How to Start Your Own Avatar Contest, Part 1

When I am starting a Fashion Story avatar contest the first thing I do is come up with a catchy phrase to draw people in -- making sure I spell the words right, use proper punctuation/grammar and that it includes a unique word for them to post on my boutique's wall if they want to join. Here are a few examples: "If you like to win Trophies and have fun at the same time please join my contest! Post 'Spots' on my wall to join!" or "I am having an avatar contest on my wall, post 'Spots' to join.", etc. After I have figured out what I am going to say, I decide how many people I will allow to enter. I usually stick to #15 because it works perfectly with the number of rounds in my annual Fashionista O' the month contest and though it is not easy to keep everything straight with fifteen contestants, it is not too hard.

You also have to consider (based on your number of contestants) how many people you are going to eliminate each round and how many rounds you are going to have. Another thing to consider is what kind of prize will the winner win.  Thankfully Fashion Story gives many opportunities for this type of thing. I would suggest likes for a certain amount of time and/or a unique title and/or a particular type of gift for a pre-arranged amount of time. These are just some examples, so feel free to be creative! :)

After I have determined the before mentioned information, it is now time to line up some contestants. How? Well for starters I tell my best Neighbors, Friends and frequent visitors about my contest. I also tell people on the Fashion Story community,  and if I am in any contests I will also post it on the host's wall. If you want more contestants quickly, choose people who are in other contests, are holding contests and 4* players who seem to like this sort of things. By doing it this way you will get a mix of old and new friends which will make your contests even more fun to host.

Once you have the desired number of contestants you can move on to organizing the rounds. Make sure you have a link or connection so that you can notify each of your contestants about upcoming rounds, etc. I keep track of my contestants in a notebook purposely designated for that purpose. I will cover round organization and points in a later post.