Who doesn't like to win? Exactly. That's why running contests on your blog is a great way to attract followers, reward readers, and draw attention to important announcements. Read back through my Savvy Sensation Series and you will read that many of them built their platform with contests.
The most successful contests, of course, have prizes that people want to win. Gift cards, books (especially advanced copies, aka ARCs), and agent submissions always pull a nice draw. You can also offer critiques, editorial services, or other book swag. Be creative! Be unique! If you haven't tried a contest yet, I challenge you to try it.
This seems like a great place to run a contest of my own, doesn't it? Let me just say, there's one in the works. But you'll have to come back later in the month to find out about it. How's that for building up some interest?
Do you run contests? Have you found them helpful in building your blogging platform?
69 comments:
I've done one and yes, it garnered new followers. I'm sort of shy about doing them, and I need to get over that.
I just hit 100 followers and would like to do a contest to celebrate, but I'm way too busy with the A-Z challenge.
After though. Maybe I'll hit 125 and I can celebrate that number?
I've been thinking of doing one for when I hit 100 followers, but I have a feeling that'll be sometime this month and A-Z challenge really does get in the way of current announcements a bit. Granted, I don't have all my posts pre-written, so maybe I'll be able to fit something in.
I've had a two or three personal giveaways on my blog and participated in a few giveaway hops. I have noticed that it does boost followers, but not participation. Beginning this month, nearly everything I run with prizes from me will not have any requirements. I hate checking up to see if people jumped through the correct hoops because I'll get annoyed if they did not. And while it's nice to have a large following, I would prefer to have followers that are actually interested in my content and not just winning that particular goodie. It may work out, or it may not. :-)
I have a competition on my blog every week. Its nothing huge but everyone seems to take part and enjoy the feature. Since I'm doing the A to Z Challenge, I won't be doing my regular Tuesday Caption My Photo Competition. but its still a big hit and I love the comments it brings each week.
All they get to win is some of my custom-made temporary tattoos. Want one?
I love hosting and participating in contests. It's a great way to meet new people, and to grow your following, too...plus I really love winning stuff lol. I haven't run a contest in awhile, but I have a few planned for later this spring and summer!
I agree that hosting contests or giveaways is a great way to get more followers. I always want to make sure the giveaway represents me and my blog more than anything.
Hi Laura! Contests are a big reason I have 800+ followers. I love participating on book bloggers' giveaways, especially those run by Kathy from I Am a Reader, Not a Writer. However, I'm also grateful for this A to Z Challenge to drive new traffic and comments to my blog. Thanks for the follow, and I've returned the favor! Happy challenge.
Hi there! Oh good topic! I used to do them way more and I agree it's good when getting your blog started, to meet new people, etc. But my philosophy about them and blogging in general has changed over four years. I'm way more laid back about it all now and so appreciate everyone I've come to know through this community. Helps you through those writing slogs!
Hey, have a good day!
I have run contests, but I like your suggestions so will probably work them in more regularly and do as you say and ask them to blog and tweet the contest. Thanks for sharing.
Laura, thank you for this. I have run contests and there are some trenchant insights here that I will use next time I run one.
Enjoyed your post for the letter C. I've done some giveaways on my blog. Was thinking of doing one in May.
Susanne
PUTTING WORDS DOWN ON PAPER
Contests are a great way to give something back to followers.
I'll do early giveaways for my books one day, when they come out.
I've done a contest in conjunction with a blog tour or blog fest but now really jumped into the contest-sea and done one myself. Still a little nervouse but considering doing one for my blogiversary in the summer.
Contests are very interesting indeed and people love them I've done a couple and found it a great experience. I look forward to check want you have under your sleeve!
Good post! Thanks for commenting on my blog.
From Diary of a Writer in Progress
Good idea. I also read your post about Google Alerts. I suppose it's time to sign up for that, too.
Play off the Page
Yay for contests! I can't wait to see you what you have conjured up for one!
I've never run any contests from my personal blog, but I have from the blog for my movie - they're fun! But since my personal blog is self hosted, I can no longer use GFC, and I haven't found an easy way to track followers yet.
I ran a contest the second month after I began blogging, gave away a ton of "writers" prizes and increased my followers by 53% in one month! People LOVE contests!
I love participating in contests and hosting them:) The first one I participated in was last summer--Deana Barnhart's Gearing Up to Get an Agent and it was loads of fun. I saw the value in it and hosted my own agent contest this January to celebrate 100 followers . . . which led to 200 followers, so I hosted another one with debut author Heather Burch and that lead to 300 followers, and now I'm giving away an Easter Basket full of YA books from a book festival I recently attended. I love reading every else's blogs so I can come up with some creative new ideas to do more contests:):):) Yay--C is for Contests!!!
I've never hosted a contest on my blog, but it sounds like a good idea. Your topic was right on target for me today. My daughter just submitted her last minute video entry into a contest! You tempted me. I'll be back next month.
I've always had difficult with contests - there never seems to be a great deal of interest and I end up only having a couple of entries and not much gain in the way of comments or followers. I need to reassess my strategy.
Jamie Gibbs
Fellow A-Z Buddy
Mithril Wisdom
Why ever are you shy? I can't see that about you. You hide it well. :)
Thanks for sharing your ideas. I love the Easter basket full of books idea. What a fun prize
And you don't even have to have a reason to have a contest. Have one just because. :)
Have you added the Linsky followers gadget? It is a good idea.
I've seen some contests going on through the challenge. You could totally do it. Or do it next month when it's quieter.
That's an interesting finding. I hate doing the checking up too so I use Rafflecoptor. HAve you tried that? It really keeps track of the things you ask people to do. But if you have found that requiring them to do stuff doesn't work for you, then totally go with what you've learned. Only you can know what's best for your readers. :)
Your blog brings in people because YOU'RE CRAZY FUNNY. Just sayin.
Yeah, running them too often can be counter-productive too. Sounds like you've learned the magic of blog contests. :)
That's so true. Giving things that represent you are the best kind of gifts. I've given away some marketing e-books in contests. But I do think the contest I had for a gift card got the most entries.
Thanks for sharing that info. I love it when data backs up my posts! Glad to meet you in this challenge!
Yes, doing them all the time and only to build blog interest can be tiring. Glad you've found a good balance that keeps you down to earth.
You're welcome. And good luck!
You're welcome! (I'll let you know that I'll be running my contest on the R day of the challenge - I'll have another tip or two then.)
In May? I'll be there!
So true.
Great plan!
Do it, do it, do it!!
Come back on the R day and I'll have a contest then ;)
I do wish the Google Alerts were a little more accurate, but they're better than nothing and have alerted me to some interesting things before.
It's not going to be anything big, but hopefully, fun!
That blows. The whole GFC thing blows. Have you tried Rafflecopter? They make it easy to run a contest without GFC.
Those are AWESOME stats. Thanks for sharing!
Deana's blogfest was awesome. Are you going to do it again? Hey, how did you go about contacting agents to run a contest? I've never asked anyone that before.
Good luck to your daughter. I will have my contest on the R day. Come back then. :)
I heard that from someone else recently. The next time you run a contest, let me know and I'll lurk and give you some feedback (if you want, that is:)
Totally creative idea. :)
Truthfully? I'm pretending I don't have to deal with it. I hate that GFC went away and I hate more than one "follower button" cluttering my blog. Sigh. So annoyed.
Thanks for the suggestions, I'll look into both of them.
Laura, I was totally inspired by your post. I was halfway through writing my D post when I decided to turn it into a contest. :-)
I gave away a gift recently when I talked about my work being published in an ebook. Instead of giving away the ebook, I just did a $10 amazon card, so the winner could choose his or her own book. I'm not sure I had a lot of extra visitors, etc. but wanted to give something away as a thank you. (I discovered in the A to Z challenge that I cannot comment from my iPad on Disqus. I'm learning all types of things during this challenge.)
Yay! I'll be right over!
Oh no! I don't want to hear that! What's up with ipads and Disqus? Sorry!
I've never been one for contests. I think it's fun for some, but I usually steer away from blogs that only seem to do contests. I want to see good blog content, not giveaways. But, that's just me. ;0)
Yes, I definitely think moderation is the key. There are some sites I steer away from that have frequent contests because I want content. Very good point of an opposing view.
I don run contests and giveaways, but I don't capitalize on them enough I don't think. It's just that I want people to follow or like because it's genuine, not because they're trying to get a prize and once the contest is over they're never coming back, you know what I mean? So I don't' like to make "liking" or "following" a condition of winning, and I don't tweet myself, so I'm not good about asking people to do that.... I need some work in their area I guess :)
I totally get that, and that is a problem with offering contests. It also draws new people who may be dying to LOVE you and just have never met you until a contest brought them in. It's not something I think you need to "work" on, though. You seem to have a good model for your blog. :)
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