Blog contests are events where bloggers try and make a bunch of attention for themselves and get bunches of links back by only providing a reward to a few of the people that help spread the word.

Not only are blog contests very selfish promotional tools some bloggers use, they are rather annoying.

The post that kicks off a blog contest interrupts (wastes) everyone’s attention, but then the blog will make updates to the contest over the length of the waste of time.

Then many of the other bloggers need to post about the blog contest saying, “hey here is a blog contest” and then eventually everybody is making useless posts about a blog contest where the only one that really wins is the person holding the contest.

Nothing personal, But I Won’t Sponsor/Plug Your Contest

I’ve had a handful of people ask me to plug their contest or sponsor their contest over the last couple of weeks. I’m sure I’ve mentioned before I don’t like blog contests, however I couldn’t find a post to point them to so the reason for this one.

Nothing personal that I won’t participate, I just don’t wake up in the morning and read your blog to hope I “might” win a free ebook or $50 paypal and have no desire to hear you and others talk about this contest over the next few weeks.

Blog contests are cheap gimmicks that authors use to try and get more visitors to their site.

Do Something Better With Your Time

Blog contests take tons of energy from the blogger and the community. Why not invest that time/money/energy into something useful for your readers?

Make a cool tool. Make improvements. Make a cool resource. Upgrade your site. Do something useful for EVERYBODY instead of wasting everybodies time for a few lucky people.

Is this a bingo hall?

For some reason contests seem to really cheapen a blog and give the feel of a bingo hall or dog track.

For me, In the real world it’s the equivalent of hanging out at a nice restaurant (a regular blog) or hanging out down the hall at a bingo hall (the contest) hoping to win a few bucks.

Virtually Useless

Other than providing value for the blogger (Personally I think the blogger holding the contest looks kinda corny doing it, do you really need to bribe readers?) and a few winners, blog contests are a waste of time and pretty much useless.