First I want to explain what a bloggy giveaway contest is. Next we want to determine the reason for having a bloggy giveaway, then I will share with you how to host a giveaway on your blog and join a carnival. If you don’t have something to use as a prize I am even going to help you out there too 🙂 .
Ok, what is a give away contest? Well you can have any contest anytime you want but to most folks it is where the blogger shares about the prize to be given, and then gives ways to qualify for entries and gives a time period for the contest. Then they choose a winner, usually picked at random but not always. Usually the blogger covers all expenses of shipping if the prize is to be shipped, and so they also determine where (geographically) the contest is open to. If the prize is digital like an e-book, they will often make it available to contestants anywhere.
What is the purpose of holding a giveaway contest? That part is easy, everyone benefits and is blessed. The purpose is to bless your readers, which in turn gets you more readers to bless. Your sponsor who gives you the prize to giveaway is also blessed by more folks seeing what they have to offer, which in turn gives them more prizes to give away to bless more folks…. and so on and so on.
Ok next, how to have a bloggy giveaway contest on YOUR blog. First, find a prize. it can be something you have or make or something given by a sponsor. If you want to host a contest and need a prize contact me, I will sponsor you.
You often have prizes sitting around if you look. I will often keep extra items on hand to be used as prizes, a popular book I saw on clearance, or maybe that one of a kind gift you have but have no one in mind. Anyway, you have a prize, and it should be something you think is great. Then you need a way to tell folks, your own blog is good, announce everyday. Also join a carnival like the one I host, you add a link to the carnival in your giveaway post and then add a link to your giveaway on the carnival page. You should also tweet about it on twitter and add an announcement to your facebook page.
In your giveaway post you need to tell folks how to enter, how many times they can enter and when it ends and how you will choose a winner. If you don’t tell them how you will choose, most will assume you pick randomly, you can use random.org, if you are NOT picking a winner randomly then it is only fair to tell folks HOW you will pick. 🙂 .
I give folks several ways to gain extra entries, take a look at how I posted this giveaway . And note all of the wonderful comments, that is valuable feedback for the sponsor (who happens to be my daughter) . So see the blogger gets blessed, the sponsor gets blessed and the reader gets really blessed!
Be sure to let your winner know they won and give them a designated time to respond, if they don’t then choose another. Also be sure to publically thank your sponsor! Any questions? Post them in the comments here.
and .. your thoughts?