Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

The Idea Of Video Contest?

Posted by donli on 9/7/2010 at 9:24 AM ET 125 Points
Hi,

My product is a "virtual learning machine", aka, a powerful learning software for students especially college students. To get it across to my target audience, a short and exciting video and have it posted to youtube seems a way to go. Then, who to create it and at what cost is a question. One option is, to have a large pool of candidates and pick the 'best', and possibly in doing so, it spread a word as well...

So, the question is, if you see substantial merit of the video contest approach for creating such a video, what venues do you see that I could quickly reach a large number of interested contestants? Also, I'm thinking of offering $500 for the contest and close it in 7 days of its announcement.

FYI, the product is called Knowledge NoteBook and the website offers more info:
https://www.knowledgenotebook.com/

Thank you in advance.


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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 9/7/2010 at 1:54 PM Accepted
    7 days doesn't seem like a long time window for submissions. There is an event in San Francisco called the 3 Minute Film Festival, and they give submissions 2 to 3 months to get in.

    I suspect you are limiting it to 3 days so you can get this done soon, but I suspect this will prevent you from getting viable submissions.

    What you could do would be to connect with a local college advertising or film making department and work something out for this to become a class project. Probably involve some sort of money to the school program, and some money for the winner. And of course, you would have to give the students in the class fee access to the program.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 9/7/2010 at 2:20 PM Member
    Be careful that you're not going in circles with your work, Donii.

    Your ultimate goal is to sell more software. So you want lots of students to know about it. But to get them aware of it, you're thinking of a video contest. How will you get the word out about the contest? And what makes you confident that the winning entry will help build traffic/prospects for your product?

    Creating a YouTube video (or a series of them) is a great idea. But it alone is unlikely to generate the results you're looking for.
  • Posted by donli on 9/7/2010 at 5:56 PM Author
    Jay,

    "How will you get the word out about the contest?"
    Good question. One way is to reach them via their trusted source...

    " And what makes you confident that the winning entry will help build traffic/prospects for your product?"
    and
    "Creating a YouTube video (or a series of them) is a great idea."
    The statements seems to contract each other.

    "But it alone is unlikely to generate the results you're looking for. "
    What else do you have in mind? A top team, DEFINITELY.

    Thanks.

  • Posted by donli on 9/7/2010 at 6:00 PM Author
    @Peter (henna gaijin),

    Yes, Peter, 7 days is a good time frame. With regard to who's doing it, why do we limit ourselves to one school or one department? Why not let them compete? Not big enough of a project? No job is too small.

    On use of the program it's FREE.

    Thanks.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 9/8/2010 at 9:26 AM Member
    Donii - my two points aren't contradictions. Creating a video is a great idea, but it (alone) won't build traffic/prospects. The video will help improve your "trust" factor once people find you.
  • Posted by Markitek on 9/8/2010 at 12:18 PM Accepted
    By and large, the idea seems a good one. Be careful about what you call it--it's a competition not a contest (contests have unique regulations to prevent fraud and cheating).

    I don't know either K-12 or University enough to know where to promote, but you want to find places where people under 25 share videos I suppose. But I'm shooting in the dark there.

    Peter and you together have the right idea as well; go into the schools themseleves.

    Seven days for a known brand makes sense. But for a new one, I don't think you have the numbers to expect anything from that limit. Maybe you make it ongoing (monthly?). $100/video as the prize: my guess is people are going to do it more for fun than for money, which is what you want. New content sustains interest as well.
  • Posted by donli on 9/8/2010 at 12:29 PM Author
    I LOVE your advice, thank you.
    Competition vs. contest
    and fun more than money and on-going. Man, your ROCK. And oh, please spread a word if you could.
  • Posted by donli on 9/10/2010 at 10:50 PM Author
    ok, Jay, I understand what you're saying. In your opinion what else could I try?

    Thanks.
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