Giveaways: Trying Something New (Updated!)

July 8, 2009 by Caryn

I am really enjoying the comments I’ve already received. Thank you so much for your input! One of the questions posed was whether or not extra entries would be given for things that have already been done on current giveaways. The answer is yes. Nothing has been changed as of yet. There are only two giveaways (specifically for the $50 Visa cards) that are not allowing extra entries (unless you use Twitter) and those have been stated since the posts went live. I’m just trying to make giveaways fun and fair for everyone! I’ll be using your feedback to revise how giveaways are conducted so stay tuned!

You may have noticed that a couple of my giveaways are only accepting extra entries for “tweeting.” I’ve read several bloggers share their opinions on the matter so I thought I’d try it out to see how you, my readers, like it.

Here are my thoughts….

When I enter a giveaway, it’s usually for something I’d really like to win…something useful…something I may not necessarily have the means to purchase myself. I like multiple entries. I like increasing my odds of winning. That’s why I enter in the first place (when I do).

The discussion around the blogosphere surrounds the motivation behind a blogger’s multiple entry method for giveaways. Obviously, each blogger has his/her own reasons as to why he/she offers multiple entries and I cannot judge anyone but myself. Here is what I hope… I hope that if you subscribe to my blog or tell others about it, it’s because you really enjoy it. Maybe it’s the pictures…or my writing style…or my charm and wit (hehe). Maybe you like reading about going green or you’re looking for honest opinions on the latest baby and child products. Maybe you just really like giveaways and you don’t want to miss a single one. Whatever your reason for subscribing/telling others…thank you! And know that I value your readership and love connecting with you. But also know that you can stop by, enter, and leave…no strings attached…no hard feelings.

So that leaves the question…what do you, as readers, like when it comes to giveaways. Extra entries? No extra entries? Somewhere in the middle? I will take your feedback to heart and revise the way I conduct giveaways if I feel like a majority of you are asking for that!

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Comments

11 Responses to “Giveaways: Trying Something New (Updated!)”

andrea mcmann

I never used to do extra entries, until I saw them on other blogs, and I thought it was kind of a cool idea. I’ve recently been thinking of not doing them anymore, or not very many. This is partly because of the things people have been saying about multiple entries, but partly because it takes up so much of my time, both in reading comments and listing a bunch of entry methods at the end of each giveaway post.

That said, I have no problem with multiple entries on other blogs. I’m more likely to go for an extra entry method that’s something easy, like tweeting or subsribing to an feed. I usually only subscribe if I like the blog anyway, though. If it’s a product I really want to win terribly, I’ll do most or all of the extra entries.

Alexia

I like having extra entries, but at the same time I don’t think extra entries (or even required entries) should demand that you follow them (blog or twitter), subscribe to their blog or leave a comment on a previous post. I think it’s a low and unfair way to build numbers and it shouldn’t happen. I, personally, refuse to follow someone just to get some extra entries, it’s ridiculous.

I think asking people to mention a specific giveaway on twitter or their blog is fine (as an extra) or handing out extra entries for doing a little more footwork on the sponsor’s site.

Honestly I don’t to twitter, facebook or Myspace so that leaves those kind of enries out for me.

However, I do like the initial entry where you have to say something about the product or company etc.. I also like getting an extra entry from being a subscriber.

I have to admit that when there are contests with extra entries I tend to not enter them as I know that between being in the military and having a family, my time is so limited that I will probably only be able to get one entry in. The minute I see that so many people already have 3 or 4 or more extra entries I know that my chances of winning are slim to none. I like the one enty as it gives everybody a fair playing field and it also gives you hope that you really do have a chance of winning. I love your site because I have a 3 month old daughter, my first baby, and I have so many questions about the best baby products. Thank you so much for caring enough to ask about what we really like in a giveaway.

Emily B. (Emily's Latest)

I like extra entries, but I only really like certain ones. The ones I like:
- learning something new about a product. This promotes actually reading the sponsor’s site, plus I get to learn something about a product I am interested in.
- choosing my favourite product from the sponsor. I like pretend-shopping and it gives me a chance to learn more about what they offer.
- blogging about the giveaway. Promos for both the sponsor and the host. Why not?
- adding the host blogger’s button. It’s pretty easy, adds eye candy to my blog and promotes the host blogger too.
- following in Google friends. It’s all about networking, plus it keeps me up to date on what’s going on at a blog I have found to share my own interests.

The ones I don’t like:
- emailing friends and cc’ing the blogger. I just don’t want to spam my friends. If they’re into giveaways they’ll read my own blog where I share the giveaways I have found that I like already, and don’t need the email clutter.
- making one action worth extra entries. I don’t want to comment 10 times that I blogged.
- purchasing something from the sponsor for extra entries. I may or may not end up buying from the sponsor, but I don’t think it should influence whether I win.
- Twitter entries. I don’t tweet or whatever.
- daily entries. Mainly because not all of us have the time.
- Facebook entries. This is a personal reason, because a lot of the giveaways I enter are for mom/baby and I’m not ready to share with everyone I’ve ever known, including exes, business clients and extended family that we’re TTC.

Ok rant over

So does this mean we don’t get extra entries for being a subscriber? I don’t do the whole twitter thing, but I do love getting extra entries and that is another reason why I subscribe.

First off, I’d like to thank you for all the time you put into your blog…especially the reviews and giveaways!

I have to agree with a lot of what Emily said. I like learning more about a product/company so asking for the first comment to be something about that is great. I also like getting an extra entry for being a subscriber/follower.

As far as the extra entries, I don’t have my own blog so I can’t blog about the giveaway, I don’t tweet (don’t really get the whole twittering thing) and I also don’t want to email friends because I’d feel like I was spamming them. I also don’t have facebook or myspace. I can understand giving extra entries for these things, but not five or ten extra entries. Doesnt seem fair to the person who just enjoys reading/following blogs and doesnt have their own blog.

Thanks for taking the time to ask your readers/followers for their opinions!

I personally say no extra entries. That’s where it starts to get crazy…..do this and this and this. I personally as a mom of two toddlers and a newborn don’t have time to do all the extra stuff, and I feel like my one entry is not going to compare to the others who did all the extra stuff, that I almost just should not even bother entering! Just my two cents…

I think the extra entries should be limited to: being a subscriber and/or following your blog . The only reason I got on Twitter and Facebook was to get extra giveaway entries and I hate all of the “spam” I’m getting as a result. I also really dislike being asked to subscribe to the sponsor’s mailing list or email updates – when I know I’m going to end up unsubscribing from them later. I think it’s pretty cool that you asked us our feelings on the subject:)

Jayne @ Misplaced City Girl

I really thought about this when I listed my first giveaway yesterday. I did make the required entry for folks to tell a little something from their life about the subject. I added Follow, Twitter & Tweet, and Blogging for 3 entries with a link back to my sponsor. I don’t mind the extra entries. It’s like when I was entering Sweeps all the time…Instant Win Games have the highest number of entries, One Time Entries are next, with Multiple last. Most people don’t like the Multiple because if they don’t stay on it their odds are bad. I won my Florida vacation in a Multiple Entry from VeggieTales. I don’t go back to RT each day even when it’s offered because I no longer use the ShareWare that I used to keep my Sweeps organized. Odds are odd…there’s no luck involved, it’s all numbers. It doesn’t matter if I put in 10 entries at one blog or 10 individual entries at 10 blogs. It’s about choosing what you want to take the time to win. JMO

Stephanie

I, personally, don’t like multiple entries. It gets a little ridiculous, in my opinion, when someone can enter 10 or 20 different ways. Because really…who has time for that? And also – multiple entries unfairly “reward” the most tech savvy among us. Many of my readers don’t have blogs, twitter accounts, etc. so I don’t want to put them at a disadvantage.

I have many more thoughts on this topic but I’m saving them for an upcoming blog post…

I’ll keep reading your blog and entering your giveaways no matter what you decide, Caryn. I think you’re awesome.

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