Step-by-Step Guide to KSS2012 - Step 2: Wishlist Tips

Though we're a few days after the draw and most of the participants have added several wishlist options for their secret santas, I just wanted to post this step-by-step guide.

For another point of reference, I wrote a quick "How to KSS" page before and several in-depth blogs. You can access them via this page:

How to KSS.

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Now that you've signed on and the names have been drawn, what else should you do? 

Step 2 is Wishlists.

Now, technically, these wishlist should really be updated by now, to allow your secret santas time to look up potential videos to do and practice or come up with a creative way to perform. But, there's still time to add to your wishlists and help your secret santas out.

*Note: Your KSS Wishlists should have some specific options and be flexible for your secret santas to find a song they can do.

1) Login. This should be pretty easy and was explained in Step 1, as well.

2) Click "wishlist" on the top menu:

You'll see something like this, only instead of the Wishlist Basics YouTube video from Elfster, you'll be directed to your default Wishlist. Notice that there are two buttons: "Add to Wishlist" and "Share Wishlist". You'll be dealing with "Add to Wishlist" mostly. You can use your Elfster Wishlist OR you can create a new wishlist for this year KSS.

Find out what you do next "after the jump"

3) Create a new wishlist.

You can do this two ways. The easiest way is by looking at the side menu (pictured above). You'll see under "Profile" a section for "Wishlists" which includes your Elfster Wishlist and a link to "+ New Wishlist". Click on it and this will pop up:

Write a name for your wishlist (KSS 2012 is recommended) and decide who can see it. Why can this be important? Well, I made a wishlist from last year, but did not want to delete it. My tastes and wishes have changed for this year. So, I made a new wishlist for this year and hid the old playlist from the previous year.

The other way to create and manage is by clicking "edit" next to Profile and you'll get the Settings page. Click the Wishlist Settings tab and create a new wishlist and manage who will see it. Note: If you create it this way, you'll still have to click the top menu "wishlist" link to Add.

4) Add "items" to your KSS Wishlist.

The Once-required Guide:

Favorite Artist?

Favorite Band?

Favorite Broadway Show?

Favorite Song?

Favorite Christmas Song?

Write two "wild card" songs which you like.

Now, you should add "items" on your Wishlists for your Karaoke Secret Santa. However, it's not as clear cut as regular secret santas because you are wishing for Artists, Albums, Songs, Genres, Broadway Shows, etc, and not a Kenmore stand mixer or a Coldplay CD. There are different ways to do this. To do this strictly following the guide, you can use "Text".

a) Add a wishlist item via "Text".

Click on the Text tab and write down your wish. For example (above), you can write down "Favorite Artist" and your favorite artist. When you click Add, you'll choose the KSS 2012 Wishlist and add. The wish will be listed as a straight-up text with no images, links, pictures, etc. You can write any wish in any way. For example:

Here, Mikael adds a list of several of her favorite singers. This wish alone should give you some ideas, but she also gave one for each question from the original list.

Here, Mim Ukes gives a general idea of her tastes of music. Very interesting. 90s Alternative could produce No Doubt or maybe Jane's Addiction (?) and 60s music...well, I'm sure you can research the 60s music (showing my age, here). Choices are open. Once again, she also adds other wishes to give more specific options.

But, I've discovered a way to be more interactive and creative and that is using "Search" and "Link" tabs.

b) Add a wishlist item via "Search"

Here, you can search for tangible results. The above example could be representative of Favorite Album, Favorite Artist/Band or a Favorite Song within that album. But, by clicking Wish on the the appropriate item, you can give a creative clue to your secret santa to what you might like.

Christina here added several albums to her wishlist. As her secret santa, I may get an idea from the Panic! at the Disco album and perform a track from that. Or, if I really like a different Panic! at the Disco track, then I might perform that as a creative gift.

c) Add a wishlist item via "Link".

Something I discovered recently, you can add a link to your wishlists. Here, I recommend adding YouTube videos to specific videos that reveal your song wishes. 

This is slightly different as the Select a Wishlist option is within the link. You'll see the Name of the linked video, the link address, the Info (description) and an option to choose which thumbnail. Then, click Save and the wish will be added:

Here, on my wishlist, I decided to use YouTube links to share my "wild card" songs, though you can share your favorite songs, as well.

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That's pretty much how you can create and add to your wishlists. As a secret santa, I may be able to play with this, as well, by using the "Mark as purchased" feature, but in KSS, you may run into a situation where, though you've performed it, another person could do it another year. For example, if I marked John Mayer as purchased, another person could still do a different John Mayer song. So, use that feature at your discretion.

If you have any questions, drop a line via email, Facebook, Twitter or Elfster.

Thank you!
Joe R.
aka Karaoke Secret