Given the ascending trend of the number of blog contests, we could conclude that readers like such contests. Usually, readers who participate have their own blogs, which they use to promote the contests, hoping to win, or at least to make some new friends among their blogging fellows. Depending on the organizer’s marketing skills, contests are more or less sucessful, loyal readers are more or less happy, and new readers may or may not come in large numbers. Seeing so much fun out there, aren’t you, the reader-blogger, tempted to host your own blog contest? If you do, let’s see what you need.

How Can One Organize a Blog Contest?

Simple: define some rules, set some prizes, write an article about that and promote your contest in any way you can.
The prizes can be anything you have disposable and which may interest your readers, such as money (an amount you can afford to give without thinking for the rest of your life what you could have done with it), webhosting, blog template redesign, logo design, pens, USB keys…
What if you have no money, no skills, no giveaways, nothing? Lots of bloggers found the answer: get some sponsors for your contest. There will always be companies or other bloggers interested in offering something in exchange for some good PR.

Unfortunately, this was not the case of Ashwin Khanna, a blogger who had no resources, but still wanted to host a contest on his blog. So, he announced a $2500 prize, watched happily how his readers took the bait and linked to his blog, and in the end, after changing the contest rules a couple of times, Ashwin announced that the prize was won by a free hosted wordpress blog, with no blogger name, a blog which was set up only two days prior to the lucky draw.

Lots of links for free, you would say. So Ashwin said, until some wise readers discovered the scam. You can read the whole story on ContestBlogger, who not only wrote about it, but also found a way to indulge the fooled readers, by setting up a Revenge Contest.

Amongst other reader-bloggers who wrote about this scam are:

Roberta Ferguson - Ashwin Khanna Sucks And Why

The Linkbait - 2500 Contest No Joke

Thatedeguy - Ashwin Is Giving Away 2500 - Fraud

Blogitude - Asshat of the day - Ashwin Khanna

Adamok - Got Scammed By Ashwin Khanna

For a bigger list of articles, try to Google for Ashwin Khanna scam and you’ll get some 600 reactions to his foolish gesture.

Readers talk. And many of them also write. You want them on your side, so treat them with respect. If this case was not enough, please do check out some more reasons why bloggers should fear their readers. Afterwards, you are welcome back to share with us your thoughts about such cases.

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