One fun way of driving traffic to your blog — as well as increasing awareness of it — is to run a contest. If done with proper care and timing, this can promote your online presence exponentially (”viral marketing”, as many bloggers are now wont to say). Plus, you get to build a loyal base of blog readers.
Blog contests are like tag or meme games, but with rewards. You could do something big (i.e., the prizes are expensive or really desirable); or something more down-to-earth. If it’s big, it’s most probably the winner’s loot that will bring participants in droves. There’s nothing like winning, say, an iPod or a digicam… heck, why not a 40″ flat-panel LCD TV!?
If it’s just a small contest prize-wise, you’ve got to make sure the whole exercise will quicken the senses. It would have to be a rousing activity that will encourage bloggers to tell their friends about it. In this case, the prizes won’t really matter — bloggers will join for the sheer fun of it.
This is, in my opinion, harder to pull off. See, anyone worth his salt can rustle up a sponsor or two for prizes. But it takes an artiste to create a stimulating and memorable blog contest.
Have you ever joined one such blog contest?
Speaking of promotions, submit an entry to the Boomerang Awards: the 1st Internet and Mobile Marketing Awards. If you’re seriously into blogging as a means of making some decent money, you’ll certainly recognize that it is one avenue of Internet-based marketing. But beyond that, do you have an excellent idea, an innovative concept that can catapult you to success? A marketing boomerang that will give you awesome returns? Yes? Then the Boomerang Awards is your venue to be recognized. Check it out ASAP.
12:42 pm on 7 Jul 2007
Excellent post. If I may put in a plug…. http://www.blog-contests.com is a great place to keep up-to-date with the latest contests
12:54 pm on 7 Jul 2007
Your plug is very much welcome, Blog Contests!
Hey guys, I recommend taking a look at this guy’s blog, especially the section on How To Run A Contest. Wish I’d read this before I ran my food photo contest awhile back…