Learning patterns/Promote photo contests

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A learning pattern forphoto events

Learning Pattern Library

Promote photo contests

problemPromote photo contests and events to reach new users.

solutionAsk local governments and organizations related to the contest theme to help promote photo events to target participants who are already interested in the contest topic.

creator• KHarold (WMF)

created on22:51, 14 August 2015 (UTC)

status:DRAFT

What problem does this solve?

Photo contests and events are a great way to get new people who enjoy photography to contribute to Wikimedia projects. Working with local governments and organziations who works on a theme similar to your photo contest is a good way to reach potential participants who are interested in the contest topic.

What is the solution?

• "Use a combination of publicity methods: social media, print media, direct marketing, word of mouth and online advertising. This helped to engage all types of individuals and spread word beyond expectations. Central notice banner work great and press coverage in major newspapers accelerates things further.
• Promote the contest in the spring and summer. Many people travel during the summer and will have more opportunities to visit sites that need photos.

• Target promotion at groups who are interested in both photography and the theme of the contest:
  • Post messages to Flicker groups on topics related to travel or photography for your country.
  • Send notices to university art departments and photography clubs.
  • "Use Twitter effectively - tag or mention those users who have an interest in the subject and hope they will retweet it to their followers like it was done to promote Wiki Loves Earth Pakistan 2015 which reached over 25,000 people."

    

    Poster to promote Wiki Loves Monuments Pakistan 2014 competition held in September 2014. The poster was distributed by email.

When to use

• Shared Knowledge has had the problem of burn-out with Wiki Loves Monuments 2015, and as a solution, it has decided that, next time, it will focus on a mixed marketing approach, as suggested above. This means that it will try to reach out to to photography groups and societies, cultural research groups etc. and their forums, approach individuals whom we know to be members of such communities and can also spread the word of mouth. These are the people who are both concerned with quality and with content, and are in the habit of going to heritage sites not covered in the competition so far.

• We used a mixed marketing approach for our 2015 Wiki Loves Monuments contest. We hired a PR company to reach out to legacy channels (newspapers, radio) as well as online journals. We also reached out to photography and cultural heritage groups for participants. To launch the contest we participated in Archaeofest, which was a festival focused on Archaeology in Dublin. This gave us a chance to reach photographers interested in protecting Ireland's heritage. We used social media as an outreach tool as well. Sameichel (talk) 10:04, 22 February 2016 (UTC)

Endorsements

• Useful for the mixed approach ideas it has. B. Jankuloski (talk) 11:52, 14 December 2015 (UTC)

See also

Related patterns

• Grants:Learning patterns/Let the community know