Follow the bouncing ball:

1.  I get an email saying I have a new follower on Twitter.

2.  I go to that person’s Twitter home page, then to her blog and see an announcement for a contest — it’s here:

http://www.inspiredmoneymaker.com/2008/07/14/blog-contest-three-times-the-prizes/

3.  Paul Piotrowski is the blogger at the above link and he has done something fabulous!  In order to draw new readers to his blog and promote his upcoming membership program, he is holding a contest and giving away points (he calls them “tickets”) for each action related to the contest.

Well, last weekend I was having dinner with Willie Crawford, and he showed me his cool Flip video camera.  Video is definitely my next adventure in tech learning, so of course I want one of these Flip cameras.  And now– less than one week later here I am seeing a contest.  The prize: the exact Flip I want.

Here’s the learning.  Paul walks visitors to his blog through each step to get points.  One way to get points?  Take his survey.  Brilliant!  Another way?  Use social media like Twitter, Digg and StumbleUpon to plug the contest.

You can do that too.  What do you have that you could give away?  Or could you get a sponsor for your contest?   Then tell your subscribers and visitors how they can win– and walk them through using the viral power of social media to connect with new people all over the world.

One option I would have added: give points to any new subscribers to your newsletter, ezine, or blog feed.

Follow Paul’s example of what TO do and think creatively to draw in new viewers and subscribers.   I may do something fun like that, too.

So tell me… what would YOU want to win?