Encouraging Reader Participation in Photography Contests - Cheri's Experience
Cheri held frequent photo contests inviting her readership to enter original photographs for prizes, such as gift cards or magazine publication. She believed that these activities would help create a vibrant online community, while also allowing her to discover new talented amateurs who might be interested in contributing their work to future issues. In addition, she hoped that the contests would encourage readers to express themselves through photographic artistry, thereby fostering creativity and artistic growth among those who participated.
To facilitate participation, Cheri provided a clear set of rules, including requirements like size, resolution, and subject matter. For instance, entrants could submit photos of any genre, but they had to meet certain technical specifications. All submissions were screened for appropriateness, ensuring that no nudity was included. To increase engagement, she encouraged participants to post comments about each other's entries on social media, and often chose winners based partly on reader votes.
Winning photos were prominently featured in subsequent issues of the magazine, along with short bios of the photographers. This helped generate excitement around the contest results and increased loyalty among readers, many of whom felt honored by having their work displayed alongside professional images. Further, it allowed readers to feel more connected to one another and motivated them to keep participating.
Cheri's experience suggests that photo contests are an effective way to encourage reader involvement, promote talent discovery, and build strong communities. By following some basic guidelines, such as setting clear rules and offering tangible rewards, amateur photographers can benefit from this type of activity. Ultimately, Cheri believes that these efforts make the magazine more inclusive, while helping everyone involved grow and learn more about photography..