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An Exclusive blog just for the IndiContests? Anyone?

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The IndiBlogger forum is now a read-only archive. Every public discussion is still here to read, but new topics and replies are closed.

DS
from Mumbai |

The niche of my blog is cricket but as I participated in contests held on Indiblogger and also did some book reviews, those posts would look out of place on a cricket blog.

So when my friend Leo suggested that I create a new blog to write on other topics and keep my primary blog only for posting about cricket, I thought that made a lot of sense. I went about creating a new blog which is now awaiting approval from the Inditeam!

Have you also faced a similar problem where you might have participated in a contest but for it not being related to your blog niche, you had to drop the plans?

Has anyone created a blog so that he can participate in contests?

Edited
Reason: Title!

Replies 1 to 8 of 8

Stephen
from Raleigh |

I have not faced this problem  but I have come across certain blogs dedicated to Fashion and Food where I find contest entries. I liked your idea of maintaining a separate blog for contest stuffs.... Your primary blog should be focussed towards  the main niche for what is is written for ....

DS
from Mumbai |

Fashion blogs can participate in contests held by Dove, Sunsilk, Pantene... And a food Blogger can participate in the foodie contests. But a post on shampoos looks quite an eye sore on a food blog! So yes our main focus be on our niche.

Mischief Manager
from Gandhinagar |

But visitors from indi contests also "SOMETIME" read other posts which may increase the kind of readership you want. But if a seperate blog is created won''t the people find only indicontests and thus fail to find any of your other writings.

TF Carthick
from Bangalore |

Yes. Harshal is correct. That was the reason I and Suresh were into these contests - to attract readers from contests to the blog in general. That will be lost if it is a seperate blog.

But contest posts are wierd to have on your regular blog and can piss off regular readers, more so in a niche blog. So I came up with a different solution to the problem. I decided to quit contests for now. I am starved for time and I have so many ideas to write on. So I need to give up on contests.

DS
from Mumbai |

Yes Harshal,
Contest posts do attract some eyeballs but if a reader is not interested in cricket then I dont know what good having him read contest posts would do?

@ TF
I hope you come out of your self imposed exile!!

Mischief Manager
from Gandhinagar |

Yes TF, waiating for your contest posts. :)@DS Your blog does not host only cricket stories. Your blg does have some very good life eperiences and humor tales. So a blogger would surely want to read that.  

Anunoy Samanta
from Bardhaman |

more blogs you create less caring you become towards your blogs... very similar to parents with countless children Tongue out

Ranjith
from hyderabad |

What an analogy! Smile

DS
from Mumbai |

I agree but the other blog would be updated only when I would write about contests!!
And cricket is my life, I cannot ignore my cricket blog!!!

Anunoy Samanta
from Bardhaman |

thats really good DS... but unfortunately if all of us start this practice sponsors won't have any profit out of it Wink

Ranjith
from hyderabad |

Even I feel that my blog is filled with contest entries but because my blog doesn't cater to any specific niche, it doesn't matter much. But still, I don't want contest entries to fill my blog. But, if they are removed, my blog would become an empty white page. As others have said, it attracts visitors to your blog and increases your readership. So, we have a positive and a negative point.

One solution would be to remove the archive gadget and create a new page where you will be placing links to all your blog posts. This, would, however be a little inconvenient since it has to be updated frequently. If you do not want the contest posts to appear on the home page, you can change the date so that the blog post gets pushed out of the main page. If, you want to remove complete access to the post, remove the next page links on the bottom of every page. So, only those who have the link to the contest page can view it. For others, it would be a niche blog without any contest posts.

But, I'm sure if altering the link structure would affect SEO.

DS
from Mumbai |

The methods you have suggested are interesting but I dont think any is feasible! Out of all those options the best I think is creating a new blog, what do you feel Ranjith?

Arti
from Mumbai |

Wow, I think you are the first one here to do so! Congrats, DS! Smile

I hardly give a thought to anything other than travel... so that makes the job much more easier for me.

DS
from Mumbai |

Arti, you win every single travel contest so you dont even need to think of anything else!! What more does a traveller seek other than newer destinations!!

Shantanu Banerjee
from Mumbai |

The perfect thread, I was just thinking about your suggestion over and over in my mind, I have two blogs, one I am not that regular in (i don't want to make it a totally random mess by posting a variety of contest write up's and the other is a photography blog (no write up's) but will Indiblogger approve a blog where there are no posts ( a separate blog for contest means no other posts on that blog) can you help me out for this, I want to be a bit organized in posting and I want to do it by seperate blogs for contests and my stuffs.

DS
from Mumbai |

You need 5 posts to get your blog approved on Indiblogger. You can post 5 random posts on your contest blog, it may be anything of your interest, and get it approved by the Inditeam. Then you may use that only for contest purposes. My seperate contest blog idea did not take off though as I could not publish 5 random posts and now I dont even take part in these contests! All the best to you Shantanu.

Fairy Princess
from Delhi |

At one point, I thought about it. But then I realized, I am too lazy to do it Undecided...better have khichdi on my blog. Smile At least I would be regular in updating that.Wink

Shantanu Banerjee
from Mumbai |

Thanx DS

@FP: Let us see Main Kar pata hun ya nahi, I am uncrowned king of Procrastination Cool

Fairy Princess
from Delhi |

You are still better than me. Smile You are at least trying. I am not even doing that UndecidedSealed