New Zealand
United Kingdom
I have these days all the time. I see an amazing competition with an equally amazing prize. Excitement fills me and I drift off to the land of winning where I happily frolic among all my dream prizes. Then a big thump hits. I drop out of the sky and back into reality.
The gatekeeper awaits me and refuses to let me pass. The gatekeeper wants a 25 word or less answer or else I shall not pass and enter thy competition. Frustration sets in as I copy and paste the question in my trusty WOL file where I pick up where I left off for another day when I’m feeling more creative.
As a comper I’m sure you’ve had these moments. I’ve won small and biggish prizes with 25 word or less competitions and the truth is they’re not going away and they are becoming more and more competitive these days.
So how can you win a 25 word or less competition? If they’re a mystery to you and you want to get an edge here are some tips:
- Don’t panic. You can be creative and witty. Just have a go and you’ll be surprise with what you come up with.
- Be patient. Rome wasn’t built in day. Think about the question. Brainstorm. Take your time.
- Answer the question. Don’t go off on a creamy cherry pie tangent. Think about the question and answer it.
- Tie in the product/s, brand and/or the promoter some way. Be creative but don’t forget who created the competition.
- Use an online rhyming dictionary and seek out inspiration on the internet. Save answers and poems in a file when you need to fill the creative well.
- Sob stories don’t work so don’t put them in.
- Avoid instant disqualification. Don’t go over the word limit. They don’t call them 25 word or less questions for nothing. Type your answers in Word where you can easily track how many words you’re up to.
- Use all of your word limit. Don’t be clever and answer the question with 3 words. Nobody likes a know it all, especially judges. Prove your worthiness by putting in the effort. Don’t over think it. You’re not trying to win a Pulitzer Prize in poetry or be a comedian like Jerry Seinfeld. Enter and forget.
- Double check your contact details. If you can’t be contacted some promoters will move on to the next person so double check you entered the right email address and phone number.
25 word or less competitions can sometimes be the hardest competitions to enter but don’t avoid them because they’re the most rewarding when you actually win.
Happy comping everyone!