There aren’t many hobbies of which you could say that you became an expert inside of six months. But, given the extraordinarily easy nature of entering and winning giveaways, I think it’s fairly safe to say that I have reached expert status. I have entered and won all kinds of giveaways – blogs, corporate, one-time entry, daily entry, etc. And in all of my time spent learning the ropes of giveaways I’ve seen an awful lot of…well…awful. Now that I’m in the position to run a giveaway and have also experienced it from the other side, I’ve decided that apparently a list of rules is in order.
1. Don’t act like an animal. Just because there’s some free stuff on the table doesn’t mean that you have to lose all sense of self-control. You were the kind of kid whose parents had to tell them to sit on their hands all the time because if you didn’t, you’d be mauling the free samples lady at the grocery store. Get a grip. Say “thank you” and be polite. Try to remember that us blog owners have ultimate control by either deciding to approve or delete your entry. If it’s important to you to try to actually win the prize, then stop behaving like a savage and use your manners.
2. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, READ THE RULES!! Look, no one likes reading a big long list of rules. But let’s be real for a minute here. The “list” of rules on most blogs for their giveaways? It’s around four sentences long. We don’t wake up in the morning and try to think of ways to mess with you and make your life difficult. But, those few sentences…turns out that they’re actually kind of important. I know. Crazy, right? How dare we ask something of you in order for you to have a chance at a great, free prize! If you haven’t already learned this life lesson, then let me fill you in – nothing in this world is free. The sponsors of these wonderful giveaways ask very little of you in return for a great free prize – the least you can do is do what they ask, which is often nothing more than to visit their website and answer a quick question. If I tell you not to give the same item that I’ve reviewed as your entry answer? THEN DON’T. You do realize that I read every single comment, right?
3. If you don’t like the product or the prize, don’t bother leaving me a comment to tell me about it. Mainly because this effectively enters you to win the very products that were so terrible that you were compelled beyond reason to tell me about it. This is like those people who complain about the tv show that they’re watching. Isn’t it much easier to just change the channel than it is to pick up the phone or send an email and prattle on about it?! Same concept applies – if you don’t like the prize that is offered, than move on. People must not like you very much, do they?
4. Don’t leave vague comments like “Enter me” or “Sounds great”. I use quotations around those two sentences because those are two entries that I get all the time from two different people. I get others as well, but these two people always enter each contest with those exact words. Nothing else, just those two words. For some reason, they think that they deserve an entry just like all of the other people who actually visited the sponsor and did the tiny bit of work that I’ve asked of them. How hard is it to click on the link that is provided, answer the main question and comment about it? When I see that you haven’t done what I’ve asked, my finger gets itchy for the delete button. If you had bothered to check, you’d know that every time you’ve entered like that your entry has been deleted. Either take your comments elsewhere or take the extra two seconds it requires to do it correctly. Your pointless and inconsiderate entries aren’t welcome here.
5. If I’ve asked you to become a subscriber, don’t unsubscribe before the giveway is even over. I actually get an email every time that someone unsubscribes from my feed. I then take their email address and go into my site and check it against the comments for current giveaways – if you have entries in current giveaways, they will be deleted. If receiving emails bothers you so much, then you should get a second email address and use it exclusively for giveaways and contests. But unsubscribing to my feed just means that you’re the type of person who uses others for as long as it benefits them. I’d be willing to bet that you’re not a very good friend.
5.a If you need to subscribe in order to enter a giveaway, make sure that you confirm your subscription. If you don’t do this, then your entry will not count. I didn’t know to do this when I first started entering giveaways either, so just a tip for those of you who are new to this – it takes just a second to click on the link in your email and then you’re all set. If you don’t and your number is picked as the winner, I’ll have to re-draw a new winner since you aren’t technically subscribed.
6. Have a teeny tiny bit of patience. You’ve won! Congratulations. I’m so happy for you. I don’t review products that I’m not crazy about myself, so you can bet that by the time it makes it to your doorstep that I truly believe you’ll love it too. In a perfect world, you’d email me right back with your shipping information, I’d send it to the sponsor and you’d have your prize within 7-10 days. The trouble is that it sometimes doesn’t work that way. My sponsors are wonderful and my contacts are fantastic people, but they sometimes get busy, or take vacations or just plain forget. I am happy to bug them on your behalf to get your prize as soon as is possible – but to send me a nasty email saying that you haven’t received your prize and you sent me your mailing information 8 whole days ago? Are you for real?! Also, bear in mind that bitching at me for not getting your prize out to you quickly is a bit like screaming at your waitress because your steak is burnt. I’m more than happy to advocate on your behalf, but give me a break – I wish as much as you do that they’d send it to you quickly.
Because it is just that important…
7. READ AND FOLLOW THE RULES. It is so sad that I have to say this again, but I’m not kidding when I say that it’s necessary. For those of you out there who follow the rules and haven’t a clue what I’m talking about, I could kiss you full on the lips. Just trust me when I tell you that there are tons of people who don’t and they make offering giveaways more of a chore than it needs to be. Don’t lie and tell me that you’re following me on Twitter when you’re not. Don’t say that you “favorited” me on Technorati when you haven’t. I love to review products and offer some of them to you all for giveaways. I started doing this because I truly enjoy it. But, I swear, some of you make me think twice every time I put up a new giveaway. Just do all of us product reviewers a favor and do the very little that is being asked of you.
For the vast majority of you who have been wonderful and who say “thank you” and all of those nice things – thank you very, very much. This first two months of my blog have been fantastic and it’s because of you that I’m able to find all of these amazing sponsors and offer such cool giveaways. I know I keep alluding to a really great one coming up and I promise it is – we should have it up in the next week. I swear it’s worth the wait. Thanks for being a part of our success!
As for the rest of you? Print out this post and tape it up right next to your monitor. The next time you go to enter a giveaway, read the rules, follow them, have some manners and a little bit of patience. If you aren’t capable of following these simple steps, then please take your misplaced sense of entitlement and go somewhere else.
Sooooo True!
Very well said
… and THANK YOU for saying it!
OMG I’m SO happy you posted this!!! VERY well said!!:)
I’ve been entering and winning blog contests for a couple months now, and am amazed at some of the idiotic entries lol
You hit the nail on the head with this post & the sad part is, the idiots will still continue to enter and not read rules haha!!
nice blogs you and your husband have!
I love this!! You put it so well!! Thanks so much for doing all you do and for putting up with all of us, too! Thanks again!
Bravo…really!! I really enjoy your blog. I just found it not too long ago. I think that all bloggers need to have this on their site. I hate it when I see peoples entries that should be deleted because they are not following the rules. I hope that I have never done this…I would feel like an idiot! Thanks for sticking with it! I actually like following the rules (Wow..I sound like a brown-noser!!),(like going to the company site) it let’s me see companies sites and products that I never would have seen. Thanks a million! Rebecca
Have you been reading my mind?
Great contest, enter me
….oh, this isn’t a giveaway post??
HA! O.M.G…could have written this myself!
And those 2 “Enter me” people are most likely the very same ones that do that to my giveaways too! Maddening, I tell ya!
I have a couple of other *tips*:
~ Copying the entire answer above you {spelling mistakes and all} will ALSO get you deleted. Thankyouverymuch!
~ When sending your address to verify your win, how about a ‘Thank You’ along with it.
Spurting out your address and your address only is odd…and really rude.
I am a person! I don’t bite…unless you are rude!
Please, say ‘Thanks’ at least.
I know I didn’t pick your name {random.org did}, and I know that it’s the company providing the prize, not me….but I have some part in it, darn it!
Use your manners!
LOL,
You know, some will never learn…
{{sigh}}
Great post, Thanks for the chuckle!!
Tammi
What a great post! I am fairly new to blog reading and posting(and giveaway entering as well), but I have already experienced some of the things you are posting about today. I will be adding your blog to my list of “follow” (with or without a giveaway) as it seems you and I are on the same page! Go get’em girl!
I just recently started reading and entering blogs and I see a lot of what you talk about and always wondered if those entries counted or not. Now I know:)
So I have a question – when you say subscribe does it have to be through email? I have subscribed through the RSS feeds because I find them a great way to arrange and view data versus email which doesn’t seem to be as friendly.
Thanks.
remind me to never get you mad!!! just kidding lol
your so right about everything you posted..its not fair to others who take there time looking at the sponsors website and commenting by copying posts.
well said!
thanks,shannon
shannpf1977@yahoo.com
Love your list!
Thank you for saying this. It’s so irritating to see people copying others answers, entering more than once, and saying thing like “enter me” or “I want this”. I’m glad to know that you stand by your rules. Of course, I am in a way grateful for those that don’t follow the rules. I’ve won several contest because the first few winners were disqualified
Paula
Your comments are very well said! Thank you for doing a great job as well. The best to you!!
I read what everyone had to say and all comments are all good ones too, Something else that is rude and that is when they win something they can’t even come back to make a comment about winning. least they could come back and something.
Very Well Said,I agree Most Do Not Read The Rules , now when i first started entering oh my it was horrible and i am still learning , but before it was wow somthing else LOL but hopefully i am getting better at it Hug and Thank You For all The Great Reviews and Giveaways
I love you, you are amazing. Can I publish this on my blog?! J/K you made me laugh. Thank you!
I enter quite a few blog giveaways and have seen those two word comments many times. What really gets me is the hateful comments about the blog giveaways. Why take time to post that you hate blogs or these giveaways should be banned?? Just skip them! I don’t get it.
So very well said, I like that you know what you want and expect from applicants. Thank you for the great tips:)
The sad part is….people everywhere think you owe them! It makes me sick to my stomach…literally! I really am amazed that there are as many ignorant, self-righteous pigs in this world. Its a scary thought. They want YOU to do the work for them and they just want the hand-out. Of course, in fairness, there are some (like myself) that are new to this type of thing. (new to computers too) and i really don’t know what i am doing, so i read every chance i get. Usually it is obvious who is who. So, i personally would like to thank you for telling us what to do and THANK YOU for giving us all a fair chance to win a nice prize and also for the job you do, i know it cant be easy!!
WOW your one cool lady!! i’m so glad I found your blog.. you can bet i’ll check back every day!! and I promise if I enter a contest ” which of course I will” i’ll go by the rules… thanks!! cool lady!! btw LOVE your daughters name!!
I am new at reading Blogs and entering the Giveaways on Blogs. Thank you for the information and thank you for the giveaways. I really do like reading both you and your husband’s post.