This week: Have I Made Myself Clear? Edited by: Jayne  
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Hey, there! We’re back and delving into some nuances of contest creation and overhaul. Last week, in "Contests & Activities Newsletter (March 2, 2022)" we skimmed the basic premise:
1) Focusing on what you want out of your contest/activity means overlooking what your writers actually want or need.
2) Your contest is your brand. It is the face of what you’re trying to accomplish: attracting writers to support (write for) a contest they identify with.
3) Your brand matters—you are asking people to devote time to writing, and like money, energy units are finite. Why should they spend it with you?
4) It’s okay to challenge your writers. It’s not okay to frustrate them with the contest itself.
This week we’re focusing on part one of clarity.
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Let’s be upfront: clarity is the cornerstone of any contest or activity. You need to know your purpose, or you’ll lack consistency. You need to know your audience, or you won’t be able to meet their needs. Duplicating (or worse, outright copying) contest content is bad for business, so you need to know what’s going on around you. On top of everything else, you need to know how to communicate effectively.
What Do We Mean By Clarity?
There are two primary fronts to clarity: the content itself and the messaging behind it. Your message needs to be straightforward about how you can help them get the most out of their writing time. In the business world, we’d be talking about “solving the customer’s pain points”. Believe it or not, this is the same thing.
According to the book Storybrand by Donald Miller, treating what you’re creating as a story in and of itself helps your audience connect. In that vein, I’ve adapted his points to suit our needs. Your audience needs to know:
 Who the hero of the story is (spoiler alert: it’s not you)
Who the villain is (thankfully, this isn’t you, either)
What the stakes are
How to win
Why they should trust you
The “where to find you” answers the last of the “W”’s, but that falls under marketing and promotion and we’re not there yet. It’s a journey, folks. One thing at a time.
This Is Not About You
While you must answer the fundamental questions of what you offer and how you get writers to buy into what you’re selling, you are not the centerpiece of the action.
I know. It bummed me out, too.
Instead of thinking of yourself or your contest as the salvation to the writer’s needs, think of yourself as the facilitator. Miller simplifies it as “the Yoda to their Luke”.
When you’re setting up or revamping your contest/activity, ask yourself what you’re offering to writers and how you’re guiding them through it. How does what you offer help their writing flourish? “It’ll, um, improve your writing because, um, at least you’re writing” will not cut it. What do you bring to the table that will help them take down those nasty writing villains?
If you set yourself as the hero, you are competing with your writers. They aren’t interested in your story. They want to tell theirs. When you think about it from that point of view, it’s easy to understand why extremely dense, bogged down paragraphs of backstory can hinder a contest. Not that you can’t have that information somewhere, it just shouldn’t be competing with your audience. I’ll say it louder for the people in the back: the contest/activity is all about the writers, not you.
You need to let your writers drive the contest/activity with their stories. The writers are the real heroes, here. You’re just giving them the tools to slay the dragons.
The Three Types of Problems
Heading back to Storybrand, whenever you’re brainstorming a new contest or activity, try to switch your thinking for a minute. Instead of focusing on the ins and outs of your recent idea first, ask how they can relate to the problems writers have. Most of the time, we consider this at the granular level. Writers don’t have enough time. The prompts should be unique. I should use a cool font to attract more attention.
The thing is, those are external problems. There are certainly solutions for them; but are you sure that’s the only problem your writers want to solve? Solving the external problem addresses the superficial layer—to make sure your external solution is the right one, consider these other areas:
Internal Problems
Internal problems comprise frustration, self-doubt, fear of failure, fear of looking foolish, and the desire to be successful. You, as a trusty guide, can set up your contest/activity and address these issues, putting your writers in the driver’s seat. They can stomp on the gas with confidence, knowing they have enough freedom to do what they want, but you’ve closed the road to oncoming traffic. They trust they won’t crash and burn.
Philosophical Problems
The philosophical problems often get intertwined with the internal problems, and that’s okay. You won’t be able to solve every philosophical problem. But you can address some of the big ones that contribute to both your and your writer’s success.
Why is it important to take part in this contest? What fundamental need does this contest meet?
What are the stakes?
What meaning can they take from associating with your contests and prompts?
Is there a deeper connection that your contest/activity caters to—is there a community underlying the contest itself and have you tapped into it?
Remember, some of the most successful brands get you to buy products, but they sell you something much different. They sell a lifestyle, a community, status, or a way to make your life better/easier. Don’t make the mistake of thinking those things don’t apply in other areas of your life.
If you think I’m exaggerating, here on WdC we’re writers. We come here to practice writing. All kinds of writing going on. But what we pride ourselves on is our sense of community. So, yes, this is Where the Writers Go—and they stay because the community is awesome.
Never underestimate the power of solving those underlying problems.
Up Next
March 30: Solve Your Writer’s Problems
The Writer’s Dragons
Solve Your Writer’s Problems
Help Your Writers Achieve Success
Community Within Community
April 27: Clean Up Your Copy
Clear Messaging
Less is More
Sensible Content Linking
Images and Logos
The One-Sentence Pitch
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Contests & Activities: March 23, 2022 Issue [#11276]
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