Dempsi — Best Practices Guide

$2k-$20k

Typical Revenue Range

60+ days

Optimal Contest Duration

3x Lift

From Early Launch

Contest Duration — Launch Early

This is the single most powerful factor in contest revenue. Directors who launch their voting weeks or even months before the event consistently earn 2-3x more than those who wait until the last minute.

Early donors become recurring supporters. The longer your contest is live, the more chances people have to rally behind their favorite contestant. CyberTracker rank notifications engage supporters sooner, creating ongoing momentum that compounds over time.

The Rule: Launch your contest when registration opens. Add contestants as they enroll — don't wait until you have a full roster.

Pro Tip: Even a handful of contestants at launch generates early buzz. Supporters who vote early tend to come back and vote again.

Prize Strategy — Make It Irresistible

Don't put a price tag on the prize — make contestants and their supporters feel the prestige. The goal is to create desire, not just offer a reward.

Prizes that drive the most revenue (based on our data):

An exclusive title (+79%) — "People's Choice", "Audience Choice", or a custom title gives prestige that can't be bought
Placement awards (+65%) — "Top 5 with first place being overall winner" or "Qualifies for Nationals" gives contestants a competitive goal
Exclusive jewelry (+65%) — Custom charm, bracelet, or pageant-specific jewelry
A getaway trip (+56%) — Aspirational, high perceived value
Pageant-exclusive items (+47%) — Bling blanket, custom items that can only be won

Never mention cash, fee credits, or dollar amounts. Contests that mention cash or fee discounts earn 35% less. When voters can calculate the ROI ("pay $100 so she can win a $50 credit"), the emotional motivation disappears. Make them feel the prestige, not calculate the cost.

Never tie People's Choice to judging placement. Promises like "automatic Top 5" or "advances to Nationals" tie the People's Choice title to outcomes the judges control. When the judging doesn't match the promise, families feel cheated and the People's Choice title takes the blame. Keep People's Choice as its own honored title — define its own placement structure (1st, 2nd, 3rd) rather than borrowing the judges'.

+63%

More revenue in contests that mention specific prizes

Emojis Work Use emojis (🌟👑✨💙) in your contest description. Contests with emojis earn +81% more revenue. They make your description visually scannable and feel exciting.

Avoid Do not use your contest description to explain how to vote. Step-by-step voting instructions ("Click the contestant, select votes, complete payment") are the #1 pattern in low-revenue contests. Voters already know how to click a button — use that space for your cause and prizes instead.

Honor the Title — Deliver What You Promised

The biggest criticism of People's Choice contests online comes back to one thing: contestants who win the title and then feel forgotten. The voting was paid. The title was real. But the follow-through wasn't there — no group photos, no on-stage moment, no real prize.

This is the easiest competitive advantage in pageantry. Treat your People's Choice winner like a real winner and your contest will earn trust, repeat directors, and word-of-mouth referrals — the kind of credibility competitors can't manufacture.

Every winner should receive — and every contestant should know it up front:

A crown and sash presented on stage, not handed out backstage
Inclusion in official group photos with the rest of the court
On-stage recognition with the same announcement quality as the overall winner
A social media announcement on your accounts within a week of the contest
Every prize listed in the description — delivered, not implied

Pro Tip: Put the prize package in three places — the voting page, the contestant welcome email, and the registration confirmation. When everyone has the same expectation in writing, there's no room for disappointment, and you have a clean record if a question comes up later.

Be explicit that People's Choice is its own title. Make it clear in your description that the winner is determined by votes — not by judges, and not contingent on judging outcomes. Transparency upfront prevents the "took the money and ran" feeling that drives most of the criticism online.

Contestant Communication

Keeping contestants informed and motivated is essential. The more connected they feel to the contest, the harder they work to rally support.

Use the status email paragraph strategically — add urgency messages, milestone updates, or motivational prompts that go out with every status email
Leverage Facebook and social media — encourage contestants to share their voting links with their networks
Create community service moments — tie voting milestones to charitable acts for extra motivation
Use CyberTracker — make sure every contestant has a phone number on file so rank change alerts go out automatically

26%

of total revenue is directly driven by CyberTracker text alerts

+68%

Higher repeat voter rate in contests with CyberTracker engagement

Pro Tip: When supporters receive an SMS that their contestant dropped in rank, they often vote again immediately. That feedback loop is your most powerful revenue driver.

Contest Closure — Don't Set a Hard Cutoff

Instead of announcing a specific closing time in advance, announce "15 more minutes!" from the stage during your event. This creates genuine urgency and triggers last-minute sniping — supporters scrambling to push their contestant up one more spot.

Important: Never announce a hard closing time in advance. It kills urgency. Keep it fluid and let the audience feel the excitement of a live countdown.

46%

Of total revenue comes on contest day alone — 75% in the final week

Contest Naming

Your contest name appears on the voting page, in every email, and on every shared link. It's your first impression — make it memorable.

Avoid generic names like "People's Choice" that blend in. Instead, choose something distinctive that creates excitement and prestige:

Queen of Hearts
Ambassador of Elegance
Fan Favorite
Community Crown

Pro Tip: A great contest name makes supporters more likely to share the link. It becomes a conversation starter, not just a voting page.

Early Momentum

The first week sets the tone for the entire contest. If contestants see early activity, they get competitive fast. If nothing happens, they disengage.

Send welcome emails on day one — Add contestants and send welcome emails the day you launch. Each email includes their personal voting link and sharing tips. The sooner they start sharing, the sooner votes come in.
Use your status email paragraph — Set it to create urgency from the start: "Early votes build momentum — share your link with friends and family now!"
Post on your social media immediately — Share the contest link on your Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok the day you launch. Ask contestants to do the same. The first shares set the pace.
Make sure every contestant has email and phone — Contestants without contact info won't receive status updates or CyberTracker alerts, which means they're invisible to Dempsi's engagement engine from day one.

Pro Tip: Early leaderboard movement triggers CyberTracker notifications, which pull even more supporters into the contest. Momentum breeds momentum — the sooner someone votes, the sooner the texts start flying.

Sponsorships

Partner with local businesses to supercharge your prize pool at zero cost. Businesses love the exposure, and bigger prizes drive more votes.

Reach out to local restaurants, salons, boutiques, and experience providers
Offer visibility in exchange for prize contributions — mention sponsors on the voting page, in emails, and on social media
Increases the prize pool without any cost to you, which directly lifts revenue

Pro Tip: Frame it as a community partnership, not a sponsorship ask. Businesses are much more likely to say yes when they see it as supporting their community.

After the Contest — Review and Learn

After the winners are announced, spend 15 minutes reviewing your contest analytics. Understanding what worked will make your next contest even more successful.

Look at which days drove the most donations — was there a pattern?
Review which contestants had the most active support networks
Note what communication strategies generated spikes in voting

Pro Tip: Share your findings with us at support@dempsi.com. We can help you interpret the data and plan an even stronger next contest.

The Bottom Line

Launch early + keep contestants engaged = success