How to Run Your Own Logo Design Competition
but what if you’d like to run your own contest? Here let’s find out!
Have you ever imagined running your logo design competition? Some of you maybe done it before, but the rests were not because it seems so complicated. Well, maybe this thing is a bit complicated, but it is fun at the same time. Besides that, you can get plenty of options for the logo for your services or brands.
A company or business usually cooperation with a design to make a design for their logo. However, sometimes maybe you need feedback or want to get more ideas than just one. In this era of technology, running a graphic design open contest is easier. It is because there are so many online websites that you can do to find the best creation.
However, it is not just about uploading the contest details, choosing a winner, and giving the price. There is more to do to make sure that you will get the best result.
Create a Strong “Key” between the Audience and the Design
There was a common opinion when people said that their site was getting traffic, but the conversion rate was bad or too low. If this thing happened to you, there are three possibilities. Those possibilities are low-quality traffic because you are not targeting the right people, low-quality presentation/product photo, and lack of storytelling/branding.
That is why; people then decide to run a competition like this as a part of branding. You should believe that the service or product will be sold if you have good branding. Besides that, targeting the right audience is also essential. Talking about branding, there are two major components that you should understand; here are those:
1. Design
Design is always important because that builds your brand identity. Besides that, it will make it more memorable than before. You should think of it as a physical store. If it is good and gives a warm welcome, there is more possible to have more customers than before. That is what we called as an effective graphic
2. Story Telling
As a judge, you must insert storytelling into the logo design challenge list. Believe it or not, people will feel more fun if they buy from a store that has an interesting story behind it.
That can be represented by a logo, for sure. Remember that people connect with a brand that can show its personality better. That is why; you have to tell your story. Besides that, don’t forget to share why your business is different than others. That is one of the keys to making a long-term relationship with the buyers.
How to Run Your Logo Design Competition
It is recommended to use some websites that offer a service for a contest like that. There are plenty of options out there, and you can choose one based on your liking. After that, you have to run several points to get the best results. Here are how to run your contest to make a logo by using an online platform or website.
1. Click START
Very first of all, click the START option to start your contest. After that, choose the logo contest part so that the platform will give you the right information. Usually, you have to fill in some information related to this. The first is like a description. Explain your project description and how you want others to feel when they see that symbol.
There is also an option where you can share the prize of this event. The higher reward can attract more attention, but make sure to suit it with your budget. Sometimes there is an option of “guaranteed contest.” If you don’t choose that, the competition can be closed at any time, especially when you don’t like any of the designs.
It is better to make it guaranteed because people will trust it. Besides that, it can attract professional designers, and this will save you time.
2. Choose Some Styles
For this graphic design competition entry, you can choose the existing logo. The aim is to give an idea and overview to the designers. They will understand the feel and style that you like. After that, you are ready to set your competition live. To do so, click the confirm or OK button.
Once you click that, so much information can be seen, such as the contest itself, entries, and sure duration. For the duration, you can manage how many days you want this competition to run. There is a simple and useful trick related to this logo design competition. You can invite some designers to join it. They can be the designers who you have worked with in the past, etc.
It is also a great idea to browse some names and then let them know about your competition. This will give you more great results and options to choose from.
3. Get the submissions and give your feedback.
After some days since the contest started, you will receive several submissions. Some designs may be good, but the rest could be bad. This is a normal situation that occurs. What you need to do is look for designers who have good visual graphics. You can give your feedback and ask them to revise the design if it is needed.
In this case, you may tell them about the detailed design contest criteria. After that, give some time for them to revise everything it is needed. You should decide on this revised duration. This could be two or more days, based on your need. Besides that, you are also the one who can decide whether the designers can make one or maybe more revisions.
4. Choose a Winner
After the revision, designers will send their final symbol or picture. It is your job again to see and consider everything before choosing a winner. Remember that maybe your decision cannot make all people happy. Several pros and cons may come after the announcement. However, there is a tip for running this event smoothly.
Make sure that the winner made a logo that is in line with the rules and descriptions that you have said before. Those can be seen from various aspects such as colors, meaning, etc.
Using a Social Media for Running a Logo Design Competition
Social media are abundant right now. Just like others, you may have some accounts for various platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more. That is why; you can take advantage of their existence where this way is simple to do and less expensive. To do it properly, you may follow these guides:
1. Make an Announcement
You can start by announcing that you or your business will run a contest. It will give time for people to be ready and wait for the next announcement from you. To get more participants, open your competition on more than one kind of social media. The most powerful platforms are usually Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
2. Upload Your Detail
You can just make a piece of information by writing it manually in the status box or something like that. However, it is also a great idea to create a digital brochure about this contest. You may inform some general information in that brochure. Those are your business name, designs that you like, prize, duration, and more.
If it is needed, further and more detailed logo competition rules can be written in the description box. The participants may read it carefully, and giving clear information is always better.
3. Where participants can send their work
You have to provide one or more platforms where the participants can send their work. The common access is email. However, sometimes it depends on the social media that you choose. An example is if you choose Instagram. You can ask the participants to upload their work for this competition that you make. However, they have to fulfill some requirements.
Those are like following your Instagram account, giving certain tags, making a description for their design, and so on. Besides that, it will be easier for you to know the results and choose a winner.
4. Judge the Results and Decide a Winner
You may receive a lot of results, especially if this contest is open to general people and free. Sometimes making a judgment to decide on a winner can be difficult. For this case, choose the one based on your liking, criteria, and message. After that, announce the winner and don’t forget to say thank you to all the participants.
Related to the winner announcement of this logo design competition, there are two methods which you may choose; contact them privately or announce the winner on your social media. If you choose to contact the winner privately, call or send them a message. Tell them that they are the winner and send the prize. Meanwhile, another method is by informing through your social media account.
Upload the decision on your social media. Write the winners, and don’t forget to tag their accounts. This way is more open because people can also see the results. Related to this contest winner, you may receive some different opinions. People can agree or disagree about the result. Don’t worry since it is a normal thing. That is why; you may need to inform from the beginning that the final decision is absolute and inviolable. You are the one who will make a decision.
Why Using an Online Design Platform is The Best
Maybe some of you are questioning why using the online design platform is recommended. You can take so many advantages of that thing, especially to get an impressive creation. First of all, it is easy to do and free. All you need is just announcing a contest, describe the details and rules, and then choose a winner.
The major aim is that you will get wide access to many professional designers to join your logo design competition. The good thing is that you don’t have to pay too much budget. However, to use this website properly, there are some points that you have to know. Below are the points that we are talking about:
1. Term and Condition
You must understand that each website has its term and conditions. Besides that, they may have different instructions from each other too. That is why, before launching a competition on your on-site, make sure to read these instructions first. Read every detail carefully and then go to the term and conditions page.
There will be a FAQ page there where it consists of several common questions and answers about the website. Usually, the questions and answers can help you to understand everything more.
2. Choose the one with a good reputation.
There are various design websites available right now, and maybe most of them are looked the same. Whatever it is, try to choose and join the best one with a good reputation. One of your expectations is for sure to get professional designers, right? A site with a good reputation usually has many active resigned, and not inactive ones.
The inactive designers will not have any desire to join your contest because of that. The worst thing is that they may not even know about that contest. Usually, the recommended and good-reputation website will inform about how many people or designers they have. You can make it as a reference in choosing a service.
3. Higher Prize is Always Better
It is recommended to launch a contest with a prize based on your budget. However, if it is possible, giving a higher amount of money is always better. That point makes more designers join your contest for making a logo, and they will try to make an impressive creation. The aim is for sure to win this contest and get the prize. Besides money, it is also possible to give other rewards. Examples are a shopping voucher, some interesting goods, and so on.
You have to know that an interesting prize is like a guarantee. People will trust your contest so that they give their best efforts on it. This thing is good for you because it is like a time investment.
4. Make a Clear Brief
It is also an important point if you plan to make your own logo design competition. Try to make a clear brief for the participants of your contest. That brief should have relevant information about your company, business sector, and customers at the same time. Is it recommended to share your detailed thoughts?
Yes, of course. You can tell them about specific things such as the font, color, any symbols which must be included, slogan, and many more again. It is also good to give a sample of the design so that participants can have a clear overview of everything. This is good since you will usually get the right result without needing to do several revisions.
5. Give a Feedback
When you run a contest like that, you may want the designers to send their work via email or any other private platform. It means that the works cannot be seen by general people. The tip for you is always to give your feedback and views about the results. This is a kind of appreciation that will make them happy. It means that you also encourage them.
Start everything by saying thank you because they want to join your contest and give their best effort. Don’t forget to say that they have made the right improvements to the logo. These are maybe the simple things, but they can make your logo design competition better. When someone loses, he will not get angry or give any complaints because he has felt appreciated.
6. Always keep in touch.
You must give several contacts where participants can talk and share their thought. Keeping in touch is the key. Usually, people prefer to use email and phone. If it is possible, you can make a live chat feature as well through an application like what’s app. Various types of contact like this are great for a special contest like this.
It is because people can choose the most comfortable way to talk with you. However, make sure that you reply to their message as soon as possible because it shows a contest quality as well. The contestants will feel secure because you answer their questions and message responsively. If you are not too busy, you can do that by yourself.
However, if you have a lot of other things to do outside this special competition, just let people handle it for you. Ensure that these are your trusted figures.
Conclusion
In this era, launching a contest is not too complicated. It is because people are close to online things. You can take advantage of online design websites as well. Since it is popular, getting the participants is also quite easy. The thing you should do is by choosing the right platform and give clear detail about everything.
Don’t forget to inform the prize and that must be quite interesting. You must do everything consequently just like what you have been informed before. The example is about when the winner will be announced, etc. That can make people trust your logo design competition more for now and in the future.
