One thing I’ve learned over the past few months on my own personal blog is that online contests really help drive traffic and reader interactions.  Even if you don’t have thousands of blog followers, you can still get everyone involved more by offering an irresistible giveaway.  Everyone loves freebies, myself included!

Before you start running contests on your website or blog though, you need to have a game plan for getting the most from it.  Catalyst Marketers has 6 questions you should ask yourself before you begin your contest.  One idea I liked for keeping the audience engaged during the contest – give prizes throughout the contest, not just at the end.

Head over to Catalyst Marketers to see their tips for the following pre-contest questions:

1. What Are My Goals for this Online Contest?
2. Which Online Tools Will I Use to Run My Online Contest?
3. What Response Do I Want from My Audience?
4. How Will I Achieve the Desired Response From My Audience?
5. How Will I Keep My Audience Engaged Throughout the Contest?
6. What Methods Will I Use to Pick and Notify Winners of the Contest?

Questions Photo via Shutterstock