kind of thing. Which begs the question, why the hell am I posting this comment? I have no answer for that, BTW. Just bored at work, I guess.

I think it's the prize itself that would motivate me. Cash always works for me - even if it's only $5.00 (can you say Blogsvertise?). But if it's not cash then it would have to be something that I would really like - and may be very subjective. Of course, if it's a movie blog and you're offering a poster of a popular movie or something like that, that should go over pretty well.

As for telling my friends about the site? Hmmmm....my friends are hardly ever interested in the things I like. And yet another question is begged; if they aren't interested in the things I like, just why the hell are they my friends? I don't have an answer for that one, either.

My current contest is an iPod shuffle, which is bottom of the line for an iPod, but I thought it was still a pretty decent prize. Only, I'm not giving away an iPod without a little bit of work, ya know? But there was a download required and people didn't like it, so very few people signed up. Fair enough, but I'm trying to figure out that magic balancing point where people will want to sign up because they think it's a cool prize. And beyond that, I'm trying to figure out how to get people to tell their friends.

This kind of stuff isn't my strong suit, obviously. lol

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That sounds like a fantastic prize, IG! Like PW said, I am not personally interested in an iPod, but if I just had to enter my e-mail address or write a 100 essay on why I want one, I might give it a shot. I'm on dial-up and, like PW said again, I've gotten some shifty downloads before myself, so I think that may be what's putting people off.

Keep us informed though, because I am about to have a contest of my own toward the end of the year, and I'd be interested in seeing what you did and how it turned out!

- Manodogs

I already know that's what turned people off. They told me. Quite vocally in fact. lol But it's trying to figure out what to do different next time. I can't afford to keep handing out iPods, especially when it's not pulling in many people to the site.

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No clue. I had all sorts of assurances that it was safe, but it wasn't something people were willing to do. So it's probably something I'm staying away from in the future.

I'm leaning towards some sort of prize (no idea what size yet) for a comment and a link. Comments to get people interacting and the link for SEO. Also, assuming I do it this way, it's going to be setup so that they link is an Alexa redirect, which will give it another small little boost.

But then the problem is how to get it viral. Why would people tell their friends if the fewer people they tell means the more chances they have. So then do they get an entry when they use a tell a friend form? And what about spamming?? On that same note, do I give an entry for every comment/link combo? If so, how do I keep people from spamming other sites about my contest?

See how I always overthink the problem?? lol

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An Ipod Shuffle? I think a spaceship would be a much cooler prize. Seriously, you should consider offering a trip to the moon as a prize...I'm sure if you did that you'd get at least six billion contestants.

Seriously though, I don't know too much about the balancing point between a good prize and a decent amount of contestants. The only contests I've been mixed up in are literary contests. I competed last year for the Aspiring Authors contest and lost catastrophically (no need to cheer me up, I assure you my spirit is quite intact!) but there's no surprise there, since there were so many entries.

I would imagine that the first step in getting people to sign up is to have a credible website or enough information to make your contest seem real. There are so many scams out there, especially online, that it's sometimes hard to discern which ones are the real deal and which ones just want to plant a horrible viral mutant in your computer that will grow into a lizard monster and kill you in your sleep.

Well, a spaceship would have been a cooler prize back 20 years ago, but nowadays pieces fall off every single time. And what kind of crappy prize would that be if I gave them a space shuttle that isn't even put together right?! As far as the trip to the moon, I can't afford it, so I'm trying to become a cosmonaut so that I can smuggle passengers on and vodka off. ;)

Yeah. The first contest really bit me in the butt. Maybe I'll do better the next time around.

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tht is an awesome prize! and yes, i can see why people would be wary of a download....i personally dont like downloading stuff from people i don't "know". but i would think that you would still get a lot of interest because the mp3 player is a nice incentive and a lot of people are willing to enter all kinds of survey sites, etc. and give a lot of private info to "win" lesser prizes.....who knows. people baffle me in general.

Airing my dirty laundry at: Peacocks on Leashes

That's what I thought! But man, I really got hammered in some places. I pretty much responded that I wasn't forcing anyone to enter if they don't think the prize is worth the hoops. lol "Take the iPod. NOW!!!!!"

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Testing alexa redirect for the contest. I'm trying to get it launched now so that I can get a decent number of entries before the end of the month. Ignore this comment since I'm mostly babbling to myself anyway.

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The contest is up HERE. By leaving a comment anywhere on the blog, leaving a link on your site, or telling a friend about the site, you could win an iPod Shuffle. Sorry, no space shuttle this time either. :D

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