If you’ve been following DaBlogger, you’ve known that contests are a big reason that this blog has shot up so quickly. Already, this blog has almost 200 subscribers, which is more than most blogs get in a year! Also, I spend less than an hour or two weekly updating and answering email, and this blog has started to bring in money too.

The problem people have is getting prizes. How do you get prizes for a new contest? If your prizes aren’t good, no one will enter, so you’ll be wasting your time. Here’s how you can make sure your contest is a success.

Self sponsored. Of course, you can put something forward by yourself. In DB’s contest for example, I’ve sponsored $50 through Paypal, along with some ad spots and links in the past.

If you have prizes already sponsored, it is easier to get others to sponsor your contest as you will create a sense of urgency.

Fellow bloggers. By just sending an email personally, you will find other bloggers willing to sponsor your contests. Make sure you give them ideas of what they could sponsor – an ad spot, some consultation, some links, maybe a paid review… in the case of bloggers with products, you could ask them to sponsor it if you like it, be it an eBook or even a premium theme.

Forums. Forums (and similar communities like Entrecard) are a great place to find sponsors. So many targeted people all in one place, and you’ll not just find sponsors for your contest, but also be able to promote it when it starts. By posting it publicly, you are not just getting exposure but also building links to your website / blog (if the forum is dofollow).

There are more ways to get sponsors, but the above are the easiest. By using the above I have gotten together a contest with more than fifty entrants, and I had to do very little work to get it there. Have you had contests in the past, and if so what did you do to get prizes? :)

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