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Screen shot from Contest Blogger

Holding a contest in a blog is a good way to increase subscribers, links and even traffic. I see nothing wrong with it especially if the prize is attractive such as cash. In fact, I ran a small one when I was still a member of Entrecard, and even joined some. Luckily, I won some ad space and an interview that I will never forget.

However, bloggers especially newbies should be aware that some of them may be scam. Although it may look hard to detect which one is scam or not, one should only have some common sense to be smart enough. The tips below may not be the actual indication of a scam contest, but they can serve as clues.


Unrealistic prize

If the single prize is $2,500 for only making a post about the contest, would you believe him? Sad to say, many did and the blog enjoyed a high popularity at Technorati and even got a lot of backlinks. Unfortunately, it was a scam blog contest and the blog was gone for good after it was exposed. No blogger with a clear mind will give away a huge amount of money for something he can get for free.

No solid identity

A good way to check his identity is through his About Me page. If it has almost no identification in it, check his URL at Google. If his blog has few posts, and has no clear source of income, how can he prove that he is capable of giving such prizes? A good indication of a legitimate blog contest is if it has numerous sponsors who have established themselves in the field of blogging and contest sponsoring.

Doubtful rules

Any contest should have a deadline, or at least number of entries required. Otherwise, it is a clear scam. Rules should also be specific as how to win, how to claim the prize and other evidences that it is for real. Watch out also for abrupt and frequent changes of rules, especially when the deadline is getting near. If the contest requires you to pay or has many silly requirements, better watch out before joining.

Previous contests held

Previous contests held with winners announced do not mean that they are authentic. I am not saying that contests that use random.org for choosing the winner are scam, but check if the winners were real or very close to the contest owner. It is very easy to create a ghost winner, or give money to friends that can be returned offline. Having many participants before does not guarantee that the current contest is not a scam.

Nobody will be fooled if we will be smarter than them.


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How to Promote a Blog for Beginners: Part Three
How to Promote a Blog for Beginners: Part Two
How to Promote a Blog for Beginners: Part One
How to avoid your Subscribers to Unsubscribe to your Blog
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