Types of Contests on Pinterest

Best Pinboard
Users create a pin board under the contest guidelines and brands select the best one.

Most likes/repins
Contest entrants create pinboards and specific images for users to like and/or repin and entrants win based on the amount of likes/repins they receive.

Sweepstakes Entries
Random winners drawn from a pool on entries. People can enter the sweepstakes by repining an image and/or following a brand on Pinterest.

Establishing Best Practices

It is still early days for marketing on Pinterest, but many brands are looking to invest in the platform and some obvious best practices are beginning to emerge for contests.

1. Create a legitimate looking contest. Make sure your contest has a homepage with specific rules that lives on your official website. Pinterest is already seeing scam contests so to ensure Pinterest users get involved, they have to trust your campaign.
2. Create a repinnable image (yes repinnable is a word). One of the first steps for promoting a Pinterest contest is to have an image that your followers can repin for you easily. It should list the contest name, display the brand, mention a prize and reference the rules.
3. Have clear rules listed. These most likely should live on your official website or blog, but can also be reference on Pinterest.com.
4. Support the contest with existing resources. Help get the word out through email lists, blogs, Facebook, Twitter and any other audiences your business has access to.

5 Contests Examples for Review

1. High Point Market: A company that organizes trade shows for the furniture industry
2. ModCloth: An online boutique featuring indie and retro-style women’s clothing
3. Homes.com: A website for searching homes for sale or rent
4. Mark Eric Photography: Wedding photographer in Louisiana
5. TeachHub.com: Teacher resource website

1. High Point Market: Style Spotters

Type: Repins

Rules:

• Entrants, named “style spotters” (selected by High Point Market), pinned their favorite images from High Point Market
• Style spotters solicited votes through repins and likes
• The pinboard with the most likes/repins as voted by fans wins

Prize: A free trip to the April High Point Market 

Complexity: A less complex contest with the focus on gaining repins and likes

2. ModCloth: Something ModCloth, Something You

Type: Best Pinboard

Rules:

• Must follow @ModCloth
• Pins required to include hashtags (#modcloth and #wedding)
• Pinboards must include a pin from 20 categories as outlined in the announcement
• Pins must have a caption listing the number and name the pin corresponds to
• Entrants share their boards by posting a comment (with a link back to their board) on the ModCloth contest announcement pin

Prize: $100 gift certificate and “inspire” the ModCloth 2012 Spring Wedding Campaign

Complexity: Many rules and content requirements make this a more complex contest

3. Homes.com: Pin It If You Love It

Type: Best Pinboard

Rules:

• Create a “Pin It if You Love It” pinboard
• Pin 10-20 of your favorite homes from Homes.com
• Pins must include a link to the listing on Homes.com within the description
• Users enter by adding the link to their pinboard to the Homes.com Pinterest contest blog post
• If users have trouble adding their link, they have the option to email contest@homes.com to enter

Prize: Contestants can win one of five $250 home improvement gift cards

Complexity: A medium level of content requirements and complexity with an option to email entries

4. Mark Eric: Pin m.e. to Win m.e.

Type: Best Pinboard

Rules: