January 25, 2006

BizNicheMedia Link Baiting Competition: $1,000 Prize

Link baiting. It's the new link building. It's the single most important thing a blogger can do to get that large jolt of traffic (and links) to a new blog.

Scrivs is good at it. Darren is great at it. And we at BizNicheMedia SUCK at it.

The problem is, we want some exposure for our blogs/network. But we're too lazy and uncreative to think of good link bait ideas. So we thought to ourselves, how can we outsource link baiting?

The answer, of course, is to hold a link baiting competition. So here's the deal: whoever gives us the best link baiting idea (as subjectively determined by me and Rich) wins $500 USD. In. Cold. Hard. Cash. (We'll PayPal you.)

A few guidelines:

  • The link bait should either be something we can implement on this blog, or on our entire network.
  • It can be an article we should write, a tool we should make, a gimmick we should use, or anything else that has the potential to get BizNicheMedia.com (or our blog network) viral links... but keep in mind it needs to be something we can (and will) actually do... and we are generally pretty lazy, and do not know how to program anything.
  • Please suggest your idea in 200 words or less.
  • To review: we will choose the winning submission based on what we think is the best easily-implementable link bait idea described in 200 words or less .
  • If you are under the age of 18, you are not permitted to submit an idea. Sorry.
  • Submit your link bait idea by posting a comment on this blog entry. Make sure to use your real email address when you comment, so that if you win, we can get in touch with (and pay) you.

The deadline for submitting your link bait idea is 11:59 PM ET on January 31. The winning entry will be chosen by BizNicheMedia on February 1.

WAIT! There's a twist, of course.

7 days after the end of the competition (on Feb. 8), Rich and I will actually implement the link bait idea. (For instance, if you suggested an article that we should write, we will actually write and post the article.) If the link bait makes it to the del.icio.us / popular page within 72 hours, we'll give you another $500 USD. In. Cold. Hard. Cash.

And that's it.

So who's got a good link baiting idea for us?

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January 25, 2006 in Contests | Permalink


Comments

Post your business plan ;O)

Posted by: Chris Garrett | Jan 25, 2006 3:39:45 AM

How's that for a linkbait?
http://www.squidoo.com/linkbait/

Posted by: Dictionary | Jan 25, 2006 6:54:24 AM

My idea:

Make a product worth linking to.

Contact me for payment details.

Posted by: bart | Jan 25, 2006 7:15:27 AM

Everyone's thought are turning to taxes right now. Write a humorous article entitled Ten Best Ways to Screw The IRS.

Posted by: Donna Fontenot | Jan 25, 2006 7:34:51 AM

Write an article about how Matt Cutts is just using Google as his cover, he's really an alien.

Posted by: SEN | Jan 25, 2006 7:57:36 AM

Super Bowl Crowd Riots in Detroit
timing is everything.... get me a ticket and I will get pics after I start the riot

Posted by: AussieWebmaster | Jan 25, 2006 8:46:08 AM

Write an article about how porn is encouraged by the bible.

Posted by: SEN | Jan 25, 2006 9:17:54 AM

Create a firefox extension that allows people to monitor stats on their blog network - comments, emails, adsense revenue, traffic stats for each individual blog, all arranged inside a nice little window (think performancing for firefox)...you could do a lot with such an extension.

or, you could go with Chris's idea and post your business plan :)

Posted by: Ahmed Bilal | Jan 25, 2006 9:39:13 AM

No no no, it's too early to go meta. This is the stage where you jump on the discussion to show up on memeorandum.com. Then you run through several link bait examples. *Then* you run the contest. Next, you sell the software that promises link baiting. Finally, after the vein is completely tapped out, you write the e-book.

Clearly, you should write a "life cycle of a link bait" post, using something like the million pixel home page as an example. ;)

Posted by: Matt Cutts | Jan 25, 2006 9:50:03 AM

Write an article about the big idea you had to have creative people post their big ideas on your public blog, but every time someone posted one ten other people would quickly executed the big idea and after a week you were left with no riginal ideas to pursue despite your original, unique "big idea". A real bummer.

On second thought, that article would probably suck.

Posted by: John Andrews | Jan 25, 2006 10:17:08 AM

It seems you have already found your idea...

Pretty sharp...

Posted by: QuarteruZ | Jan 25, 2006 10:17:52 AM

That stats post just prompted another great idea I will share here. Make a stats extension *for bloggers*. One that is simple and easy. Forget all the complicated hit counts, because you really need to just dislay what matters...kinda like an executive dashboard for bloggers.

All it has to say is "you the man" or "dork", really. And be sure and use a language file, so the labels are theme-able.

"You the man" vs. "Dork"
"U ROK" vs. "U SUK"
"U GO GRRRL" vs. "NBDY CARES BOUT U"

show a demo, too. (but don't worry, demos don't actually have to work on the web).

Posted by: John Andrews | Jan 25, 2006 10:22:18 AM

Kidnapers Take Hostages in the Blogosphere

An extremist group of cats who are distraught over losing the limelight in the blogosphere break into the offices of BizNicheMedia and take hostages (insert picture of kitty sniper with rifle looking out window). The entire staff has been taken hostage and won't be released until the their demands are met (insert picture of Andy tied to chair with duct tape over his mouth). Their demands are simple, stop all professional, corporate and commercial blogging across the internet. This will restore the natural balance and cat blogging will return to it normal place at the forefront of the blog world.

Get quotes and commentary from noteable bloggers across the globe like Wobert Goble, Sven Wubel, Jay Ioto, Huey Mecloud, and others. The popular, handsome and admired Mathew Cats can be called in to negotiate for the hostages safe release.

Posted by: graywolf | Jan 25, 2006 10:41:38 AM

Create a linkbait campaign tracker like viralchart(s?).com. Then you can position yourself to see tons of linkbait techniques as they are launched.

Posted by: nuevojefe | Jan 25, 2006 10:54:30 AM

Have one of your blogging buddies post a contest to run in direct correlation to yours with the following stipulations:

A) Not linking to BizNicheMedia

B) Post a link to the non-www version of Matt Cutt's blog

Posted by: kid disco | Jan 25, 2006 11:36:37 AM

Whoa... you guys may want to look into redirecting the non-www yourselves.

Posted by: kid disco | Jan 25, 2006 11:40:29 AM

> you guys may want to look into redirecting the non-www yourselves

Meh.

Posted by: Andy Hagans | Jan 25, 2006 11:50:55 AM

Give me $200, keep the other $300 to use as a prize for a Create a WordPress Design Contest or WordPress Plugin Contest.

Then make sure all entries are downloadable from a new blog you are going to create, and the ones downloaded from your new blog, all have a link back to your site.

Then you are getting 2x the links. 1 from people excited about the contest and its $300 prize, and another from people downloading the themes from the contest from the new blog that has a link back to your site.

Posted by: David | Jan 25, 2006 12:17:03 PM

Perhaps a variation a popular radio show bit where the winner of the contest gets a famous person to call into a radio show (fame can be thought of by you in any way - net celeb, real world celeb) to link from their site to yours... Whoever is judged to have gotten the most famous person wins $250, and I get the rest.

Posted by: brian harniman | Jan 25, 2006 12:40:28 PM

Spend $200 on distributing a press release telling everyone about a new contest where you get someone famous to link to post in your blog. The person who is the most famous will win the contest.

Write an article about link bait--sorry, I tried that one a few days ago and it didn't work. Not that many people linked to it.

Posted by: Bill Hartzer | Jan 25, 2006 1:03:50 PM

Write articles and put links to your site on them. It's not an original idea but it works...

Posted by: sportsnews | Jan 25, 2006 1:21:10 PM

Write a post discussing the benifits of using third word, child labor as blog writers. Two weeks later retract the statement and post a public apology.

You'll make to the popular page twice.

Posted by: your_store | Jan 25, 2006 2:17:37 PM

Be the first site to create a web site jingle. Just like a TV jingle that gets stuck in your head all day, use a little ditty for your home page. Send the word out that you have the first web site jingle and watch the links roll in.

Posted by: Jonathan | Jan 25, 2006 2:26:43 PM

Get a large ego and do something funny or controversial. Get some big whig in your industry to give you a nickname. They'll announce your new nickname to everyone in the industry by blogging about it or just linking to you with your nickname as the link text.

Start giving other people nicknames just the link credit or just for the heck of it. They'll start blogging about you, and give all those other people links.

Posted by: Bhartzer | Jan 25, 2006 2:38:13 PM

I can one up my list suggestion-

You know those Bud Light Salutes Real Men of Genius commercials. Do one (or a couple dozen) focused on SEO.

Here's to you adding meta tags only marketer!
Here's to you Mr. wanna be first on Google by next week guy!

Posted by: Jonathan | Jan 25, 2006 2:38:14 PM

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