Define The Goal
Holding a blog contest is a great way to drive some traffic to your blog. However, most bloggers don’t get a big a bang as they could from their contests because they don’t have a clearly defined goal on what the contest should accomplish. Before holding a blog contest, ask yourself what you want the contest to do because a contest to drive traffic won’t be the same as contest to increase links.
Tailor The Contest To The Prize
Let’s face it, if the only way to enter my PC game contest was to ask people to write about it and link to my blog using a desired anchor text, I wouldn’t get that many entries. However, change the prize to a 24″ LCD monitor and I’ll be flooded.
I’ve seen many blogs setting up a contest using the same rules I use for the monitor contest but their prize doesn’t warrant that kind of entrance requirement. If your prize is big enough, you can ask for more. However, if you’re going to give away a PC game or a book, make the entry requirements really simple. You’ll get more entries and create a bigger buzz.
The Best Prize To Give Away Cost You Nothing
Everything that I have given away in my contests have cost me zero dollars. All the prizes were given to me as gifts from sponsors. When looking for a contest prize, look at what you have laying around before spending money. If you can’t find anything, then consider offering something that has intrinsic value, but doesn’t cost you any out of pocket money. For example, if you’re a designer, have a contest to win a professional blog redesign.
Contest Should Be Part of Your Overall Marketing Strategy
A contest should not be a one shot deal. Instead, make contests a part of your overall blog marketing strategy. Doing it one time is the same as someone trying Google AdWords for a week or buying a text link for month and then stopping. Blog marketing is the same as blog posting - you have to be consistent. On again, off again blogging doesn’t work and neither does on again, off again marketing.
I run two types of contests on my blog. I have a big monthly contest where I give away something really big. This month, it’s a 24″ LG wide screen LCD monitor. I also give away smaller items though out the month in “reply to this post and you are in” contests. Each contests serves a different purpose. The first one generates a lot of buzz and links back to the blog. The second generates a lot of activities in the community (it also gets the RSS readers to visit the blog). In both cases, the contests tell people that this is a fun and happening place. However, they are also part of the blog’s overall marketing strategy.
Making Money With A Contest
So far, I haven’t done this but it is entirely possible. For the big monthly contest, the sponsor puts up the prize and pays for the shipping of the item to the winner. However, as my contests have gotten more popular, I am getting Emails from companies offering to put up a big prize and pay me to run the contest.
If you look at the results the contests have created for the sponsors, you will start to understand why companies are offering me big money to run a contest with them. Because they sponsored my monitor contest, BlueFur.com is now ranked number one for “Hosting Canada” and “Web Hosting Canada” and number two for “Canada Web Hosting.” How much do you think that is worth in the super competitive web hosting industry? 
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thanks for the tips again.
I think you should give away a new car or truck. I would imagine your blog would skyrocket to a PR8 if you were to do that!
Oh, he’ll get there — I’m sure that some sponsor will be giving John a car soon enough.
What about that Mercedes CLK63 Black Series? If you send me one of those I’ll buy you a Jug of Beer for sure.
You remind me of the Price Is Right. Maybe he could do a contest with now retired Bob Barker, oh! Imagine the hits that would generate!
I know. JC is a not so evil with his sharing of tips. With all his tips it’s no wonder his fanbase is huge. Thanks JC.
yes those are surely great tips specially those for separating the kind of results we want. But is this good in the long term? I mean won’t Google clearly notice links getting to our blog and penalise us for it somehow?
John you truly are evil…. I want to grow up to be that evil. Hopefully I will be able to create a contest sometime soon.
how is a contest evil?
Agreed, this is just good sound advice, not much evilness here.
Mm, I’ve thought about doing contests before - for fun - but I’m just too lazy XD And never know what to give out.
But maybe one day I’ll actually do it - if I can find some kind of prize.
I would want to hold a contest just for fun, too. That would be so much…fun!
That’s what I’ve been saying!
Check Out: The Prize Blog.
A blog purely about contests — very smart marketing indeed.
there were a lot of these that entered my contest. i didn’t know about them before.
Good tips, any kind of sponsorship is pretty sweet.
John, the SEO results are phenomenal!
A smart move on BlueFur’s part!
This is the smartest approach to get some buzz on the web, you are absolutely right!
Thank you for putting it so simple.
Beijinho (kiss)
Yes. But one thing should be mentioned: to start a contest, you already gotta have *some* readers. You neet a little buzz in the beginning to create more buzz later on.
Not necessarily, it’s all a matter of how much you want to kick back and let your community create the buzz or go out and promote it yourself. Even with no reader base, you can get a lot of participants if you’re willing to put the work in.
I agree with you, Marc. I’ve seen a few blogs with hardly any stable readership who’ve done pretty well after a few contests. The buzz kinda takes care of itself. Of course, it helps if you promote the contest a little.
A lot of bloggers need to learn how to leverage their contests. When john started doing contests it started a bunch of copycats. I went around a little looking for contests that i thought wouldnt get many entries (better odds for me), i only actually entered 1 that i found though. Im sure if a person took a day and entered a bunch of smaller contests they could really clean up with the prizes.
You kinda have to expect the copycats because people by themselves - left to their own devices - will not think outside of the box, or even find a way to make something slightly different than it already is. People want what is the easiest, but they don’t realize that it’s self-sabotage.
wow this is funny because I was thinking of hosting a contest on my site for more traffic and its was monitor - but I was thinking to myself maybe start something small or what I have laying around, and I have a wireless keyboard and mouse I use to use in college and its just sittin in its box - would you think others would promote for this kind of item since its not brand new?
Probably not… Feels a bit like a hobo prize…
yea I was thinking the same thing….hmmm
Yeah, the prize should be something that people want, but just haven’t bought yet. Just think about what you think its a cool product that you’d like, but isn’t insanely expensive.
So many great ideas coming out of one mans head. Do you work for NASA by any chance. Have have to agree with Redsnuff thou, truely evil John haha.
I’ve just started out with my blog. I’d love you to take a look if you get some time and let me know what you think. http://www.monty-blog.com
Anyway keep up the good work
thanks for the tips, I will definitely keep them in mind for when I am holding my next contest.
Also, having people pay you to hold contests is awesome and a win-win situation for both sides
Yes, that BlueFur site has to be getting SO much traffic, especially when/if they win that “Best Blog Hosting” website. I’m sure they have definitely, well, sure they will make back the money they spent for that LCD screen.
What? How do you get people to pay you to do contests webd360?
He probably meant “sponsor,” not pay. I would love to meet someone who’ll pay me to do contests though, that’s for sure.
If someone gives him an item for free, then he runs a contest for it and makes a bunch of money from the visits, I’d say that’s being paid to promote!
Yeah, but the difference lies right there. I feel payment is more about monetary compensation while sponsorship could very well be in any other form (monetary, product promotion).
Great to hear about the sponsors John. I’m curious to see how unique the prizes will get
I like how Bluefur.com is ranking higher now for those keywords.
I know people who have chosen their web host by selecting the first thing that pops up. Especially for Canadian hosting.
I’ve been pushing Bluefur to friends and clients too. If I didn’t get free hosting I would definitely use them!
Thanks for the tip, especially:
I have to remember to keep at the marketing.
Totally off topic question: Does anyone know when posts get closed for comments on this blog?
Thanks in advance.
Comments are closed after 20 days.
I’ve ran several contests before from different sites/blogs always with good results.
Even if a prize was lame, I feel that contests still promote a sense of community and solidarity — those are always good.
Haha… it’s a good tips you gives to others.
Eventhough I’ve using the same method on my other blogs, I think I should use it in Paypal2u blog.
A great new place to promote your contest is at Blog Contests.
Link doesn’t work.
Thanks!
Wow, BlueFur is definitely benefiting from this contest. Good for them.
And all for the price of a wide-screen LCD monitor — genius!
Nice post, wow I hope one day people are paying me big bucks to hold contests
Keep it up john chow, your doing great.
Perhaps they are already….
Hmm, I’ve been wanting to start a nice contest on my site for some time, but I have been holding back for just the right time.
Your post has convinced me to give the contest idea some more thought.
I agree Leo, I’ve been waiting for the right time aswell. I’m thinking the next PR update when I have a PR I will do a contest haha.
I agree. Start with some nice free items (see John’s TD Canada Trust posting) and then move on from there. I’ve been waiting as well but it may be time to start something…
There is no time like the present!! The quicker you do it and start habitualizing (is this a word?) your efforts, the greater your return will be.
This is a great marketing tip. In fact, instead of intending to spend huge money on advertising, that money is transferred to give it to the traffic… A great way of money shift with a great traffic coming in for it.
Thanks John!
great tip John ,1 more evil idea