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Do You Do Blog Challenges?

65 Comments / Blogging Tutorials, Guest Posts / By /

Blog Challenges.

What a great way to get exposure, traffic, subscribers, money and maybe backlinks all at the same time.

Well, the above statement depends upon the challenge.

There is only one other way, that I can think of, that gives all these benefits – Guest blogging.

Nowadays, you can see a lot of blogging related challenges online. Participating in those challenges offers you a good deal of benefits. In this blog post, we will take a good look at the benefits of hosting and participating in a blog challenges.

Do You Host Blog Challenges?

Blog ChallengesWhat is a blog challenge?

Well, if you ask me, it ranges anything from a small giveaway to big bash writing contests.

Blog challenges also refer to personal challenges that you take (we will talk about this later in the participation section).

So, do you host blog challenges?

Why or why not?

It does offer a lot of benefits to you.

For instance, if you decided to harness the power of guest blogging and combine to a blog challenge, to form a guest blogging contest, here are the usual benefits:

  • Traffic – Guest bloggers blog and they market their blog posts (And if they market the blog post, you get exposure along with it).  And that, my dear friend, may mean a whole lot of new subscribers and readers for your blog.
  • Fresh, new voice – You see, people always like reading things from a different perspective. So, why not give them that? Some of your readers might be bored reading your article (who knows, there are not really going to tell you).
  • Vacation – Take a break from blogging or better yet, plan and write out some articles for future. Or may be, comment on some blogs.
  • Backlinks – You will get backlinks,  if you have about the contest as a required thing for the contest.
  • Interaction – Interact with various bloggers, work with them, make friends.
  • Community – Many guest bloggers do spend a lot of time to market their article and get more comments, which in turns helps you to build (or strengthen) your blog community.

You could also have more benefits depending upon the rules of the contest.

Hosting a blog challenge is not a bad idea at all. And you don't have to have money to host a challenge. You could host personal blog challenges – write a post everyday for next 2 weeks –  that don't really require a prize or award your eBook/product for contest winners.

The Key is to be creative. You can really get the most out of this through creative thinking. I think, Jane is the first one to incorporate the idea of back link points to guest blogging contest.

Do You Participate in Blog Challenges?

As I mentioned earlier, blog challenges can be of two types

  • Ones hosted by you.
  • Ones hosted by others.

The ones that are hosted by you (for yourself) are used to increase your productivity. For instance: I recently had a personal blog challenge in which I challenged myself to write at least 2 articles per weekday. With the exception of few days when I wrote one instead of two, I was successful with the challenge.

And can you guess what I accomplished:

Lot of guest posts = Exposure, Traffic, Backlinks and Networking.

The most important of all, Community, I was able to build a community at my blog.

When you are hosting personal blog challenges, be sure that you can find time for it, commit to it and it is something useful to your blog.

How To: Setup Personal Blog Challenges

  • Identify something that you really need to work on – Commenting? Writing more articles? Networking?
  • Form a really targeted challenge – for instance: Comment 3 times in at least 10 different blogs every week day.
  • Commit to yourself to the challenge – If you want things to get a little more easier, write a blog post about your challenge, this will put more pressure on you – pressure to perform the challenge.
  • Make a small schedule – Allot time to your personal challenge. Promise yourself to not do anything else by following the challenge.
  • Accept the challenge and Take Action
  • Write about it – After you achieve/fail the challenge, write about it. What were your positives? What were your negatives? If you didn't pass the challenge, write about what you could have done better? Share your experience because experience is the best tip.

Personal challenges are really a lot like Personal goals. They add up and help you to achieve your long term goals.

Blog challenges hosted by others – Well, the main incentive here is the prize itself. Participating in blog challenges may get you exposure, traffic, subscribers, and money (all of this depends upon the challenge).

You will probably know the  benefits of participating in blog challenges hosted by others, so I am not going to write about those.

Blog Challenges – The Key

The Key here is to be creative and do things creatively. Participate in blog challenges. Enjoy. Don't Worry, Be Happy. Even if you fail, because mistakes teach us  – failures are more valuable than success. By the way, if you liked the article, do let me know of your comments!

 

65 thoughts on “Do You Do Blog Challenges?”

    1. Jacko

      Excellent article. I believe challenges or contests work excellently when done right.
      Cain’t have too many steps to join and it should be interesting and maybe humorous.
      =>Also I think a portion should contribute to charity or a worthy cause.

      What wants to challenge me?

      1. Jeevanjacobjohn

        Hey Jacko,

        Thank you!

        Yes, of course. Don’t make things too complicated (making it easy isn’t smart either). You want things just to be right.

        Have you participated in any blog challenges (personal and/or public)? Do you have anything else to share? By the way, congrats on your achievement of gaining a PR of 3 in 2 months 😀

    2. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Hey Kenny,

      That’s great. Are you planning to go for personal or public – as in others can participate and earn something – blog challenge?

      Would you mind to share you ideas with us?

      Thanks!

      1. Kenny Fabre

        Jeevan

        I will make it a public blog challenge, it will be better because all types of bloggers can participate and it will drive me more traffic

  2. bbrian017

    Hi Jeevan, I know your busy right now and I thank you for taking on the Blog Engage challenge and joining our contest! Your also hitting pro blogging success hard and I wish you best of luck n that contest to. You set a great example my friend I’m very proud to have you as a Blog Engage member.

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Hey Brian,

      No problem, Brian 🙂

      Thanks for all your support and encouragement 🙂

  3. Lilibeth

    Haven’t done one yet. I am still a small business blog. I do have a New Years challenge running, but it is more the sort of thing do in the privacy of their own homes, rather than blogging about it.

    Will give it some thought.

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Hey Lilibeth,

      You should 😀 Yeah, it doesn’t matter whether it is a personal or a public one – all that matters is that the challenge helps you, your blog.

      Anyways, thanks for the comment 🙂

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Hey Bhupendra,

      Yes, of course 🙂

      Have you participated in any challenges yet, personal or public?

  5. katherin

    I like blog challenges,but i haven’t participate yet..
    Blog challenge benefits are too good..your post makes me to participate…

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      You should 😀

      I am glad that my post helped.

      Thanks for the comment, Katherin!

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Yes, of course. There are too many benefits 😀

      By the way, Earl, have you had any personal blog challenges? If so, could you describe your experience with it?

  7. Amit Shaw

    Jeevan,
    I like blog challenges but I havent done any, I thinking of some ideas to start one. I have took only one chalange ” My 7 Link Challange”. Thats really help me a lot. I just enter into blogging arena.. So much thing is there to learn so hope i haveto start some challanges on future.
    Thanks for sharing.
    ~ Amit Shaw

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Hey Amit,

      That’s great. How did it go?

      Have you taken any personal blog challenges? Since you just started out, I strongly recommend you to take some personal challenges – for publishing posts, marketing it etc. What do you think?

      Thanks for the comment, Amit 🙂

      1. Amit Shaw

        My 7Link Challange Got Highest PageViews 🙂 for my site. But soon i’ll start it. As i told you i have to learn so many things, just i am collecting Information from other blog by reading articles. Thanks to Ileane Mam, i really got too many ideas from this site. Hope i’ll get Ideas from You also. Thanks.

        1. Jeevanjacobjohn

          That’a great 😀 Yeah, you should try new ones.

          Yes, Basic Blog tips is one of the best blogging related site you and find on internet 😀

          Thanks for the reply, Amit!

  8. Harleena Singh

    Interesting topic Jeevan!

    This is another important area that I have yet to tap. In-fact, I have been approached by so many people to take up the challenges or to host one- but I still haven’t really given it a serious thought as yet! Guess sooner or later would have to get into it for the very reasons you mentioned. I am just waiting to get my writing blog running once again as its just shifted to WordPress.

    Thanks for sharing 🙂

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Hey Harleena,

      Thank you 🙂

      That’s great 😀 You should try hosting a challenge that are along the lines of your niche. You could try personal or public – depending upon what you want to achieve. You should try it. Let me know how it works out.

      Congrats on switching to WordPress (I know how tedious it can be, switching blog platforms. Glad that you made it.)

      No problem and thanks for joining the discussion 😀

  9. Suroor Wijdan

    Interesting topic. But my thinking differs a bit. According to me why not post that well written article on your blog instead of posting it on some other blog. If you are giving time to an article and writing good original content than you should post it on your blog only as it will draw readers towards it naturally.

    Its just my point of view, nothing against the author 🙂

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Hey Suroor,

      Yes, I can understand your views. Having great content in your blog is awesome. But, if you don’t have a good number of readers to read the post, then it is no use. Your effort will be wasted (I know this from my own experience).

      Guest blogging allows you to gain exposure (so does blog challenges).

      By the way, what are your thoughts on blog challenges? Have you had any personal and/or public blog challenges?

  10. Vimal Dwivedi

    Hi, Jeevan Great Article , I haven’t taken part in any Blog challenges but now looking for
    great Blogging competition , I am also looking forward to take part on Blog Engage Challenges….

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Thank you Vimal!

      You should try them out 😀

      By the way, have you tried any personal blog challenges?

      1. Vimal Dwivedi

        Hello , jeevan , Thanks for your reply , no I didn’t tried any Personal challenges because of lack of time , but in future I have plans for personal challenges…
        thanks again for your reply……

  11. Lisa

    I have done a couple but would like to do more. Great idea for when you are on vacation to have guest bloggers too. I will have to think of some new creative ways to do it!

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Hey Lisa,

      How did it go? What did you get out of participating in those challenges (would you mind to share your experience :D).

      Thanks for the comment 🙂

  12. Paul Salmon

    I have seen many blog challenges, and have been invited to participate, but I have yet to enter one. Many of the prizes that are awarded to the winner of the challenges are terrific, so it does make it tempting. Maybe I’ll take a shot at entering one soon.

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Hey Paul,

      You should 😀 and don’t forget to tell me your experience 😀

      By the way, have you tried any personal blog challenges?

  13. Ryan

    This is something i havent really considered yet as I still am quite small but will be looking it to it more as my site grows now.The benefits seem great for all partys involved.

  14. Spatch Merlin - How to Blog

    A blog challenge seems a good idea. Great idea indeed! Thanks for sharing this. Do you have any website in mind (in the relevant niche) which currently hosts a blog challenge?

    Thanks.
    Spatch Merlin

  15. Paneru

    Today, I am very happy that I got something new to read. blog challenge is quite new for me. I am going to try it. Thank you very much for sharing this stuff.

  16. Lily Rose

    I’ve never participated or hosted one because I feel I’m still not up for it, but I love watching them and observing the experienced bloggers do it. It’s a nice way to build a community

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Don’t worry about that, Lily. You should try them. It doesn’t matter whether you are a popular blog or not. For instance: Look at me, I don’t not much of a blogger either. But, I like participating in blog challenges because it gives me a lot of benefits.

      Thanks for joining the discussion, Lily 😀

  17. Rob

    This is an interesting topic man!

    Have you found in hosting contests, that more traffic on your site equals more conversions? I would love to bring a lot of people to the site, but if they don’t convert, it doesn’t really help me.

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Hey Rob,

      Thanks 😀

      Yes. Conversions are really important. You could just tweak your blog to include certain elements to help the reader to make a decision (What should they do after reading your post?).

      Thanks for joining the discussion!

  18. doug_eike

    I have not done a blog challenge, nor have I allowed guest writers to post on my blog. For me, it’s a matter of quality-control. I simply am not willing to post material that is poorly conceived and written, and I don’t have time to edit other folks’ work. I guess it’s a personal preference, because I’m sure that many blog owners have derived great benefit from blog challenges. Thanks!

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Hey Doug,

      It doesn’t have to be about guest blogging. You could host a small giveaway as a public blog challenge or just a personal blog challenge. Speaking of personal blog challenges, have you tried any yet?

  19. Megan R. Stinson

    Indeed blog challenge is a great way to expose your self in the net! I have done few challenges and its worth a try. Those bloggers who haven’t try this you’ve got to try it! 🙂 It’s fun and very useful.

  20. Jeevanjacobjohn

    Yes, of course. You learn from experience. Blog challenges are a great way to gain exposure and other benefits along with experience.

    Thanks for the comment 🙂

  21. Sandipan Mukherjee

    hey jeevan…. first thank you for the wonderful post and your blog challenge is very useful for us . BTW from where do you get this kinda content..coz i hardly get any gr8 idea like this!! 🙂

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Hey Sandipan,

      No problem 🙂 I hope that this post helped you.

      Well, if you think this is a great idea, what would you say when you read articles by others bloggers like Ileane, Brian, Holly, Christian? Their articles are just too good.

      Coming to my inspiration, I get it through different media – comments, reading other blogs, just random connections.

      Thanks for joining the discussion!

  23. Tuan

    It is really not easy to hold a blog challenge successfully. I tried to hold a small contest on my blog with the prize of about $200 but it didn’t attract much attention, I can say I failed with it. The contest should be interesting and creative to get more contestants, at the same time, it also requires hard work to promote to people.
    Thanks for the post, jeevan.

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Hey Tuan,

      Yes, of course. I did host a challenge in my 1st year of blogging. And it didn’t work either. There might be many reasons for the failure – for me, it was mainly because my blog wasn’t that popular – it still was brand new and I didn’t do much marketing.

      You should try another one, Tuan 😉

      Anyways, thanks for sharing your insights!

  24. Blog Experiment

    I don’t take part in challenges, but my own new blog is my own personal challenge! To post every day, whether it’s a weekday or not, and to try and make a success of the blog within a year, without spending a penny on it. And the frequency of posts are determined by technology stories I find interesting.

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Yeah, of course. Building up a blog is definitely a challenge 😉

      I hope you have fun with it (And results too). Thanks for the comment!

  25. Larry Lourcey

    Blog challenges are definitely a big time expense, but they really do increase your traffic. Just gotta find the time and keep things organized!
    @larryphoto

    1. Jeevanjacobjohn

      Hey Larry,

      Yes, of course. It does take time and effort (but they do earn your traffic).

      Thanks for the comment, Larry!

      By the way, have you tried any personal blog challenges?

  26. ICCIEV

    This is really an amazing article with lots of useful tips, accepting challenges wither by hosting a challenge on your blog or commit to do some basic tasks like commenting other blogs are always helpful not only to increase your traffic but also to build your skills, when have to do something in a time frame you will then learn strategies on how to do it perfectly within the time frame, thanks for sharing this great article.

  27. Abhi Balani

    Great article Jeevan.

    But one need to do it carefully. Gather every information about it. Make it perfect otherwise it will leave a bad impression. Isn’t it?

  28. Deepak

    This is a perspective I have been in the know of for long now. But I do not think it is a very good strategy to involve yourself in all blog contests that come along.

    It makes sense if the contest that you want to be a part of is some how related to the niche of your blog. Anyways, thanks for expressing your views.

  29. M. J. Joachim

    I’m currently involved in 2 blog challenges simultaneously, and I’m having a wonderful time! This is a very informative article. Thank you:)

  30. Mario M.

    Hey JJ. I am not a big fan of challenges but I would like to wish the participants all the very best. I am sure the blogging industry will get some good blogs due to challenges and contests. It will also be very good for the readers.

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