If you have been following the 2011 SFM Cover Model Contest Finals (and who isn’t!?), then you know that we are almost half way to the end!  The moment when our Top 100 will be decided.  These are highly coveted spots: each of the Top 100 will be featured in the pages of Status. And the winner will land the AMAZING opportunity of gracing the cover! 

Some of our contestants have gone to great lengths to promote both the contest and themselves.  Below are a few of the creative ideas that have been employed to secure votes!!

“I've posted the contest link on my photographer’s page and recently had a realization that posting my before and after pictures in a few Facebook groups focused on weight loss would get me votes, which it definitely has!! I also started an album on FB where I've been posting a new picture for every 100 votes that I get in the contest!! Just before the contest launched I contacted my hometown and local newspapers and they both featured my weight loss story and mentioned the contest!  I recently also contacted the Times and Transcript (which is our provincial newspaper in New Brunswick) and they may be running my story soon which will hopefully drum up some more votes!! I have also Tweeted the contest and links and the Status cover contest photo is set as my profile picture on my Bodyspace account on Bodybuilding.com. Kim Dolan Leto will soon be featuring me as Inspirational Mom of the week; I tried to time that with the contest hoping that some other mommas may vote for me. Get FizzyCal, which is a successful fitness blog based out of London, will also be running my story during the contest; with more exposure I'm hoping to get some more votes!”  Shasta McNamara

“I created an Evite and invited all of my friends, family, peers, etc and asked them to post to their pages.” Charmaine Stattman

“One of my fellow team Magnum athletes from Mexico (Eddy Romero) has set up at raffle for me at his gym. People who get the most number of likes for me get entered in the draw to win prizes! The prizes include a gym membership and Magnum supplements. I have made a deal with him that if I win I would travel to Mexico for a week and train at his gym :)” Bree Lind

“I share via Tweetdeck, which allows you to share to all of your social media at one time!  Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.”  Erin Morgart

“Well being that I work at a gym, I have made a poster to let members to know to check out my Facebook page. I also work at a wine bar, and my boss posted the contest info on the bar’s Facebook page.  My uncle does an auto action channel each week, and has been running the link there as well.” Kathi Ellington

“I have printed out a bunch of fliers and handed them out around school and around the gym.  I also went to West Edmonton Mall and handed out fliers to stores and people walking around the mall.  A couple of the stores have kept a handful of fliers to hand out to their customers!

I picked up a shift to work standby at the MFC this past Friday night; I called the owner of MFC and asked for his support - he shared my link to his Facebook page and to the MFC Facebook page and also tweeted it on both! So I baked him MFC decorated sugar cookies; He loved them! So on Monday he and I are putting together an email that he will be sending out to all MMA fighters – worldwide!! Mark Pavelich has given me so much support and said he will have the MFC organization back me in any way they can help!

I have baked over 600 cookies and gone around to the Edmonton Fire Stations to get support from all the fire fighters! We are a close community that love to support each other (and with cookie bribes who could resist!) I have also written letters to every fire station in Alberta and a couple out of province to ask for their support. I have used Facebook to contact every EMS page and Fire page I could come up with.

I have also set up a promotional night with Whiskey Jack's Urban Saloon where they will be holding EMS appreciation night and I will be guest bartending. They will be making posters to promote Status Fitness Magazine and myself. Throughout the night of Feb 9th they will be announcing the contest and my name multiple times!

I have contacted Medicine Hat News (since this is my hometown) to have my story printed in the paper. It is in the story queue right now and will be printed soon!” Noel Chant

WOW.  What amazing drive these ladies have! And there are many more stories just like these.  I want to congratulate every single contestant… you have earned your place in this prestigious contest, and we at Status wish you all the very best, both in the contest, and in all your future endeavours.

Don’t forget to vote for your favourites… Check out the Status Fitness Magazine’s fan page now!