Contest Sites that Don't Suck

Thinking about launching your own contest promotion? Why not check around to see some of the current contest promotions on the web, and get a few ideas? 

We'll be honest, there are no lack of contest sites on the web, and a Google search turns up all sorts of ugly sites that are covered in ads and look as though they haven't seen a redesign in decades. We skipped all of those for you, and opted to share a selection of contest sites that are a little easier to read: 

1. Contests.Alltop.com. This is it, the mother lode of contest listings and contest sites. The folks at Alltop do such a good job of finding and listing the best feeds on the web that we'd be crazy not to refer you directly to this list. All of the headlines on the page are links to the actual RSS feeds too, so you can either bookmark this badboy and revisit it, or just pick and choose the feeds that interest you most and add to them to a reader. Need an RSS refresher? Lee can help. 

2. Contests.About.com. While About.com is certainly home to its share of annoying ads and what I like to call "advertorial," there's no question they do offer some decent lists and resources, including a tutorial called "Sweepstakes Basics."

Tip For Contest Enterers:

Not all web browsers are created equal. We recommend using Firefox for its fast loading time and the fact that it will automatically save your information in any online forms you've filled out.

Learning from the Experts

Our searches turned up a number of blogs with useful contest info, and we've been secretly learning from their wisdom ever since.

1. Carolyn, the "Contest Queen." Carolyn operates a great contest info website and newsletter, and publishes a blog as well. She's made a cottage industry of the contest industry, and folks flock to her for advice. Plus, she recently discovered she has personal connections to Strutta!

2. VidOpp.com. This video contest hub will tell you all about the various video submission contests out there. Since video has been a big part of what we do at Strutta, we keep a close eye on this feed. 

3. Momdot.com. The gals over at MomDot spill all sorts of info about contests, promotion discounts and shopping, so if you if you're looking for a resource that has loads of info aimed at moms, and a considerable amount of influence in that community, then you've found it.

Tip for Contest Administrators: 

There are a few key questions that people always have when they enter a contest. The first is "What's the prize?" and the second is almost always "Who can enter?" This information should be made readily available in all contest-related promotions and marketing.

Leading up to the launch of our contest platform, we'll continue to share insight into the online contest space, and as always if you have questions you can ask them her in the comments or visit our contact form. 

If you know of other great online contest resources, feel free to share those here. 

*mgs: "Dart Game" by cheese roc,