I'm new and need some advice on how to win please!

La2012

Hi everyone,

Just found this forum whilst trying to work out how to stand a decent chance of winning a local competition, and looks like I've come to the right place!

The competition is to win a wedding...pretty much the wedding I would've picked myself (if we could've ever afforded it)

The winner is picked by phone/text votes and it costs £1 for each vote, I've got family and friends all voting but obviously it's going to cost us loads to win this way, we have been given poster to display and told to make as many people as aware of our entry as possible, however I don't know where to start, seen some couples posting everywhere on the Internet but not saying it costs to vote which I think is unfair and wouldn't do this, also seen people telling 'sob' story's for votes... And like everyone else I have loads I could use but again I don't want to use them for votes!

Anybody have any ideas how to promote myself best/where to do it/ how to get lots of lovely people to vote for us?

Also does anyone know if people vote for people they see in the paper or is it just mainly the friends and family of the person that enters?

Anyone know how many votes these competitions attract, and how many the winner usually gets?

Thank you all for reading and for any advice you can all offer xxxxxxxxxx

purple_x

Personally I would never vote for people I didn't know if it was going to cost me money.
If it was free then I probably would.

Ways you can promote yourself.....
- Local radio, call them up and ask if you can go on air. Talk about the prize and what it would mean for you to win and ask people to cote for you.
- Newspapers - Same as above but story in paper obv.
- Do you have any local newsletters delivered around your town? If so, same as above.
- Maybe go and talk to your neighbours, ask them to vote.
- Posters up on telegraph poles, in shop windows, in the local newspaper.
- Ask people on your facebook, twitter etc.

That's all I can think of.
Good luck.

custardcream1000

Maybe a little incentive would work, like holding your own competition for all the people that vote for you if you win. You could ask people to copy you into the text they send as proof of entry.

Good luck x

masonsmum

Again I prob wouldnt vote for anyone I didnt know if it was going to cost me!

My local radio station runs a comp like this every year dont know if the same one? I know previous winners have created facebook pages to promote their cause?

nelie

Say they can come to the wedding if they vote for you

La2012

Thank you all so much, these are really good ideas, love the running my own competition for the people who vote idea, gives them more incentive and makes me feel less cheeky asking for votes

It's a competition in my local paper, similar to ones that run on the radio tho, so rules speaking to the paper about it as they can't give one couple more coverage then the others, and other local papers wouldn't either as its there competitors might see about the radio, but our local station is running a similar competition themselves so not sure they would bother with it...worth a go tho

My guest list is getting bigger as there are a lot of people who I've offered invitations too for votes too, lol, but if I win sure I won't mind paying extra for a few guests who have helped me so much

Managed to convince some of my neighbours and my family are talking to as many people as they can too, but it's hard really to ask people to pay a £1 for someone else to stand a chance at winning...understandable tho

Glad to hear people are unlikely to vote for strangers as was getting worried by how underhand some of the other couples are being, by not saying it costs to vote, spamming web pages like gumtree/freecycle etc!

Thank you all so much for the great advice, any other ideas people have would be more then welcome too really appreciate it! xxxxxxxx

La2012

Made it to the final 10! thank you all for your help, anymore ideas keep them coming please? We can't run a side competition unfortunately, another couple tried this too and it had to be cancelled as was against competition rules. xxxxxxx