So how do we apply our 6 principles of effective social contests to Pinterest?”
I’ll tell you, but then I want to ask you a question, fair enough?!
- We’ll monitor the Pinterest Terms Of Service closely to ensure they continue to permit social contests on their platform. Facebook has basically banned contests and promotions on their platform. Although the wise folks at Inside Facebook walk through 6 tips in this good article. Google+ also banned promotions and contests. Rule #1 on any social network – follow the rules.
- We will NOT assume anything that we’ve done in Youtube will necessarily translate into the Pinterest social context. We’ll have to learn what works for Pinterest, just like we learned what works for Youtube.
- We’ll obsess over the prize, and figure out how to offer something that is insanely great.
- We’ll make entering easy.
- We’ll watch for negative user feedback. Several national brands, (that we won’t mention specifically) have recently done contests that ‘clog’ users Pinterest feeds with non-stop pins that are similar – because all their friends are fulfilling the social action requested to enter the contest by pinning things from the companies website. – and that call to action effectively ruins the Pinterest user experience for their extended network. People place the blame for that negative impact on the company first – and their friends second. That is how NOT to do a contest. We are brainstorming what a good (socially considerate) call to action looks like within the Pinterest system.
- We will ritualize what we do, itirate, and improve over time.
- We will learn from others, and work to discover best practices. Although in Youtube, to be honest, we feel like we never really found these. We just had to learn our own lessons.
That’s it. No rocket science. Good luck! But before you go…Tell Me What You Think!
Hey, don’t forget to…
marketingonpinterest.com 