When you publish your challenge, send a teaser that answers the first question everyone has: "What is this about?" Not the full challenge description. Just enough to make them curious.
"We are looking for ways to cut check-in time at the front desk by 30 percent. Two-minute video." Then link to the actual challenge description.
Or: "Could we deliver orders the next morning in the lower 48 states without raising prices? Help us think through this."
The teaser does two things: It tells people immediately whether they have something to say, and it makes them more likely to click through because they already have context.
Launch
Go live with the challenge and do three things in the first 48 hours:
1. Demo the submission process. Post a video of someone walking through submitting a dummy idea in 90 seconds. Remove the friction and uncertainty about what you are asking for.
2. Share early submissions. Once you have three or four ideas in, share them (anonymized if necessary). "Here is the kind of thinking we are looking for." This sets the tone and gives people a model to follow.
3. Respond to every comment or question. Someone asks a clarifying question? Answer in the next two hours. This signals that someone is paying attention and that participation matters.
The campaign window (ideally 10 to 14 days) Keep it short. A long campaign feels like it goes on forever. Two weeks is enough for people to think about it and submit something.
During the campaign window, post updates twice: once at the midpoint ("We have 23 ideas so far, here are a few themes we are seeing") and once near the end ("Last three days to submit").
Do not go quiet. Silence signals that the campaign has lost momentum.
What to Do If Participation Is Stalling
If you are at day 7 and only have 5 ideas from a population of 200, something is broken. Do not wait. Diagnose it:
Is the challenge unclear? Send a clarification message with an example.
Is no one seeing it? Change the communication channel. If email is not working, try Slack. If Slack is not working, try team meetings.
Is the population skeptical? Get a visible leader to submit an idea. If the VP of Operations submits an idea, participation usually goes up.
Is the submission process too hard? Make it easier. Allow voice messages instead of written submissions if that will help.
The key is to diagnose the actual block, not just blame low participation on "people are busy."
Closing and Communicating
When the challenge window closes, send a message thanking everyone who participated and previewing the timeline:
"We received 47 ideas. Awesome. Here is what happens next:
March 10-14: Evaluation
March 17: We will tell everyone which ideas are advancing, which are being parked, and which we are declining."
Then stick to that timeline. Nothing kills future participation like moving goalposts.
Related Guides
- How to Write an Idea Challenge That Actually Gets Relevant Ideas
- Who Should You Invite? The Audience Planning Worksheet
- The Communication Template Pack: 4 Emails Every Campaign Needs
→ See our full comparison of the 10 best idea management tools
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