So you created a gorgeous, clever and super fun fan contest, but when you look at the total entrants number, you're staring at a big ol' goose egg, or something close to it? Well, that's no fun. Let's dissect what could possibly be scaring all your fans away, shall we?

It seems so simple, but this is actually the most important and hardest thing to get right when launching a contest. Your call to action can easily make or break you. Is it relevant to your audience? Is the ask clear and concise? How many steps are required for someone to enter? Can you cut that number in half? The best way to ensure high participation numbers is to make entering the contest as easy as possible. If you can capitalize on something that your audience already does every day, even better.

This really ties back to #1. Your contest entry process could, in theory, be a bit more labor intensive if perhaps, you were giving away a year long vacation around the world. But, most of you aren't giving away year long trips around the world, so keep in mind that the effort required to enter your contest should be in line with the prize you're giving away.

We see so many brands build great contests and fall off the wagon when it comes to promotion. You know the old adage, build it and they will come? Guys, it's not really true. There's a ton of noise out there. Seemingly everyone is building something great, and if we're all building something great, and all it takes is building it to see results.. you see where I'm headed. The math just doesn't add up. It requires much more than hitting the publish button on a webpage or Facebook tab these days to get people flocking to your contest. Social media outreach, press coverage, blogging, email marketing, advertisements, partnerships, word of mouth - you name it, it should be on your list of ways to tell people about your contest.

It's important to know where your customers are showing the most interaction with your brand. Do they love your blog? Is there some other area of your website that they flock to? Is it neither of those things and they prefer to hang out with you on social media? There's no "right" answer here, you just have to put this contest platform where you know it will get the most eyeballs. And no one can answer that for your brand but you.

With mobile devices accounting for a staggering 55% of all internet usage in the U.S. in January, if your contest platform isn't mobile-friendly, you're likely missing out on a large chunk of potential entrants. Especially for those of you who are fans of using Facebook tabs for contests - keep in mind that third-party hosted tabs don't show up in the mobile version, so make sure your platform provider understands that and can provide alternative solutions to still capture those visitors.