Creating a Contest

Creating a contest in Dialog Insight lets you link a contest to contacts in a project, configure all the steps involved in the registration process, produce related reports and draw winners. The creation of a contest lets you perform all the following actions :

• input basic contest information (date, number of possible entries, language)
• personalize the entry form
• create information pages displayed during contest
• create confirmation message to be sent to contact and/or administrator, if enabled
• display participation reports and participant lists
• display in the contact profile the entered contests
• create groups of contacts based on contest information

Prerequisite	The Contests module must be enabled for your company and for each project you want to create contests for. This module is optional and can only be enabled on demand by Dialog Insight.
Access Path	Acquisitions > Contests

 How To

Specify basic contest information

1. In the page listing all contests, click on Create a contest.
2. In the New contest window, give a name to your contest.
3. The language selection is for the registration language, and not the contest language.
   **If you want to offer the contest entry form in multiple languages, it is important to specify it here, at this initial step, as once the contest is created, you can no longer change the languages.
4. Click Create.

Provide additional contest information

Once the contest is created, all changes are done on the edit page.

1. In the top section of the edit page, click on the edit icon next to the contest name to display the contest edit page.
   
2. In the Contest propertieswindow, provide the necessary information:
   1. If needed, change the name of the contest.
   2. Specify the number of possible entries:
      • One single entry per contact
      • One entry per day/week/month
   3. Indicate the duration of the contest by specifying start en end dates.
3. Note that languages can not be changed once the contest has been created.
4. Click Save.

Configure the contest registration workflow

The registration workflow defines the sequence of possible actions, from the link that opens the entry form to the confirmation pages and messages.

The workflow starts with the registration link, which is inserted in the message or Web page where you are announcing the contest. Clicking on this link opens the form.

You must configure the form, as well as the various information pages that might display during the workflow.

**It is only once all these documents are configured that thecontest can be published.

Open the registration from

1. Click on the image of the registration form .
   
2. The registration form template will open in the Drag & Drop message editor.
3. Once opened, you need to adapt and personalize the form according to your specific needs, by adding, editing or deleting content.

To open a page, a message or a form

All pages and messages of the registration workflow can be opened from the workflow graphic, by clicking on the related icon.

It is also possible to configure all documents one after the other, once the editor is opened, by accessing the various pages shown under the Properties tab of the editor. This method is much quicker as it prevents your from going back to the workflow for each document to configure.

Define global styles

Styles that are defined here apply to the form and all information pages and messages in the workflow. However, if styles are applied to a specific element, this style will prevail and replace the global one.

To edit global styles, go to the Styles section in the left pane and click on Edit.

  

Section	Description
Content	Styles applicable to texts and links, such as font, size, color, weight, etc.
Pages	Styles applicable to the entire page, such as top and bottom spacing, background image and color.
Advanced options	Additional options that can be applied.

Edit the form's layout

The form template comes with only one column, but you can change this layout or add one using the available layouts.

To edit the layout or add one, go to the Layout section and drag and drop the desired layout in the form.

Define the form's content elements

The template form comes with predefined sections for a header, content and a footer.

The available content elements can be inserted in any section, except for the input form, which can only be placed in the content section.

To be able to insert content elements, you must first add a structure element, on either 1, 2 or 3 columns.

1. If there is no structure set yet, insert one in the header, content or footer area.
2. Select a content element from the list of available elements in the section Content and drag it to the desired location in the form.
3. To edit a content element, click on the related edit icon .
4. To delete a content element from the form, just click on the related delete icon.

Description of available content elements

 

Name	Description and Usage
Text	Content element that lets you add text. You can add this text element to any section of the form or page. Text properties    Section Description Content Section to type in text. If needed, click on the edit icon to open the text editor and apply the desired format and options. Note that it possible to insert an image in the text using the hosted or Web image icon. If you have selected a layout that has more than one column, it will be indicated if it is the left, center or right text. Also, the height of the columns is adjusted based on the column that has the longest text. Styles that are selected within the editor prevail on the global styles set in the Styles section. Styles Section used to define styles to be applied to all text elements inserted in the content section. Settings Section that offers spacing options around the text.
Image	Element that lets you add an image. It can be used to insert the logo of your company or an image related to the contest formsubscription. In addition to adding an image, you can define its width, alternate text to be displayed when images are not shown, and if needed, a redirection link to a page to show when the image is clicked. To select an image To add an image, choose an image amongst those shown in the Images section and simply drag and drop it to the desired location. To replace an image, double-click in the block containing the image, or click on the edit icon shown in the upper right corner of the element; then click on  to select the new image in the file selector. Select the new image and click Select. You can also choose an image that is not yet hosted by clicking on Upload an image. In the File upload window, click on Select a file. In the image selector, click on either Upload in library or Upload from your computer to open your file explorer. Go to the directory when the image is located and select the desired image. ** PNG, GIF and JPG images are best. Make sure the image dimensions are correct. If needed, you can edit your image before inserting it in the message (or form) by clicking on the edit icon. The image editor will open to let you re-size, crop or make any other necessary change. If you edit your image, make sure the save them. If you have a lot of images and have created categories to group them, select in the Category list the one to hold you new image, if needed. Back to the message editor, select the image and drag and drop it to the desired location in your message. Image properties    Section Description Image (URL) Type the URL address of the image or select an image using the file selector displayed when clicking on the image icon . To make changes to an image, whether it be the size, color, orientation, or any other, click on the edit icon to open the image editor. Width Maximum width of the image, in pixels. * To be certain the image displays properly, it is recommended to select an image that has the same dimensions as the one you want in your form. Having the right size image reduces downloading time. **As the content is responsive, the image's size will be adjusted to the display device. Alt-Text Text used in replacement of the image. This text is shown when the image is not displayed, or for accessibility purposes for people with a disability or impairment. Link Complete URL of the page you want to display when the image is clicked. Settings Additional options available to define alignment and spacing around the image.
Divider	Element that adds an horizontal line, mostly used to separate sections. Divider properties    Section Description Styles Section to define the line's styles. Settings Section to define the line's width and spacing.
Button	Element that adds a call-to action button, which redirects the visitor to a new page. Button properties    Section Description Content Section that lets you define the text to show on the button and the URL of the landing page. Styles Section to define the styles applied to the button's text and box. Settings Section offers settings to define the width and spacing around the button.
Form	This area displays the input fields used to collect information on the people who wish to enter the contestedit their profilesubscribe to communications. Some fields are already included in the form template, mostly those part of the primary key, which cannot be edited nor deleted as they are required for contact identification in Dialog Insight. If the project includes opt-in fields, these fields will also be automatically added in the form. There are two types of form possible for contests - one for entering the contest and one to invite friends to enter. Each form content element can only be inserted in the corresponding form. So you cannot insert a Viral form element in the registration form. **There can only be one input area. ***This area can only be inserted in a form, not on a page or message.  How To To edit any style applied to a field , description, section or button, click on the edit icon shown in the upper right corner of the content area. To edit or add fields in order to retrieve more or different information, you must do so from the Form configuration page.
Social media share	To publish the invitation to the contest on your social media, simply copy the link and paste it in the desired place.

Personalize the various registration information pages

The registration process includes some information pages already defined with default texts, which you can personalized to meet your specific needs.

**It is important to know that even if you delete all content from these pages, they will still display if there are required by the workflow. For this reason, it is strongly recommended to verify that each page displays a message informing properly the visitor of the registration status.

The registration status information pages are the followings:

  

Information Page	Description	Do not forget
Invalid access	Page that displays when access to the form is not possible, for any of the following reasons: bad connection, thecontest has not yet been published but an invitation to the contest, with a link to the registration form, has been sent, the link was not copied properly in the browser. In such a situation, you must invite the contact to try again later.	Make sure that all pages required by the workflow display a description or an explanation as they will display if needed, whether text is specified or not. If not text is indicated, the visitor will see a blank page. All pages must be defined in each language. The language is selected from the header of the edit page.
Registration not started	Page that displays when the registration period is not yet started but the link to the registration form is already online, thus accessible. Here, your message should invite the visitor to come back later to register, and maybe indicate when registration starts, or to unpublish thecontest.
End of registration	Page that displays when the registration period is over and registrations no longer possible.
Successful registration	Page informing the visitor that the registration was done successfully and was registered.
Successful invitation	Page that displays to inform the participant that the invitations to his/her friends were sent.

Personalize messages

The registration process offers two optional messages:

  

Message	Description
Invitation	If the option to send invitations to friends has been enabled, this message will be sent to specified friends to invite them to enter the contest.
Successful registration	If the option to send a contest entry confirmation message, this message will be sent to the participant once he/she has entered the contest.

Creating messages related to an contest is done the same way as any other messages in the Dialog Insight application. To see detailed instructions, refer to the topic Creating a Message Using Drag-and-Drop. In addition, some options are specific to events:

• The Concours section that lists all document used in the registration workflow, that is the registration form, all information pages and confirmation messages.
• The Message section that lists the various versions of a message.
• The Colors section that lets you define default colors for texts, titles, and backgrounds in information pages.
• In the editor, a new type of link can be added in a message - Contest workflow link. With this link, you can insert in a message a link to any document of the registration workflow.

Configure the entry form

A form template is offered to allow you to create this form quicker. The form comes with already defined fields and texts. You must however personalize the form to your needs, by adding, in particular, your company logo or brand, the name and description of the contest, as well as any other necessary information. If you want to collect more information, you will need to add new input fields using the Form configuration page.

Define the fields to be part of the form

Once the design of the form has been defined, you need to decide what information you want to collect from the people who will enter the contest.

This definition is done on the Form configuration page, which lists all the project fields used in the registration form. You can add, edit and even delete fields, as well as add, edit or delete sections to hold these fields.

• Adding a Field to the Entry Form
• Editing a Field of the Entry Form
• Deleting a Field from the Entry Form

Specify how contact information is updated

As the information provided when registration is done can be different from the information already contained in Dialog Insight when the contact exist in the application, it is important to specify how you want the registration information to be processed WHEN THE CONTACT IS ALREADY PRESENT IN THE APPLICATION. If the person registering is not a contact in Dialog Insight, a profile will be created and all registration information will be registered in the profile.

To indicate whether the existing contact's profile should be updated with the registration information, three options are offered:

  

Update Option	Description
Complete the profile	Only the new information provided during registration will be added to the contact's profile. Therefore, if a phone number already exists in the profile and one is provided during registration, it will not be saved and overwrite the phone number already in the profile.
Update profile	All the information provided during registration will be registered in the profile. So if a phone number is provided during registration, it will overwrite the one in the profile, if one exists, or be added to the profile if there was none.
Ignore changes	The information provided during registration will not be saved in the existing contact's profile, but new contacts will be created thus.

Define the contest options

To enable an option, simply select the related option and define the related information. The available contest options are:

 

Option	Description
Include a test skill question	If you want to include such a question, you will also need to specify the accepted answer. The skill question must be a mathematical formula, and the answer, an integer.
Option to accept the contest rules	If you choose to enable this option, people entering the contest will need to accept the rules to be able to submit their participation. You will need to indicate the link to the page of the contest rules, as well as the text to display in the entry form.
Option to authenticate entries	This option is enabled by default and is mandatory for contests. All that is left to do is for you to register the domain you use on reCAPTCHA in order to indicate you public and private keys when clicking Manage keys. Choose a domain, if already configured. Otherwise, click on Add a key to add the name of the domain of the site or page where you want to display the form and specify the public and private keys assigned by reCAPTCHA when you registered.

Validate that all steps of the registration workflow have been completed

To be able to publish a contest, the registration workflow must be complete and without errors. To help you in this validation, indicators are displayed in the registration graphic to show you where the error is. Furthermore, the Publish will be disabled if there are any errors or incomplete elements, so you won't be able to publishthe contest.

To check if elements are incomplete or in error, check the Incomplete elements and Errors options to see the related identified errors or warnings.

To see which part of the element is missing or in error, click on the element itself to open it in the editor and go to the Review page to see all the error and warning messages.

See a preview of the registration form before publication

Before putting your contest and registration form online, you want to make sure the registration form displays properly.

1. Go back to the edit page showing the registration workflow.
2. In the graphic, click on the registration link icon .
   
   

IMPORTANT - DO NOT USE the address shown in the address bar of the preview page; this address is NOT THE LINK to insert in your message or page to open the registration form. THIS IS ONLY A TEST PAGE. The real link of the registration form is shown once the event is published and displays below the Unpublish button.

Publish the contest

1. Once all elements are complete and with no errors, click on Publish .

Once published, the contest will display in the list of online contests, where you'll be able to select it to view it and see the number of registrations and other information.

Insert the entry form link in the invitation

Once all the registration process is configured as you need and want it, all that is left to do is to insert the link to open the entry form in the message announcing the contest or on the site page where visitors can register.

There is a link for each form; so if you have a entry form in English and another one in French, you will have two different links. These links only display when the contest is published and show just below the Unpublish button.