The online world has made it so easy to enter competitions and you also get some instant gratification that your entry has been received. Back in the day when I was a child we had our saturday morning programme ‘Swap Shop’ and we would wait all week for it to come on our screens. Then if you wanted to enter a competition you had to write the answer on a postcard, post it and wait until the following saturday to find out if you had been lucky and won. Just imagine all of those huge mail bags full of slips of paper, it seems crazy now to think that all over the country people were walking down to their postbox clutching their ‘hopefully’ lucky entry ticket. Fast forward to now and look how easy it is. Click of a button and you’re in it to win it, amazing!
I was doing a little research a couple of months ago on how to host a competition on my site as I thought it would be something fun to do. Now, I don’t know if this ever happens to you but I normally start out with one thing in mind and then the internet lures me somewhere completely different! This time wasn’t so bad but I did find myself entering a whole host of different competitions on different sites and platforms. The thing is, a week or so later I had an email and I had actually won something; a £50 voucher from first choice lighting. Now this isn’t a sponsored post, I have put the link in there because a) I actually won and I’m still over the moon! and b) I was really pleased by the lovely emails I received from Amy who contacted me about my win.
One of my winning lamps!
I ordered the most stylish lamps I’ve ever owned and it all came out of the blue from that whirl of entering a few weeks ago.
Since then I’ve been having about an hour a week entering different competitions and giveaways and guess what…I haven’t won again! But..I do keep trying:)
I have also really enjoyed hosting the competitions on my site and they have been so successful that I’ve even put in a new menu header on my blog so they can be found easier. Have a little look if you have time. There are loads of ways to host competitions and giveaways and I’m enjoying using the different programmes to make this happen. This is one of the fun sides of blogging for me, finding out new ways to enhance my blog and to bring something fun to my readers. I will follow this post up over the next couple of weeks with one which lists the sites to promote the competitions and the different methods that are available to use.
I’ve also virtually met some great online compers who really know a thing or two about how to seriously go about it. One of them is Tracey and I first saw her online when she entered one of my competitions. I saw on her twitter page that she focused completely on entering and sharing competitions. She agreed to contribute to this post and I’ll hand you over to her now where she will tell you a bit more about it…
“I’ve been entering competitions for the last 5 years or so and soon found out that I love entering blog competitions the most. I have won lots of amazing products over the years including my highest value win a designer double bed & mattress worth £1,500. I don’t have a favourite win because I truly love everything I’m lucky enough to win whatever the cost of the prize.
So, go forth and see what’s out there to win, most of all enjoy it!
That is a very fancy lamp.
I think the thing putting most people off comping is if they change their mind later on they are still going to be on a lot of mailing lists and recieve a lot of junk
#bestandworst
Yeah you’re right. I think that’s why I like the bloggers competitions do much as there is hardly and spam, just newsletters which are normally pretty good.
I have thought about comping more to be honest as it seems you really can win so much nowadays! Good luck and thanks for sharing with #bestandworst x
Oh Tracey is lovely, as are a lot of the compers who share comps around and are so loyal! I used to enter a lot of comps, I just don’t have the time now but I still do a few occasionally! Thanks for linking up to #PicknMix
Stevie x
I’d love another win but nothing else has come my way:)
I have never entered a competition – not really sure why. Its probably because I don’t think I will ever win. But you have inspired me to give it a go! #eatsleepblogrt
Congratulations on your win. I love competitions, I enter loads. So far this month I have won a set of walking dead books. Hopefully you will get a few wins too ?
Thanks Ali, you do really well with your wins, I remember when you said about the things you had won that I thought it was great.
I love entering comps, I’ve won a couple of things this year so I’m trying to enter more. Who doesn’t love winning?! #Fortheloveofblog
I, like you, entered a few comps one day and ended up winning £3000 with Vodafone Big Top 40! I almost put the phone down as I thought it was a scam as I completely forgot I entered it. As they say “you’ve gotta be in it to win it”!
wow, you’re also winning today with the highest value win i’ve seen!:)
I found this really interesting, I’ve just this week entered a couple of competitions after a few people I knew had won some lovely things, I think I’ll make an effort to enter a few
Oh yes, its got to be worth a few minutes:)
What a brilliant post! Huge congratulations on your £50 voucher from first choice lighting, the lamp is just gorgeous!. Here’s to many more wins & a long & happy blogging journey 🙂 x