Using Contests to Generate Interest in Your Blog

Hopefully most of you are blogging either to promote yourself as writers, to promote your books, to blog a book, or to simply hone your writing. I blog a lot; I have five blogs.

Every once in a while my dance-related blog, My Son Can Dance, gets voted “best” in its category. The two times this has happened it has been through no efforts of my own. Someone compiled a list of the best blogs. This generated a bit of traffic to the blog, though. I also then get to put special icons or banners on my blog home page saying the blog is the best in its category. Kinda nice, huh?

Currently, a dance-related website is running a contest for the Best Dance Blog of 2010. I, of course, entered My Son Can Dance in the contest and that has generated a lot of traffic to the site again. It also got me noticed in Movmnt magazine, where they continue to run my Twitter link. This is because I bothered not only to email all my dance buddies–readers and supporters of the blog (and some friends, too, one of whom is the publisher of Movmnt–and to send out status reports to all my followers and tweeple and friends on social networks asking them to vote. The publisher follows me there as well.

I did this more than once. I did it several times, especially since the contest had two phases. This has actually taken a lot of time and effort.

Now, why would I want to go to all this trouble? Because if I win my blog gets more exposure. In fact, just by going to all the trouble of promoting my blog and asking people to vote, I’ve gained readers and made more people aware of the blog. I’ve increased traffic to the blog. If I win, that’s even better for the blog’s reach and traffic potential.

Of course, the purpose of that blog is to help more young male dancers achieve their dream of becoming professional dancers. It is also to help me develop a platform for a book I want to write and get published. So, the more reach the blog achieves, the more boys I help and the more platform I build.

This particular blog lies close to my heart. It’s a passion of mine. My son is a young male dancer with those very aspirations. I am just like the readers I write for–a parent of a young male dancer. Maybe you are writing a similar blog…something that feels like your passion and purpose.

So, pay attention to what goes on in the niche in which you are blogging your book. Get involved, so you know what’s going on, so you’ll be aware when a contest begins. Enter any and all contests–even writing contests! You’ll be happy you did even if you don’t win.

I’d be happy with second. First would be better. :~) By the way, the contest runs until 12/30/10 at 10 a.m. PT, and my blog, My Son Can Dance, as of today, is in second place. (You could go vote and help My Son Can Dance move into first place…)