea to remind them but don't finish the contest!! Wait for the contestants to submit their cards to not end up messing or abandoning the contest. And also, when the deadline passed, edit the title of the Thread and add something like this: (NO LONGER ACCEPTING or JUDGING or even DEADLINE PASSED). This will help the users to save their time not entering a contest that don't accept contestants anymore. When the deadline passed, all the contestants passed their creations and all are good, edit the Title saying: FINISHED or Please lock. This will give signs for the admins to give some attention to this moving to the "Finished Contests" sub-forum.

 

C. Catchy Title- 

Adds to the creativity part but deserves it's own explanation because it is pretty big. Now, what I am saying to make a catchy title is to attract users to join it. This is what I am saying that don't put the content on the title as possible and make a separate Title. Awesome titles are like "Flipping The Tables" which is about making Flip cards are a good title to mention since it's gives info on the FLIP part. Like "Reckless Making!!!" too which is about making Reckless cards such as Inferno Reckless Summon or Rush Recklessly. These will be a good idea for making those contests if you have a creative mind. There is another way to make catchy titles. Sakura Haruno is a senior member and make a contest series. If you don't know HIM (he's a boy), check him out. He makes contest series and this Genryu/Wyrm Contest is one of the Contest Series. This title counts catchy because it will attract users to join this because Genryus are not popular to many other users. So, making a SPECIAL or UN POPULAR topic or title is good for these.

 

D. Traits of a good Contest Maker-

This is just an idea for contest making.

 

Creative- Of course!!

 

Positive- This trait is good for making contests because it gives the factor to the users to like the contest because of no negative words or thinking.

 

Smart (Not Literally)- This means not be a newb. There is a tutorial in this sub-forum of "How to not be a Noob" go there if don't want to call your self a newb.

 

Funny- This is a factor making your contestants laugh or grin while reading the thread.

 

E. Lastly, Rules and Good Explanation-

This the last but it is not the least because rules are barely important. Not adding rules to your contest is a mess-up. Put the used Rules in your contests which is:

1. No spamming etc.

2. The winning price is blablabla

3. The fee is blablabla

4. The Deadline is blablablablabla

5. Others......

This is not 100% accurate, just write the contest rules with the important rules like the ones above. Good Explanation though adds a factor to your contest. It is not good your viewers won't understand what you are saying.

 

Example:

Singing Potato's Contest: Hello and welcome to mys contesyt, here your gonna make cards speratad to to dragons. Meiking spell cards in not good, don't do it. That's it!!! create!!!

 

Not cool bro, bad grammar and spelling is not good in this. And also, Mr. Singing Potato do not give specific rules in this. No fee, no prize, no deadline and all of a sudden, Mr. Singing Potato's viewers will ask it. Which is not cool. This is actually obvious so let's move on!!!

 

3. Miscellaneous Contents-

This is an optional part but it improves your contest too.

 

Spoilers are a good way to shrink your contest. But the question is how to make it?

 

Type the following with no spaces :D :

[ spoiler=Put Title Here]

Then Type content here.

[ /spoiler] <<< this is to cancel the spoiler.

 

It will result as:

[spoiler=Put Title Here]

Then type content here

[/spoiler]

 

Now you know!!! So let's move on to some moar Misc. Parts. Make sure you use text size is normal to make it moar comfortable to read 12-14 are the average size!! Putting link to your contests is a good idea too, like I make when I introduced Mr. wightpower and Sakura Haruno. To link words, type in something. Let's type Jumping Pumpkins for an example. Then highlight the word you want to have a link. Then click the Chain with a plus below icon on the toolbar. Paste there the link you wanna linked in to the word. Then click ok. Then you will notice, the highlighted word will be underlined. Just click out of the texts to get out the highlight then continue. It will look like this >>>> Jumping Pumpkins. It will be useful for contest like Renewing a card or re-write contests. You can change the font color too if  you will change the subject, this will work as a filter and will make your contests more colorful!!!!

 

Reccomends:

Gadjiltron- I'll also point out that reputation and requirement are quite the deciding factor.

 

Reputation takes a while to build up, so it's more relevant to members thinking of hosting more contests in the future. If you're a terrible host, nobody will be willing to participate in your contests.

 

Requirement would amount to how complex you expect the entries to be. A contest that requires a single card to be made would definitely have more participants than, say, a contest that requires 5 cards that are not supposed to even interact with each other. Yes, the latter can be achieved with some good thinking, but not everybody is willing to spend that much time and effort.

 

 

That's it!!! You just got the achievement, "Contest Maker". Congratulations, now you can make a successful contest. If it don't work, maybe you just make something wrong. Now and go out there and make your own CONTEST!!!

[Trebuchet MS]

I'd be doubtful about this guide seeing your relative inexperience in hosting contests, but it's evident that you've done some lurking and got a grasp of what makes contests succeed.

 

I'll also point out that reputation and requirement are quite the deciding factor.

 

Reputation takes a while to build up, so it's more relevant to members thinking of hosting more contests in the future. If you're a terrible host, nobody will be willing to participate in your contests.

 

Requirement would amount to how complex you expect the entries to be. A contest that requires a single card to be made would definitely have more participants than, say, a contest that requires 5 cards that are not supposed to even interact with each other. Yes, the latter can be achieved with some good thinking, but not everybody is willing to spend that much time and effort.

[Generaxius]

Yeah, you're right. I planned of making these thread before, but I think of myself, I am a terrible host before. Then I explore the contests section, and learn form other contest makers, so I've learned and make this to help other newbs like me lol. Thanks for sharing Gadjiltron, you've been my guide of bieng a "Member", can I take your permission to edit it and add that Reputation adds as a factor?

[Trebuchet MS]

Go right ahead. I shared my thoughts so that you can use them to polish up the guide.

[Generaxius]

mkay tnx