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, 

Here at headquarters, the team is working quickly and diligently on developing our new contest platform.

I'm delighted to report that interest in our launch partners program has been plentiful, and there is a cue of exciting partners lined up that will be rolling out new promotions shortly. In the meantime, all of the interest we're getting from paying customers means a delay in launching the new Strutta.com. Oh yes, there will be a new site, one that will feature the exciting new ways to deploy our software for online contests.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be introducing some examples of contests we've built or are providing our software for. Then as soon as we can, we'll flick the switch on the new .com so you can get a better idea of what it it we've been working on.

The recently launched (and already finished!) Launch Party Vancouver 5 Startup Contest was the first example of what's to come, but offered only the iceberg's tip as to the options and functions available. Most of the fun stuff happened behind the scenes; judges had access to a slick, easy-to-use drag and drop interface to make their choices and leave comments, and the data we compiled from votes from judges and the public was automagically complied, assuring us that in the popular vote, the winner had an average of 3.82 stars out of 5. Well, that's not exactly the way it happens, but to a guy that doesn't understand the maths too good, like me, it sure seems that way, especially with the slick visualizations that display the info. Consider this my pledge that when all is said and done, I'll have the brains behind this operation submit some posts here with more details about what's under the hood.

For now, we're working with our heads down to make a crucial deadline on Sept 30th, so check with us on that date and we'll have another example of the Strutta contest "engine" in use. If you have questions about Strutta, about social media or online contests or anything else, leave a comment below or hit us up on the feedback form.

*img: "One of The Buttons Will Get Me Out of Here" by cayusa. Found suring a seearch for "enter" on Flickr.

In November of 2005, two dudes in white lab coats and protective glasses dropped pieces of Mentos (the fresh maker!) into bottles of Diet Coke. Geysers of soda erupted from the bottles, video cameras recorded the action and the resulting video of "Experiment #10" was just the start of what can only be described as an internet phenomenon.

By the time they had reached Experiment #137 (above), kids were already buying Mentos by the handful and making their own fountains and rockets the world over.

To their credit, Mentos was thrilled. In spite of early indifference, Coke managed to finally come around to appreciating the new life its brand had found on the web as well. This serves as just one example among many of regular folks using the internet to discuss, evangelize or even criticize brands and products, of their own will. Like anything new and exciting (not to mention cheap or free), advertisers were scrambling to find a way to generate viral successes of their own, sometimes with undesired results. 

When done right though, advertising that comes directly from fans of brands is the very best kind. It's the new media equivalent of a testimonial, but also proof that the creator was dedicated enough to put a considerable amount of time into creating it. To say that this kind of advertising is more genuine and convincing than the status quo would be something of an understatement.

New business models are even springing up as a result of this exciting trend. Take for example Adhack, a local startup based around "people powered advertising," offering advertisers a chance to access the talents of all manners of small creative agencies and home-based media creators for considerably less expense than a traditional mainstream media model. 

To recap some of the more successful examples of User Generated Advertising, we talked to Adhack's Founder, James Sherrett via email, who pointed us to a few successes in this space. 

James' picks:

1. Doritos. (Also currently running a UK contest on YouTube)

Their main web presence is now dedicated to "Snack Strong Productions," which is all about user generated ads, and a conest that could see those ads run during the most expensive airtime on North American network TV. As James notes, "They've bought Super Bowl ad space for 3 consecutive years for user-generated ads." 

2. Heinz. Their "Top This" TV Challenge is now in Round Two, having already chosen a winner from the first round.

3. Utilikilts. Not the biggest brand in this list, and something of a niche product (kilts for everyday wear!) but they've been accepting and running "Mock-u-mercials" since their beginning. As James notes, "It's not trendy for them, it's just the way they roll." They've got loads of them too; a great exmaple of brand affinity among their customers.

4. Apple. Nick Haley's iPod Touch commercial went from fan-generated "for fun" project to being aired on TV, seemingly overnight. Haley explains it best: "I loved the look of the new iPod Touch, found this music, and thought it was perfect for it. I made a commercial using material from apple.com and editing in Apple's Final Cut Pro." 

Watch it in full, complete with YouTubey grey messiness at the front: 

Our thanks to James for these suggestions, and a tip to would-be advertisers thinking of using this model: Make sure that the video player you choose to use for your submissions has an option to embed the commercials on sites other than your own! That is, after all, the point of all of this, is it not? 

If you have more examples of a great fan-built advertising or media submission contests, or if you just want to share your thoughts on the above, feel free to do so in the comments. 

*James Sherrett photo by Kris Krug.