Some people smirk when they ask me why I enter contests. Ummm....
Do you like going to casinos? I don't. Too noisy.
Do you like buying lottery tickets? I can't. Not in the budget.
Do you like winning things? Me too! See, we're not that different after all, are we? Why so smug?
Seriously, contests and giveaways are nothing more than a game of chance. It's a hobby that costs me nothing and offers the possibility of winning a prize. I've won two in the last week and it's a nice little surprise that I wouldn't count on any more than I'd try to live a lifestyle that assumes Lotto Max Jackpot Winner is the forever last thing listed on my resume. A fairytale like that is doubtful, but once upon a time, I won a book contest. I couldn't foresee how winning a small prize would add so much to my life. The book was awesome and led me to the author's website, which I followed to the chat board, and ended up making some of the best real life friends a woman could ask for. Not bad for a little contest, huh?
Two things I've been asked are 'do you ever win?' and 'how do you find them?' See above and, if it interests you and you're looking for advice, I'm happy to share what's been shared with me. Please take it with a grain of salt because I'm no expert at this - it's a game of chance, remember? Keeping that spirit in mind, it can be a fun hobby. Good ideas to consider if you're going to enter more than the occasional contest, sweepstake, or giveaway:
- Setting up a dedicated email account for contesting will save you a lot of headaches. Knowing that newsletters (sponsors often ask you to sign up for) won't interfere with the important things in your personal email account makes it less intimidating to share some information. Plus, it's just good sense to layer your online security as much as you can. Word of advice: make it something short and easy to remember. You'll be typing it a lot, especially if you choose daily contests.
- Social media is loaded with giveaways and most offer extra entries for sharing on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest, Discord, LinkedIn, Twitch, What'sApp, etc. Finding them is easy using hashtags like #giveaway and #giveawaytime. Follow accounts that interest you. For instance, I won't bother opening a Discord or Twitch account, but if you're hoping to win gaming related prizes you can't go wrong to be where the gaming community hangs out. I like to win books and beauty-related prizes so I regularly check Instagram and TikTok - it's where the pretty influencers with sponsors live. Twitter and Facebook are well-rounded possibility sources. Pinterest and LinkedIn are good for easy shares to earn bonus entries. Word of advice: if you're going to enter a lot, your family and friends won't thank you for oversharing no matter how much you want extra entries to win that prize. Don't assume they'll be interested in things you think they will -- trust me, I learned that the hard way. Sorry. It might be a good idea to open dedicated social media accounts and let like-minded folks find you. They will.
- Watch out for scammers. Entering any giveaways on social media can open you up to scammers. They create fake profiles that appear to be the sponsor or host of contests you've entered, then send you a private DM telling you that you've won and to follow instructions in a link. Then, they try to get you to enter banking information. There are laws regarding any sort of contest and they vary by geographic location, but NO reputable sponsor or host will ask you for this information. Report any account that tries to immediately and block them. It's appreciated if you send a friendly heads-up DM letting the owner of the actual sponsor/host account know so they can warn their other followers, if they haven't already. There's no need to let this turn you off contesting. There's plenty of others available that don't involve social media if you don't want to take the chance.
- Find a way to keep track of what you've entered so you don't disqualify yourself in error. Entering a one-time contest twice will eliminate your participation. Some dailies mean once every 24 hours and any sooner will end in the same result. A little organization ahead of time helps avoid frustration. You may think you couldn't possibly forget, but if you enter a fair amount of book contests with daily entries, for example, it can quickly get your thinker thunked. I find Google Calendar a good way to stay organized and set reminders of when to watch for potential win notifications. I also send myself emails and keep them in a separate folder. This was helpful recently when a prize arrived for winning a contest I didn't remember entering.
- Perhaps the easiest way to find the fun in contesting is to be around other people who do too. Look for groups on social media that are run by reputable hosts who usually require you to follow rules to join. That's a good thing. Start with Golden Goose Giveaways on Facebook and you'll be amazed at how many potential prizes are waiting for you to win them. Find your people!
- Seek out contesting sites that feel right for you. I swear by Canadian Free Stuff (in my links) and Save-a-Loonie for Canadian content, and for contests that are open to both Canada/US, I regularly use Royal Draw. Signing up to RD also allows you to earn points by sharing contests, coupons and deals. The points can be used to 'buy' giftcards and it's surprising how quickly they can add up. RD also has daily draws for $50 - $100 giftcards. As I write this, there are active draws for Visa, Amex, Amazon, Best Buy, Starbucks, Netflix, Tim Horton's, Uber & UberEats, and a Winner's Choice. There's more on contesting sites below.
- Choose what interests you. It's not a one-size fits all. Some contests are simple to enter once, are run by corporations, and have a lot of people vying for the same big prize you are. Blog-run giveaways can be a great source and a more personal experience. Prizes are smaller, less people enter, and they usually have multiple ways to earn entries and a way to earn bonus entries daily. It's just a matter of personal taste.
- Don't be afraid to walk away from any that are causing aggravation or concern. This is a hobby. It's supposed to be fun. I've ditched contests on sites that are too laggy, have too many requirements, or just bug me for whatever reason. There's currently one that I've been entering daily and it uses a slot machine sound effect that, to me, is totally unnecessary and it scares the bejeebers out of me every time. I may ditch it. Maybe. More importantly, walk away from any contest that gives you a bad feeling. No prize is worth ignoring your instinct. If something seems unreasonable, it probably is.
- There's another site I joined for Canadian/US contests, but it deserves its own number (numero uno for me despite the bullet point here!) I can't say enough good things about Contestgirl. Not only does the site owner have around 2000+ contests posted at any given time - yes, that many - she also generously has a section for members to save the ones entered, add private notes, and it keeps track of when you last accessed the link. In addition, you can save other contests you've entered off-site. It's also a great place to get referral bonuses as members share their links in referral chains. Thank you, Linda!
- If you're going to enter a fair amount of contests consider downloading an auto-fill program. I use the free version of RoboForm and it allows me to enter more contests than I'd ever have time for without. Some of them are like a slot machine. I drink my coffee with one hand and plays my chances with the other. It also saves all my passwords securely. Basically, I'm a little old lady in Vegas waiting for the bells to start chiming.
- Remember what they taught you in kindergarten: please mind your manners. There are real people behind the screen reading your comments, running contesting sites, and hosting giveaways. Nothing is more gross than someone who thinks they're entitled to win a contest. Except someone who is rude about it. Nobody owes anyone the chance to win things, so take a moment to thank sponsors and hosts for the opportunity, help out newbies, and be a nice member of the contesting community.
- Lastly, because I want it first in your mind, read the rules. It's where you'll find how often you can enter, what methods, when the contest ends, where/how winners will be announced/notified, etc. It's also where sponsors add disclaimers and high-value prizes and big companies usually add an indemnity clause. When you enter any contest, you are agreeing to what is written in the rules. Just like you wouldn't sign a contract without reading it first, know for yourself what's involved, and don't agree to anything that you're not comfortable with.
I've linked to Contestgirl, Royal Draw, RoboForm and Wiki's explanation of indemnity (because it can seem scary to some people. Read up, it's not.) At the moment, my HTML situation is still not allowing me to always change the colour of links, so I thought I'd mention it. Other underlining is simply me making a point. For anyone who wants to give it a whirl, I'll add a couple of fun contests on the right hand sidebar, with the disclaimer that your entering gives me a referral bonus, and then you're free to try for referrals bonuses by sharing with your friends or keep visiting mine. Just click on the pic and go win something.
Have fun and good luck!!