Brainstorming Blog Contest for ClickNewz

[Lynn Terry]

I have decided to offer a contest at my blog - - on a regular basis. My thoughts are to have a new contest each month, offering a valuable prize to readers who participate. I would love your help in brainstorming the details!

First and foremost, I want it to be beneficial for everyone involved - even participants who dont win the prize. Also, I dont want to include anything that can be mistaken as "ranking manipulation" - such as required Link Text or something similar. I want it to be clean, fun and easy.

I am thinking... ClickNewz Content Contest

The idea would be to have entrants blog about their choice of topics, using their choice of link text, and including at least one related link back to ClickNewz within the blog post. The post will need to be at least 300 words in length to qualify. In addition to being entered to win that month's prize, the entrant will have fresh unique content on their domain. Obviously they can monetize that in any way that they wish (Adsense, etc).

They will then leave a link to their blog post in the Contest Post on my blog - giving them a text link and also exposure for participating.

Each comment left on ClickNewz results in an email notification to me. I will print each entry out, and choose from them randomly at the end of the contest. The drawing will be done on video, and results video will be displayed on my blog with announcement of the winner.

Prizes will be different each month. I might consider letting someone sponsor the contest if it does well, donating a prize to be given away in exchange for the exposure. But to start, I am thinking of giving away $50 cash, for one year, a 6-month , an exclusive product bundle, etc.

Obviously I will keep the prizes related to the topic of my blog.

I'd love to hear your thoughts - or any ideas that I can add to this. Is this something you would participate in? Would $50 cash encourage you to blog about something you found on ClickNewz (in your own words)? Any thoughts on the terms or requirements I should consider?

[americanwahm]

Sounds like a great idea Lynn

Will you have any limitations about age of blog or blog pagerank or overall topics of blog?

[Lynn Terry]

[Bonnie Lowe]

Hi Lynn,

I think it's a great idea.

It might actually be easier for participants, though, if you provide a topic for them to write about. Sometimes (for me anyway) the hardest thing about writing is coming up with the subject matter.

You could make the topic broad enough so that everyone's posts would be different, yet still trigger some ideas for people who need help getting their creative juices flowing. For example:

* What's your favorite way to come up with topics for your posts?
* What's your favorite blog and why?
* If your blog were an animal, what kind of animal would it be? (Just kidding on that one! I have silly job interview questions on my brain.)

This could be a lot of fun, Lynn. I can't wait to hear what you come up with!

Thanks!

[Lynn Terry]

[Lynn Terry]

[Bonnie Lowe]

Well, that would certainly be unique!

Hmmm... I'm thinking my blog would be a duck... specifically, the AFLAC! duck. It's kinda cute (or annoying?), tries to help people, shakes its virtual head at the strange things some people do, occasionally gets itself into wacky situations, but keeps on quacking.

How 'bout you, Lynn... what kind of animal would ClickNewz be?

[Lynn Terry]