How Participating In Contests Can Help Your Blog Gain More Traffic

{ 53 Responses }

1. Michael Beck says:
   I just downloaded a new plugin for WordPress today as a matter of fact. It's called "And the winner is..." and it's supposed to manage blog contests where commenting is the source of contest entry. I'm trying to come up with a good promotion that will draw in entries!
   • Hesham says:
     Seems a good idea!
2. Peter Fuller MBA says:
   Hey Joanne, good points about how participating in contests help gain traffic. And there will be continuing benefits as your post and backlink will always be here.
3. tonyknuckles says:
   If I cold get just a taste of the exposure that sights such as this one gets. I'll be a bit more happy for all of my web properties. Good luck in the contest.
4. Stephanie Smith says:
   This contest has increased traffic to my blog, yes. More importantly, I met some really experienced bloggers and was able to increase my skills light years faster than I would have if I was doing this on my own. I lucked into finding this contest, but hope to learn how to find others like it. I want to continue to learn and improve my skills. I certainly would not turn down a prize, but I entered to get better at blogging.
   • Joanne says:
     It helps a lot if you have someone to help you get better at writing or doing articles. I did this one myself.
     • Stephanie Smith says:
       Yes, having a mentor significantly increases the chances of success. There are always tricks that no one writes down that really help things. It is nice to have help finding them.
5. football prediction says:
   Love this contest but I am sure won't participate since my English is broken, who to vote me as a winner? when a pig fly!
   • Joanne says:
     Yeah, its rather competitive, isn't it?
     • Stephanie Smith says:
       It is competitive on one level, if you want to win. If you want to learn, though, you do not have to be so competitive. You can participate and see what feedback you get, what new techniques you learn, and who you connect with.
6. Dean Saliba says:
   I have not held my own contest yet (planning on doing this by the end of the year) but I do participate in plenty of them and enjoy the traffic more the potential of winning a prize.
   • Joanne says:
     It's getting that way for me too.Don't go for the possibility of maybe winning a prize,just hope for the traffic and the feedback sort of thing.
7. element321 says:
   I agree, there are a lot of benefits for holding and participating in contests. Just this contest alone, has caused a ton of links, traffic, new writers, and new readers to Famous Bloggers. Its great to see how this contest is doing...
   • Joanne says:
     It's great to see the entrants entries and articles.
8. Julius Kuhn-Regnier says:
   I think there are lots of benefits of participating in a blogging contest. You have mentioned lots of them above. I also think that you learn a lot simply by participating. For example by participating you might get an idea as to how you are going to organize your own contest. What could you do better? What is already done well? Nice article ;)
   • Joanne says:
     Those are quite pertinent questions to consider with running blog contests.
9. Justin Germino says:
   Though I create more contests than I join, I think contests are a great way to interact with readers and offer something. By leaving your trail in contests as well you get notice because everyone who enters a contest usually likes seeing who else is entered and interested.
   • Joanne says:
     Yes and I enjoy looking at the entrants posts as well, too
     • Joanne says:
       Opps I forgot to login so my comment isn't moderated and I can easily reply - sorry Hesham!
       • Hesham says:
         It's ok dear!
10. Dev says:
    Hey Joanne, Nice article. You've shared some awesome points. Guest blogging content can help us in many ways, getting targeted traffic, commenting. subscribers, branding etc. Thanks for sharing this great Post. ~Dev
    • Joanne says:
      Thanks for your input.I really like the feedback people have given.
11. Kimi says:
    To be honest, i have never been in a contest, maybe i should try it, but if i am participating in a contest, traffics are not my main aim. I guess socializing myself is my first aim. Besides, i am not confidence myself to participate lol..
    • Joanne says:
      If socializing is your aim,then that's good....I wonder how many people will do that with me...
12. Mike says:
    Contests have done well for me, generating lots of traffic for my site. I'm still working to determine which is the best balance between setting up lots of ways for entries to make it go viral, with it becoming to over the top and confusing for the readers.
    • Joanne says:
      I have yet to learn how to make a contest entry go viral, let alone a contest... But we all learn things along the way,don't we?
13. Asad says:
    Participating in blogging contests is really a win-win situation for bloggers.High traffic blogs often give you more valuable prizes.Therefore, i think that we should target those blogs to get more promotion,exposure and prizes.
    • Joanne says:
      Yeah it seems to be that way inclined, towards the more popular bloggers. They seem to be at a better position somehow.
14. Paul Tech says:
    I have participated in blogging contests before and never won. Neither do I get much traffic. The conducting blog may benefit from backlinks and promotion but the quality of such posts are usually very poor.
    • Joanne says:
      Well you never know how things go with a contest.Some people win,some lose,and some luck out totally.Like I could totally luck out badly, you know?
15. Agent Deepak says:
    You have put in good pointer but I do not agree participating in contests gain you any traffic. If you are talking about the benefits of Famous Bloggers contest, then we may get increase in our traffic for the only reason that we are submitting Guest Posts. Its Guest Post which will earn us traffic and not the contest. And Guest Posting Contest are rare. Your should have included the word Guest Posting Contest. Then I would be correct. Participating in contest can never gain you any traffic. Conducting one will surely benefit.
    • Joanne says:
      I guess your right,the blog that holds the contest usually gets the most traffic and the participants in the contest get the minimal flow on effects.
16. Nabeel says:
    Interesting points you share there about blog contests. But like The Bad Blogger said above, I wanted to know what benefits does the blog owner get out of contests? I know he gets posts/articles, but are there other benefits also? Nabeel
    • Joanne says:
      A whole lot of traffic and great promotion of their blog......that's for sure. What else.....higher rate of subscriptions to the blog hosting the contest....
17. Joanne says:
    Yeah, you can make friends from participating in contests,you're right. It depends if they keep in touch with you and for how long.
18. Mike says:
    I have seen a blogger who appears in all of the blog I have visited. He comments on posts, participates into competitions and regularly be a guess poster of several blogs. Since then, I have known his name and what his blog is about. I think each of us, if we want to promote our blog and our reputation in the online world, should take actions like him. We need to show to the world who we are, what we do and how good do we know about the stuff we are doing. Then, readers will begin to notice us and follow what we say on the blog.
    • Joanne says:
      Yes, I have heard that doing those things like commenting,entering in contests, being a regular guest poster etc,can only do good for you overall promotion. But it takes time,doesn't it?
19. Joanne says:
    That's a good point and a great response - well said! the potential is there to connect with other people,definately.
20. Jakes says:
    When someone participate in a blogging contest, the intention would definitely be increasing the traffic of his/her blog. The prizes and excitement associated with it will be often secondary. But it is true for only experienced bloggers. In case of first-time bloggers,who really don't know such benefits , the prizes are the things that attract them into these contests.
    • Joanne says:
      It is interesting how beginner bloggers and the experienced ones go about entering contests. the novices go for the prizes and the experienced go for the traffic. Who knew? but in my experience, you have to have your options open because you might not win or you might get a consolation prize if there is one.
21. Ileane says:
    Hi Joanne, it's nice to see you hear doing a guest post. Good for you. From my experience, all contests are NOT created equal. I entered quite a few and I've won some nice prizes, but in terms of traffic and increasing visibility the best contests are the ones that Hesham sponsors. He is King of Contests!
    • Joanne says:
      Well, I must be in luck then,so that must be good.The thing is will they or will they not accept your article? so guess I have been lucky in that sense.He is the most popular person then.Sometimes it takes a while to find out which ones are the most popular.
22. Mars Dorian says:
    goood post. COntests are fun and quite useful. I participated in a lot of them in the beginning, but I haven't done so recently. Crap crap. THe best thing is always the traffic you get from it. I never really care about the prizes - they are secondary.
    • Joanne says:
      It's always a never ending stand-by, traffic.Which is better than totally losing on several lottery tickets.Which I never seem to win.
23. The Bad Blogger says:
    Contest is good, but I always said this, and I always repeat it even if it sucks, almost 90% of any contest blogger create doesn't really create any cash out of it while he give valuable traffic and prize to winning participant which as far as benefit is concern, cash isn't coming in for the blogger that took his time and energy to create the contest. There is still no course or any product that actually show us step-by-step to create contest that give win-win situation, did anyone out there realize this? Well, I bet I had given an ideal to someone reading this....
    • Joanne says:
      Well, yeah you would think that the contest how tos and guidelines would be enough, but I had a few challenges on what to do on Heshams site while I was writing my post for the contest.But I think I did OK.
24. Ryan Hanzel says:
    Contests are amazing in more ways than one and can benefit both parties tremendously. Well that and you get to win stuff :) of course.
    • Joanne says:
      Yeah it would be nice if I won something, but I am not getting my hopes up about it.Just see how it goes.
25. Kristi Hines says:
    Definitely some great points! More people definitely visit a site during a contest, so you will get great exposure for your writing, and any links you include in your bio with it. Plus you get to expand your social network with other contestants and re-connect with those you might have lost touch with to get some friendly push for your entry. You win all the way around, whether you actually get a prize or not!
    • Ching Ya says:
      I agree with Kristi in this. I have attended a blogging contest on a quite popular blog and it did help in both traffic and networking. I get to meet quite a lot of interesting people with profound knowledge. Sometimes the beauty of it is the connections built that last for a long time. :) @wchingya Social/Blogging Tracker