Traffic & Link Building Tip #4: Running a Successful Contest on Your Blog
2007 at 1:11pm | by Dave
These days, everyone and their dyslexic left-handed orangutan pet are running a blog contest to create some buzz and to generate some incoming links. While it’s true that contests are a great way to promote your blog, if not managed properly you will not see as much of a benefit to your blog as you would like. Here are a few tips on maximizing return on your contest investment (though make no mistake, investing in a contest for your blog is an investment in promotion).
1. Critical mass of traffic, or alternate methods of getting the word out.
In order to get a good response to your contest and grow your blog, you either need to have a large enough reader base that word about your contest will get out there in the blogsphere or another method of spreading the word about your contest. For example, if you have a lot of blogger contacts in the same or similar niche as yours, then you could send them info of the contest and ask them to promote the contest to their readers as well. You could also order up some reviews, but that’s generally not warranted unless your contest is really good.
Basically, your contest cannot live in a vacuum. Your response needs to justify the expense of the prize or you’re making a bad investment. If only one person signs up for your free contest, then you’ve just wasted your money. So if your current readership isn’t at a level where your reader base is large enough to get the word out there about your contest, then you need a plan to get the word out yourself.
2. You need a good prize.
No one wants to win your smelly unwashed gym shorts - or a lousy $5. Make sure the prize for your contest is at least half decent. People are inherently lazy, and you’ll need to provide enough motivation to convince them to actually take place in your contest. A general rule of thumb is: the larger the value of the prize, the higher conversion rate (% of people who find out about your contest and then actually enter it). Try to start at a value of $50 for the very minimum; it’s not great, but it’ll be enough to motivate some entries.
3. Network! Network! Network! Oh, and did I mention Network?
Networking with other bloggers will almost ensure your contest’s success. This can take many forms. Can’t afford a decent price? Partner with another blog in the same situation to get a better prize and promote both of your blogs. The more blogging friends you have, the more people you can ask to promote your contest to readers.
Now that you have the tools, go out there and plan the next big link bait contest that will take the blogsphere by storm!
Good Profits.
