Would you join this contest?

[Ganymede]

A referral contest where the winner has to refer a minimum of 5 members who all have to make 10 posts and 1 topic besides an introduction?

And the winner would receive a $50 Amazon gift card? Would you want to join that contest?

 

[noreturn]

I would join if it was just a a $50 PP gift...

 

[CyberFreak]

I personally don't participate in this kind of contests. I have seen so many forums run these kind of contests and the winner not getting their reward for winning. The most recent was a tonight.

I am not saying you wouldn't provide the prize but i think some people are a bit hesitant when it comes to these type of contests so it might not give you the kind of results you were expecting.

 

[Ganymede]

I would join if it was just a a $50 PP gift...

I don't know if I can get Paypal giftcards... :c

-- 16 Jan 2012, 00:19 --

I personally don't participate in this kind of contests. I have seen so many forums run these kind of contests and the winner not getting their reward for winning. The most recent was a tonight.

I am not saying you wouldn't provide the prize but i think some people are a bit hesitant when it comes to these type of contests so it might not give you the kind of results you were expecting.

I understand, as I was on the short end of that one time.
I guess it's something that I could maybe prove, such as buying the card in advance and taking a picture of it.

Edit: Ouch, just saw the topic. That's terrible.

 

[Hissae2]

I wouldn't. I don't know enough people. 😛

And I would only consider any contest if it's on a site with an owner I know and trust. 😛

 

[Ganymede]

I would join if it was just a a $50 PP gift...

I don't know if I can get Paypal giftcards... :c

by giftcard he means just sending $50 through paypal as the reward. $50 paypal gift is the prize.

I don't have 50 dollars on my Paypal account.
I have all my money in the bank or in my wallet. ;3

 

[Shahrier]

I hate these types of contests and don't usually partipate in them.. I've been scammed too many times..

 

[Ganymede]

I hate these types of contests and don't usually partipate in them.. I've been scammed too many times..

I hate how people associate their old shortcomings with my operations at my forum. I understand where you're coming from as it happened to me once, but you don't have to assume everyone is a total douche on the internet.

 

[Shahrier]

I forgot to mention how it takes too much time, too. I don't have that kind of time.. would be the main reason. I was just saying I've been scammed too many times as a sidenote 😛

 

[AnAccount]

I personally don't participate in this kind of contests. I have seen so many forums run these kind of contests and the winner not getting their reward for winning. The most recent was a tonight.

I am not saying you wouldn't provide the prize but i think some people are a bit hesitant when it comes to these type of contests so it might not give you the kind of results you were expecting.

This is why I never hold contests on my forum, nor do I participate in contests on other forums either is for this reason alone There are just way too many untrustworthy people on the Internet already. I'm just not willing to take that risk I guess. I'll partake in forum of the month contests on promo forums sometimes, because the prize offered is usually something you can enjoy on your forum and you don't have to worry about anything getting sent to the wrong address, but any contest that requires you to give out personal information like PayPal information, home address, whatever, I steer clear of those all together. Both as a member and as an administrator.

 

[toetapping]

I don't hold competitions like that on my forum. Agree with Forum Junkie completely.

 

[AnAccount]

I should add that as far as holding a contest, I'm never doing that again either. I don't have the required time on my hands. We held a contest back in November of 2010 where the winner got VIP access for two solid months. Not too many people were interested in participating, and as I was still helping out at our church with CCD classes as a para, with classes getting out at 7:30 and the kids being downright animals at times (yes this can happen in church too, believe it or not! No where near as bad as in school though, thankfully!) and to top it all off, I have health issues and I've had asthma for almost 2 years now, so there are days when I'm lucky to have the energy to come on and post at all. So this is why I choose not to have a contest period.

 

[Bluezone777]

I hate these types of contests and don't usually partipate in them.. I've been scammed too many times..

I hate how people associate their old shortcomings with my operations at my forum. I understand where you're coming from as it happened to me once, but you don't have to assume everyone is a total douche on the internet.

What is stopping you from scamming these people that someone can see with their own two eyes outside of typed words in a post that require no emotion to express?

That's why they are acting the way they are. Is it fair? Probably not but I can see why they react the way they do.

I don't care much for contests as they don't interest me much and most are only there to increase board stats and nothing else. There is no joy in begging people to join some site, make some posts and state they referred you. That's exactly what you do when you participate in a referral contest. You don't gain good members from it and only inflate the stats with people looking to win something instead of wanting to actually be there. That's the only thing you gain from the contest so not sure why anyone would want to run one to be honest.

 

[Patrick S.]

I think the main reason people wouldn't join is the requirments are to high.

 

[IAAM Radio]

Not my cup of tea. Try mixing it up, break the $50 into five $10 or ten $5 awards and do something like this:

1. Random give away - staff simply awards a member/site i.e. one they are not affiliated with at all and simply chooses an active member/site and says thanks.

2. You could give SOTM a cash award. If your restricted by funds toss in another $10 to make it $60 and award the winner each month $5 that is a free giveaway each month and no repeat winners. You should allow only 12 winner per year and all must be different and then hold a site of the year from that 12. We do this at phpBBC (less the cash we offer a great ad package worth far more than $5)

3. Stay away from posting and recruiting type contest, you will end up with dead accounts and short lived activity. Do something that keeps members coming back.

4. You could reward your staff

5. It's not so much the amount you give away (but it should never be less than $5) it's whom and how you give it away.

6. Have a game where the prize is $5 or $10 make it hard but not too hard, it could be a hangman type game, good for a few go rounds.

Lots of rigged contests out there, the posts you see here that are negative against the type contest you are suggesting is not so much against you, it's the contest itself. Read the suggestions, do not take them to heart, see what is of value and use it. Nearly 100% of the posts here say no way. That tells you something, meaning they have been their done that. Time for something new.

On our music site we have given $100 of dollars away, mostly from bands that send us CDs, Shirts, Posters etc. We go live on the station, those who are in the chat while tuned in get asked questions first to reply wins. We even had a find this on the site, post the answer there and you win $10... It was fun. On your board that could work as well, it gets people to use your board, see different sections etc.

Again, no one is attacking you, it's the idea you presented and you did ask for feedback so do not be upset at what your read. Remember, you are a professional you have to act like one, some of your replies are very immature (your learning) be more diplomatic i.e.

Example Reply: Thank you for the suggestions but my intent is to truly make the award fairly... I respect the fact many of you have been scammed by others, we are not that way. Come give it a go and see for yourselves or simply watch and perhaps the next contest you'll join in.

Do the above and you may find some will come and visit your board and be part of it. What you say/type on the net is nearly for life so say/type with caution. How you act online is what makes or breaks your credibility.

Good Luck! Please keep us posted on this one.

 

[death180]

I don't like referral contests because they are so freaking hard, it's hard enough to get people to join my site now I need to convince people to join yours?! Nah I would pass on this contest. That being said, the reward looks good, so long as you follow through with your promise. Then again, if you don't your reputation as an admin and a person in general will forever be tainted...

 

[jdab]

It depends if you would do a possibility for people outside of the US to win.

 

[Deleted member 4320]

You can't blame people for not wanting to do something because of past experience. If you were scammed you wouldn't want to be again. At the end of the day it's up to the public on what they want to do. Personally I wouldn't because I don't think I'd ever see the prize and others sometimes cheat so that are puts people off.

 

[Poopy Head]

Nah. People would be limited to $50, and most of the people who join your forum don't even use Amazon I bet. I would enter if it had more of a, ehh... better reward.

 

[SKULL]

I personally don't participate in this kind of contests. I have seen so many forums run these kind of contests and the winner not getting their reward for winning. The most recent was a tonight.

I am not saying you wouldn't provide the prize but i think some people are a bit hesitant when it comes to these type of contests so it might not give you the kind of results you were expecting.

This is why I never hold contests on my forum, nor do I participate in contests on other forums either is for this reason alone There are just way too many untrustworthy people on the Internet already. I'm just not willing to take that risk I guess. I'll partake in forum of the month contests on promo forums sometimes, because the prize offered is usually something you can enjoy on your forum and you don't have to worry about anything getting sent to the wrong address, but any contest that requires you to give out personal information like PayPal information, home address, whatever, I steer clear of those all together. Both as a member and as an administrator.

Not all forum's or people are like that , there is always a way to know that people do get payed for contests is if the admin request people to post screenshots of the prize they won after they have gotten it.