Contests increase member engagement and allow you to collect user-generated content (UGC) on any topic.
Understanding the feature
Contests can take place in any group of your community, but they are centralized in a dedicated tab. This section allows new members to quickly discover the different types of existing contests.
A “ongoing” label is displayed in the main menu when there is an active contest in the community.
When a new contest is launched, it appears at the top of the list. This list is sorted by creation date, with the most recent at the top. Members must click a button to get more information, then another to accept the T&Cs if they wish to participate.
If a contest is linked to a specific channel, an additional entry will appear in the header of that channel as long as the contest is active.
Create a contest
First, you need to create a dedicated channel by going to Config > Channels > +Add a channel. Select "Contest" and fill in the fields (your CSM may have already completed this step).
For more information on contest channels, see this article.
Once the dedicated channel is created, or if it already existed, follow these steps:
1. Main information
- In Animation > Contests, click on "+Create a new contest".
- Fill in the contest information (name, description, start/end dates, 640 x 200 px image, targeting).
Dates are in UTC, so remember to check your time zone.
The contest will only appear from the start date, allowing you to schedule in advance.
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Add the T&Cs. To do this, you can upload them to the custom pages then copy/paste the page link into the contest (highlighted icon), or host them elsewhere and paste the associated link.
Be aware this section must be filled in, as a pop-up will prompt members to accept the T&Cs before participating. - Then indicate the reward and/or the number of points earned by participating (optional).
2. Type of contest
Choose the contest type from among:
For more information about Poll-type contests, see this article.
3. Contest settings
Depending on the contest type selected, configure the specific settings. For example, for "Post linked to an existing channel", you’ll need to select the relevant channel.
4. Summary page
Review your settings then click "Create contest" if everything looks good!
Edit a contest
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Go to Animation > Contests and click on the relevant contest.
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Then click the small pencil icon
next to "Main info" and make your changes.
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Click “Update changes”
You can also delete a contest if necessary by clicking directly on the “Delete contest” button at the top right, accessible when you click on the desired contest.
Export and analyze contest data
For each contest created, regardless of type, data is available directly in the back office. To learn how to export and analyze it, check this article.
FAQ
No, you can only have one contest channel, but you can have several active contests at the same time.
We recommend keeping the contest channel visible even if there’s no active contest. This allows members to browse past contests, which may encourage them to get more involved in the community until the next one is launched.
Users who don’t want to participate can still share content in the contest group by clicking directly on it in the menu. There are 2 separate feeds in the group when a contest is active.
Create a dynamic homecard linked to the contests so that the active one is highlighted on the homepage. If no contest is active, the dynamic homecard directs members to the contest channel. Go to Config > Home > Homecards to create the dynamic homecard.
Members can enable notifications to receive push or email alerts when a new contest is active in the community. To do this, they must click on the bell icon at the top right of the channel and select the option of their choice.