Holding contests on your blog are a great way to increase your Twitter followers, increase your RSS subscribers and generate publicity for your blog. Many bloggers are interested in holding a blog contest, however, it is not very easy as there are lots of risks involved in holding a blog contest – especially if your blog is small and is still growing. There is a high possibility that very few people take part and it becomes a big flop. Also, a poorly performing blog contest will simply not achieve the goals that you are looking for.

In this post, I have explained in detail on how to host a blog contest. Also, the various aspects involved in hosting a blog contest are covered here in this post.

The first and the most basic aspect of hosting a blog contest is its promotion and a blogger must invest a lot of time to promote his contests.

Promotion

The first step before you holds a blog contest is that you promote it well. A poor promotion of your blog will result a very few number of participants. So it is important that you get the part of promotion right, if you promote your contest well then you are sure to get many new readers to your blog and many more people will come to know about your blog.

If you are one of those bloggers who get over 5k readers per day then you would want to focus on promoting the contest within your blog. Whereas, if your blog is small and the blog contest is a promotional attempt from your side, then you should focus intensively promoting the blog contest. This can be done by commenting on other blogs and also sending emails to bloggers you want to invite to your blog contest. Just be sure that you sound human when you mail them about your contests otherwise it will be quickly ignored and rejected as spam.

Analyze Your Traffic

Before you take any further steps you should do a research on your traffic. You can find out your unique visitors, bounce rate, repeating visitors, geographical location all through the Google Analytics dashboard. It is important that you analyze this data carefully because you have to make a lot of decision regarding your blog contest based on this data.

Duration of Contest

The next thing that you should do is to decide the duration of your contest – will it be stretched over a week or will it be a whole month before you shortlist the winner. Again, the decision to decide the duration of your contest should be based on the popularity of your blog. If your blog is not really the most popular site in the blogosphere then you should considering holding the contest for a longer duration just so that the word spreads.

If your blog is not too popular and the contest duration is too less then you face the possibility of poor reader participation and involvement in your blog contest.

What Will You Give Away?

This is the point in which most of your participants would be interested in knowing. If you really want to motivate your blog readers to take part in your blog contest then it is very important that you provide attractive prizes to the winner. Also, it is recommended that you give away something that is useful to all participants.

Many things can be used as prize for your blog contest. You may choose a cash prize, a premium theme to the winner or a year of free web hosting etc. But all of this will cost you money and if your contest does not become as successful as you want it to then you will face losses. On the other hand, many smart bloggers acquire advertisers to bear giving away the prize. In return, obviously they will get publicity as the contest sponsors.

If you want you can also give a prize that does not require sponsors and is absolutely free for you. This can be done in the form of a review or a free ad spot on your blog for a month or for half-year. But you have to be careful that the prize you give to your contestants is at par to the contest which you are hosting. It means that the bloggers should feel that the prize is worth the time they devote for the blog contest.

Rules of the Contest

This is the area where you can decide what benefits you would want out of this contest. Here you will also set what the objective of your participant is. Your rules can be as simple as subscribing to the RSS feed by email and comment under the giveaway post – then the winner is randomly chosen.

Finally, it is your creativity to decide what contest you want to hold. The success of your blog contest will mainly depend on the kind of promotion that you do for it. Also make sure that the prize you give away is something that is desirable.

Related posts:

1. Successful Affiliate Marketing Tips for your Blog
2. Top Commentator Link Love December 2009

There has been lots of change going on Facebook these days. One of recent update was where Facebook started linking profile and Facebook pages. In the latest changes, they replaced Become a fan button with Like button for Facebook fan pages. So we have to click Like button available on a Facebook page to if we like that Facebook page (i.e. if we want to become fan of a Facebook page). And in case you like SFM Facebook Fan page, click on the Like button available on this page.

Do you have a Facebook Fan page and want to know how to promote your Facebook fan page, keep on reading this post which suggest you lots of valuable tips for promoting your Facebook page. By promoting our Facebook pages, we can create lots of buzz and traffic to our websites and blogs.

Related posts:

1. Launch of ScopeforMoney Facebook Fan page
2. 10 Tips to Create a Killer Facebook Fan Page
3. Tips for promoting newly created Facebook Fan Page

The Citi Cash Returns Card is one of the best rewards credit cards in the Citi credit card lineup, offering a great cash rewards program and additional benefits, including up to a 15 month balance transfer period. If you are looking for a top notch rewards card or a great balance transfer card, then consider the Citi Cash Returns Card.

Citi CashReturns Card Review

There are two main benefits of the Citi CashReturns Card: cash rewards and the 0% balance transfer. The cash rewards are unlimited and automatic, the best combination you can find, and the 0% balance transfer period is one of the longest on the market.

Unlimited Cash Rewards: The Citi CashReturns Card offers an unlimited cash rewards program, which separates it from many other cash rewards credit cards, which often limit the rewards you can receive in any given year or period. You automatically earn a minimum of 1% cash back on all purchases, and you can earn even more when you shop in the Citi Bonus Cash Center. According to the Citi CashReturns Card page you can earn average of 5% cash back on every purchase from over 400 participating merchants in the Citi Bonus Cash Center.

Automatic cash back. The best feature of the cash rewards program is the automatic rewards payment system. You will automatically receive a check once you earn $50 in rewards. You don’t have to ask for it, claim it, or otherwise jump through hoops – they just send the check once you reach the payout point. Don’t you wish all cards made it so easy!

0% Balance Transfer: If you need to do a 0% balance transfer to reduce your credit card interest rate, then this card is a great option. You can currently get a 0% balance transfer for up to 15 months, based on your credit history and application. There is a small balance transfer fee, but that is common on credit cards nowadays. The important thing to remember is that you can still save hundreds of dollars, even with the transfer fee. Once you have paid off your credit card bills you still have a great cash rewards card.

Citi CashReturns Card Features

• Earn unlimited cash back on everything
• Full 1% cash back on all purchases
• Automatically get a check every time you earn $50 cash back
• Average 5% cash back at over 400 leading retailers through the Citi Bonus Cash Center
• 0% APR on balance transfers for up to 15 months*
• No annual fee

Other Citi CashReturns Card benefits: Other benefits include an automatic extended warranty on most card purchases, retail purchase protection, $0 liability on unauthorized charges, Travel and Emergency Assistance, Automatic Travel Accident Insurance, Auto Rental Insurance, Citi Credit Card Benefits & Services. See the official terms for more information about these benefits and perks.

Overall, I give this card a thumbs up. If you are looking for a great cash rewards credit card or 0% balance transfer card, then the Citi CashReturns Card is a solid option.

~$~

This article written by Ryan Guina. Ryan is the founder and editor of this site. He is a writer, small business owner, entrepreneur, and professional in the corporate world. He served over 6 years in the USAF and also writes about military money topics at Military Finance Network.

All content copyright Cash Money Life.

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Facebook is an amazing social media website, which has created its remarkable presence on the web. It is the place where millions unite, interact and turn into one strong social community altogether. Facebook and especially the Facebook fan page is the place where future of Internet marketing holds. But, can you bubble out the ideas of creating an amazing Facebook Fan page? Well, if not, here are 10-professionally sound ideas for you:

1. Using Your Business Name is a Great Thing to Do!

This is an amazing idea to carry out and avoid any confusion. And after you have built 25-fans, you can choose for a secured URL. For choosing a secured URL, make a login to Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/username and sign up for your username.

2. Create a Business Logo and Upload It

If you make the business logo symbolically represent your profile image, then nothing like it! The fan page community will soon begin to recognize your business logo with your brand.

3. Explicitly List Your Contact Information

Reference your business website and other relevant contact information vis--vis, email address, Twitter name, etc. on the fan page listing. In this manner, you will hunt your prospective customers quite easily who can relate and connect with your business.

4. Complete Your Information profile

Providing complete and genuine information profile on the fan page is the best thing to do! Why? Obviously, itd create a likeable image among the Facebook community.

5. Do Frequent Wall Postings

Frequent postings on the Facebook fan page attracts more like minded fans, and also keeps your current fans happily going. So do it!

6. Go For Fan Page Linking

Direct links to your Facebook fan page from multiple places, which include website, blog, signature line, email signature, and many more. You can help people link to your fan page by simply adding links or a fan box, which will help the people to direct to Facebook fan page.

7. Incorporate Standard Facebook Applications

Standard applications such as Static FBML, Etsy or ArtFire, gives you the opportunity to add basic HTML coding to the Facebook, and allowing the customization of Facebook fan page by adding extra tabs, pictures and info on your Facebooks wall. Whats more, Static FBML also helps in customizing the landing page. Further, Etsy or ArtFire helps in making large number of online audience aware about your products and services over the Facebook.

8. Announce and Promote Events/Sale

Facebook Fan Page gives you the resourceful means to announce any event, promo, etc. which directly helps in creating enhanced interaction and quality traffic flow. For example, a good promo line can be of something this sort 20% Off on Sale of Every product etc.

9. Use Your Blog Content

You can always import the blog content to the Facebook Fan Page through the Social RSS.

10. Use Discussion Boards to Create Effective & Relevant Discussions

This is an amazing way to connect directly with the online fans community, which also helps in getting you the feedback. And naturally, you help your business grow phenomenally!

Click here to check and become Fan of SFM Facebook Fan Page and do share your favorite topics there. And in case you want to know how to promote Facebook Fan Page, lots of valuable tips are mentioned here.

Related posts:

1. Tips for promoting newly created Facebook Fan Page
2. Like replaces Become a Fan button on Facebook Fan Page
3. Which is better Facebook Page or Facebook group?

SEVERAL months ago, I stumbled across information in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing that raises important questions about the integrity of information posted on the popular Wikinvest website.

According to the filing, micro-cap biotech company INVO BioScience Inc. (OTC:IVOB) is paying a retainer of 1 million shares of restricted stock to a firm called CollegeStock Inc. for a variety of services, including creating content for the company on Wikinvest.

Having talked to Wikinvests staff and knowing how serious they are about maintaining the impartiality of the content on their site, I was a little surprised to find such public evidence that someone was being paid to post information to Wikinvest on behalf of a company.

A copy of the service agreement between CollegeStock and INVO Bioscience listing services on Wikinvest

And when I dug deeper into the Wikinvest activities of CollegeStock president Thomas McCarthy, it became clear that he may be representing a number of other clients on the site and in each case his affiliation to the companies is not being disclosed to Wikinvest users.

It turns out that McCarthy has been very active on Wikinvest, so much so that he has two profiles: one under Tom McCarthy aka The Dean, and another as Thomas McCarthy.

And under each of these profiles, his activity on the site has allowed him to rise to the title of Senior Director, which is the highest rank contributors can achieve. As Tom, he has made 927 edits to 224 articles and as Thomas he is responsible for 634 edits to 144 articles.

McCarthys profiles list him as the top contributor on a range of companies, including:

• Invo Bioscience Inc
• Brite-Strike Tactical
• Viral Genetics
• WWA Group Inc.
• Cancer Therapeutics Inc.; and
• Sector 10

Now, there is no information on Wikinvest to suggest that McCarthy is being or was paid by these companies to contribute information to Wikinvest. However, if you visit CollegeStock.com and click on a tiny link at the bottom of the page that says Disclaimer, youll learn some interesting details, including McCarthys relationships with the following companies mentioned above:

• INVO Bioscience. Compensated two hundred thousand shares of IVOB from a 3rd party (Lionshare Ventures LLC), which he sold. Additionally, he has been retained by the Company as a consultant for compensation of 500,000 rule 144 restricted shares (note: the companys SEC filings says its 1 million) that he can not sell until at least March 1, 2010.
• Brite Strike Tactical, Inc. He has been retained as a consultant for a term of one year in exchange for 2 million rule 144 restricted shares that cannot be sold until at least August 28, 2010.
• Cancer Therapeutics, Inc. Compensated $35,000 to provide corporate communications services for three months by a 3rd party (Thomco International). Has also traded CTHP in the past but has sold all shares.
• WWA Group, Inc. Compensated a total of $31,000 to provide corporate communications services for one month by a 3rd party (Veritas Communications) and that contract has since expired.

And those are just some of the relationships I found between companies McCarthy represents and companies on whose Wikinvest pages hes been active. There are many more companies listed in the CollegeStock.com disclaimer that I didnt investigate in detail.

I asked Patrick Cushing, Product and Business Development Manager at Wikinvest, what they would do about this and heres his reply:

After you alerted us to the PR on wikinvest, we contacted the author to let them know that we were aware of their position and were reviewing all of their edits for any perceived bias. Upon review, though, the author had stayed within Wikinvest’s guidelines — unbiased, neutral content with little in the way of predictions or overly glowing descriptions. In fact, this author happened to be better than our average contributor at citing their references. As of now, these edits have been allowed to stand and we’ll continue to monitor issues like these as they arise to see if our standards should change.

Ultimately, though, if you or any of our other users disagree with the content, there’s a great way to counteract it — help edit and contribute! On our end, we can be on the lookout for generally biased content or content that lacks citations, but just as powerful are our users as they can discuss biased content, edit the wiki directly, etc.

I guess being paid (in stock or cash) to post content isnt considered being biased at Wikinvest. So rather than waste my time counteracting paid content on the site, Ill do one better and simply avoid using it.