Tips To Remember When Organizing a Blog Contest

Many Bloggers are using Contests as a way to promote their blogs. At the same time, this gives other bloggers a chance to win some cash and other great prizes.

A well planned contest can boost your traffic and readership but a badly planned contest will just waste your money, energy and time.

Your contest can be of any kind. Some examples are:

1. Top Commentators: The rules are simple, you have to be the Top Commentator or in the list of Top Commentators to win the prize.

2. Subscription + Posting: In these types of contests, you need to Subscribe to Blog's RSS Feed and/Or Post about it on your blog.

3. Review: You have got to review the blog and write it on your own blog to win.

4. Writing: You have to submit storeys/posts and if you emerge as best, you get the prize.

5. Others: In some other contests, you need to complete specific tasks to win. For example, earning a specific amount of cash through a specific network.

All contests are fun but to get traffic and publicity, you need to have:

1. Big Prizes. Anything over $50 will be a good amount.

2. Cash. Entrecards sound good but nothing beats cash.

3. Sponsors. Why spend money when you have got Sponsors. Promise them advertising and benefits and they will happily give away money for you.

4. Idea. I have highlighted it because it is most the important thing you need for your blog contest. Without idea, even $1000 prize will get wasted.

"Where are the tips you were about to tell?", you will be asking. The answer is Not too Far! Here they come:1. Have a Definite Criteria: Do not bring word the "Random" to your mind when starting a contest. However, it is all right at places where users can not have competition. For example, subscriptions. But RSS subscribers can easily unsubscribe when contest is over. So, here is second tip:2. Try not to have a Subscription Contest: Subscriber Number will drop after contest is over.

3. Ask Participants to Write about your Blog: This is a good method to get back links while attracting more people to your contest. Mention that best review/post gets a special prize.

4. Tell that Top Participant will Win: When organising a top commentator contest, do not rely on randomly picking entries. If you specify that only the top commentator wins, this will boost comments. Everyone will try to beat(not physically!) person at the top.

5. Come Up With Something Innovative: Have a new type of contest. Heard of Blogging Idol at Daily Blog Tips? It was so successful because it was a) Innovative, b) Full of Competition. Everyone wanted to gain more RSS subscribers and build strategies to get more subscribers. Competition was a big hit.

Have your own tip for Contests? Tell us in Comments.


Also Read:
How To Hold a Successful Blog Contest?

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