With social media and user generated content being on every marketers minds these days, you may have thought about running a photo contest. But how can your contest stand out and attract a lot of quality photo entries? Try one of these simple photo contest ideas out.

1. Run a photo contest asking for users to insert your company brand in the photo in a creative or unique way. You could ask that people simply print out your logo or take along your mascot and include it in their everyday life or in their travels.

   

2. Go with a favorites theme. Ask people for their favorite vacation location shot or favorite meal. People love to share their favorite things!
3. Ask for the best. Run a prettiest flower or cutest puppy photo contest.
4. Ask for the worst. Run an ugliest chair or tackiest sweater photo contest.

   

5. Meme it up. Instead of having users submit photos, ask for a caption for a meme photo you post.
6. Ask for before and after photos. Who doesn’t like to see a transformation from plain to amazing?
7. Run a Throwback Thursday contest and ask for people to send in photos from another decade.
8. Play up a holiday and ask for photos appropriate that are relevant: Mom photos for Mother’s Day, turkey photos for Thanksgiving, Firework photos for July 4^th, etc.
9. Make it a scavenger hunt: ask people to submit photos of things that are a bit challenging to find like a yellow 1969 VW beetle or a giant metal chicken. To allow for fair judging, make the contest criteria include points for interpretation of the ask, speed of submission and creativity.

   

10. Pull a “Rube Goldberg” and ask people to find a way to solve a common problem with a complex solution. Ask them to submit their photo of the masterpiece. (For inspiration see the 2014 Rube Goldberg team challenge).

And keep in mind that with photo contests you need to:

• Limit file size and be specific about the types of files you will allow. You don’t want photos you can’t open or are too large to work with.
• Be clear that the photo must be original work and not copyrighted.
• Give yourself time to judge submissions after the entry period has closed before announcing finalists or winners.
• Keep records of your judging activity.
• Always, always, always have full official rules that include complete judging criteria.

And don’t ever:

• Ask for pictures of children unless you have parental permission.
• Overcomplicate it. Keep the entry period short and the call to action simple.
• Include leader boards or public vote counts. If there is any fraud it will make it difficult to manage if the public sees real-time leaders and votes that suddenly disqualified.

If you need help with your next photo contest execution, call us! We can help you!