300 million photos are uploaded to Facebook every day. That’s a huge source of content for retailers to tap in to. Retailers big and small are already doing so using Wishpond’s Photo Contest App for Facebook. In a few short days (since the app’s release) they’ve amassed dozens of pieces of user generated content (UGC) and hundreds of shared stories. Most importantly, each piece of user-generated content includes their brand. This makes it a valuable social media asset. Each photo can be shared again by the brand as evidence of how much they’re loved by their customers. Lined up below are 7 live (as of Oct. 11) photo contests powered by Wishpond:   1. CrooksnCastles Contest Theme: You wearing your favorite CrooksnCastles snapback hat (women only) Prize: One free CrooksnCastles snapback hat Why it’s Great: By focusing on a very specific product (and a specific gender) CrooksnCastles is amassing a wealth of highly targeted UGC that can be used in future promotions for women’s snapback hats. Targeting this to women is also smart as women upload 200% more photos to Facebook than men on average. This tactic is only recommended for larger brands with large fan bases whose sub-sections are big enough to create a sizeable amount of UGC. 2. Home Fur-Ever Rescue Contest Theme: Dogs in holiday-themed attire Prize: Getting your dog’s picture showcased in Home Fur-Ever Rescue’s holiday card Why it’s Great: They are not even offering a tangible prize, simply the chance to be used in their holiday card. This plays on people’s egos more than on their greed, which can be a much more powerful lure. Reality TV has given everyone the fame bug, so giving them a chance at even small-scale publicity can suck people in. And the best part? It doesn’t cost you a dime in prize money. They’re even giving you content that they would pay for! 3. Shimmer & Bliss Contest Theme: Upload a picture for the chance to become Shimmer & Bliss’s next cover model Prize: Shimmer & Bliss Photo Shoot, Scarf and gift certificate Why it’s Great: In the U.S. right now, child beauty pageants are surging in popularity due to media exposure from TV programs such as TLC’s Honey Boo Boo. Every mom in the country who watches programs like these has some desire to make their child a famous child-model, and this photo contest plays right into that. Giving fans the chance to do something exciting and out-of-the-ordinary like being in a photo shoot or getting a behind-the-scenes look  is an enticing prize that will get you a lot of entries. 4. Beautiful Photo Props Contest Theme: Photo using Beautiful Photo Props products Prize: $25 gift card Why it’s Great: If there’s one thing people love almost as much as pictures of cats, it’s pictures of babies. Beautiful Photo Props sells cute items to adorn your baby with to make them even cuter in pictures. This makes their products ideal for a photo contest, as every photo that will be uploaded is sure to be incredibly cute, therefore causing the parent’s Facebook friends to like and share. The lesson here is to make your theme require pictures that will be filled with cuteness to propel each one to acquire tons of votes. 5. FicaChic Contest Theme: Share a photo of your most beautiful pair of shoes Prize: One free pair of FicaChic shoes Why it’s Great: By making the prize the same as the contest theme, FicaChic is attracting the exact market of entrants who would be enticed to enter and who have the required items to enter. Not to mention that women love shoes: wearing them, shopping for them and looking at them. Currently, the top photo already has 122 votes! The best place to find items/topics that people like browsing the most is Pinterest. Look for the most-pinned categories of items, such as weddings, home decor and gardening. Even if your products aren’t directly in these categories you can still use them to spark your communities interest and ideas: For example if you sell cosmetics you can run a photo contest in which entrants have to share a photo of them wearing a shade of lipstick that matches a flower in their garden. 6. Tap House Grill Contest Theme: Prize: $100, $50 and $25 gift cards to Tap House Grill Why it’s Great: Not only will each photo give the Tap House Grill a great customer referral, but it will also remind the entrant (and their friends) about a great experience they had at the restaurant. This will ultimately get them thinking about going back. Asking entrants to upload photos of themselves having a great time at your business or using your products is a great marketing strategy. You’re basically getting free positive customer referrals and giving visitors ideas on how they can use your products. This will help give them a reason to buy. 7. JYJZ Contest Theme: Share a picture of why you’re a fan of JYJZ Prize: $50 Store Credit Why it’s Great: JYJZ Contests that entice users to be your “Fan of the Month” do two things: They give you great referrals of happy customers and show your fans that you care enough about them to recognize their devotion to your brand. Also, titling your contest as “Fan of the Month” will put visitors on the mindset that you run promotions like this frequently and it will keep them coming back for more.