I used to think that joining contests by asking people to like one's own picture was weird. Imagine calling people's attention to get more "likes" for one's entry? It is as if requiring people to like the photo even if they don't really feel like hitting that like button. But...
Joining the first-ever contest of our hometown's page had been an eye opener for me. During the first few days I merely wanted to know who would voluntarily like my entry so I never asked those eligible to vote. My interest was focused on discovering who would appreciate it. But suppressing my urge to campaign did not last long. On the third or fourth day of the competition I started calling friends to like my picture. What made me do it? Of course, the prize was beside the point. That was never the purpose of the contest. It was a prize, all right, but the objective was to test how the members would react to a "like votes" competition. So what prodded me to call my friends at first and even strangers later, to vote for me? I thought that if I didn't do it, I would later feel guilty for not having supported our very own project. Second, I thought that being one of the administrators of the page, it was okay not to be the winner but still I had to try my best to have more "likes" and not land on the bottom spot by doing nothing. If I tried and still got the last position that would have been alright... at least I did participate. Those were the reasons why I tagged as many names as I could to like my picture. And...
I learned in the process! I learned to shed off my pride by asking for votes. We are having the contest for fun and camaraderie so I might as well not be ashamed by asking people to like my entry which was not a good quality picture at all. It was meant to be a sample entry so I didn't really mind if it was a poor copy that didn't clearly show the faces of three generations of women in our family. I could have searched for a clearer picture but didn't have the time to do so anymore. All that was left was to ask for more likes. And more. And more. Until the last possible vote could be counted. Well...
In the entire duration of the contest, I did not hit the highest spot at all but it was okay. It was also hard to call people to share their time by liking your entry. Those whom you call may not be available on the contest period. As I was not a regular contestant, winning was merely secondary. I also thought it might not be good for admins win big time. In the final analysis...
What was important was that the nine-day contest had been enjoyed by the members. I did enjoy, too, especially when somebody heeds to my call and my "likes" were rising. I saw how friendships were formed, tested, and strengthened when they supported respective candidates. I also saw how candidates dealt with competition but the negative effect was trivial compared to the positive ones that we had. I never told my family about it. I merely did it for fun, and support to our group's project. I loved joining, I really did. It had been like calling strangers and friends for a taste test. I wanted them to like my product (which is my picture), so I had to approach them all.
I am not sure if other candidates feel the same way that I do, but I think we all won. I have overcome my shyness to call people to like my poor-lighted picture. That, to me, had been difficult but I did it! I gained new friends and I did not make enemies, so I am thankful for the wealth of experience. This had been my first time, and it had been worth it! I guess it drew more members to check the page and we had new members who will read the posts about our hometown, making them love it more and encouraging them to make a difference as better citizens, the very reason why that page was created!
No comments:
Post a Comment