I am talking Sunday Morning about blogging and the contests on blogs and would like some input

[madamerkf]

Was wondering what types of information people would like? I have a half an hour including questions and idea is to present how to enter/win/understand blog contests from a blogger who is also a sweeper.

Any questions or thoughts are most appreciated!

PLUS...if you are going please feel free to ask me questions at the end of my talk!

Wendy:bhead:

[semtaylor]

I have a question you can address.......When I enter blogs I usually have a place specifically to put name and email......Then a box to enter a comment or whatever they are asking for. Do I need to put my email again in this comment box.....

[madamerkf]

That is a good question. Sometimes in the instructions ( which you really should take a moment to read) the blogger asks for you to put your email in the comments section to qualify. If they do always write it like this:

xxx at xxx dot com or some variation to reducr the chance that it gets into the hands of spammers.

If they don't ask for it specifically it is up to you to provide. I always do to make sure they can get me the notice of a win. If you choose not to, make sure that in your profile that is connected to the account you are using to enter that blog contest is set to be open to the public in regards to email..otherwise the blogger will have no idea how to contact you.

Does that make sense?

[semtaylor]

Thanks Wendy...Yes it does make sense..

[obxhatteraslight]

Thought that I would not be able to.

I am confused on Blog sweeps. I just do not understand them.

They puzzle me.

aimee

[madamerkf]

so ask me a few direct questions and let me take a stab at answering them!

[obxhatteraslight]

think of some questions:) Trust me I have a billion

[RoseBC]

I would like to know if the prizes are really given out (on blogging contests) from folks who have "won" or not won - if they know if someone really won the prize and are blogs really worth the effort. I think that would be a good point to discuss at Hershey. I did hear from one speaker that those who give the prizes are not really obligated to do so and may not if they are not satisfied the blog was a good "advertising" tool.

[obxhatteraslight]

How do you enter a blog? (Type a valid response in cube?, It is for public view etc)

What makes a blog differant then a regular sweep?

Do most blogs just use your email addy or do some have fields where you hit all your information(NAZ)?

I just plainly do not UNDERSTAND them, probably making more out of it then needed WINK... :bounce:

[gacarol]

What is the best way to track blogs you entered to win prizes on? I noticed some require you to check back to see winner's name posted.

[madamerkf]

Good question! Yes, most prizes are really given out with some small exceptions. They are worth the effort because the pool is much smaller that they draw from. As far as obligation, there is no law at this time that regulates blog contests but most sponsors don't want bad word of mouth and do award the prizes. The commitment in my experience is not judged on the response.

There are a few reasons why prizes dont get awarded:

(1) Sponsor closes up shop before fufillment
(2) Blogger does not forward info to sponsor
(3) PR agency who is handling the contest does not respond
(4) Blogger keeps the prize for themselves

These things are rare ( really they are) but they do happen.

I hope this answers your question. if not ask me more!



I would like to know if the prizes are really given out (on blogging contests) from folks who have "won" or not won - if they know if someone really won the prize and are blogs really worth the effort. I think that would be a good point to discuss at Hershey. I did hear from one speaker that those who give the prizes are not really obligated to do so and may not if they are not satisfied the blog was a good "advertising" tool.

[madamerkf]

Also good questions!

There are a variety of ways to enter a blog contest:

(1) comment in the box re: what you are asked to do ie: follow, go to site to learn smething, etc.
(2) fill out simple entry form
(3) tweet or leave facebook info

The main difference is that the draw pool is smaller and it is not regukated by any laws other then the FTC disclosure law.

Some just want email some want full address....it varies.


How do you enter a blog? (Type a valid response in cube?, It is for public view etc)

What makes a blog differant then a regular sweep?

Do most blogs just use your email addy or do some have fields where you hit all your information(NAZ)?

I just plainly do not UNDERSTAND them, probably making more out of it then needed WINK... :bounce:

[madamerkf]

Best way to track that I know of is to create a google re-occuring search to send you an email when your name, email address, or screen name appears anywhere on the net!




What is the best way to track blogs you entered to win prizes on? I noticed some require you to check back to see winner's name posted.

[KISSaholic4life]

What is the best way to track blogs you entered to win prizes on? I noticed some require you to check back to see winner's name posted.

I use Excel to keep track of the blogs that I enter.












:cheer2:

[madamerkf]

That is also a great suggestion!


I use Excel to keep track of the blogs that I enter.












:cheer2:

[obxhatteraslight]

:gift:Guess I need to get on the Tweet movement... know nothing about it.
Just getting used to facebook.

Also good questions!

There are a variety of ways to enter a blog contest:

(1) comment in the box re: what you are asked to do ie: follow, go to site to learn smething, etc.
(2) fill out simple entry form
(3) tweet or leave facebook info

The main difference is that the draw pool is smaller and it is not regukated by any laws other then the FTC disclosure law.

Some just want email some want full address....it varies.

[RoseBC]

Best way to track that I know of is to create a google re-occuring search to send you an email when your name, email address, or screen name appears anywhere on the net!

I find that the google searches are quite unreliable!

:rolleyes2

[madamerkf]

Yes google searches are not perfect but other then trying to keep track yourself that is the only way really. I will add that most bloggers ( myself included) who do giveaways contact the winners which is why we need email addresses in the first place. We really do want to give the item away and so do the sponsors. The easiest thing to do is nOT enter contests where you have to check back.

IMHO

[luckysluna]

I love doing blog giveaways but I'm still pretty new at it so maybe you can answer some of my questions. A lot of what I can get confused by is blogger stuff, I have a little blog for a few months but still get lost on what to do.

1.) A lot of mandatory or extra ask you to be a GFC follower, and sometimes I can't find that little box to join site, so I simply follow them on blogger. What is the big difference between GFC and being just a blogger follower? If I'm just a blogger follower does that still count?

2.) Another popular extra is to add their button, and I am having the hardest time figuring out how to do that. If you know a good website or link on how to do it that'd be great.

3.) What advice do you have for when your package is lost in the mail from a blog win?

4.) What is your advice on entering blog contests in which you already won from a sister/same corporation of the sponsor, for example I had no clue one t-shirt company was related to the other until a blogger mentioned it, meaning I was entering many contests I was not even eligible for. Is it different for big companies though like Wal-mart/Sam's club? How long are until you are eligible to win again from a sponsor? A good estimate would be great like a year?

5.) Do you recommend doing the daily tweets for extras because I rarely do this because I find it to be very overwhelming, but notice many people doing it endlessly.

I know I asked a lot, I hope this is helpful and not too much of a pain to answer. Thanks a lot! :hello:

[madamerkf]

I love doing blog giveaways but I'm still pretty new at it so maybe you can answer some of my questions. A lot of what I can get confused by is blogger stuff, I have a little blog for a few months but still get lost on what to do.

1.) A lot of mandatory or extra ask you to be a GFC follower, and sometimes I can't find that little box to join site, so I simply follow them on blogger. What is the big difference between GFC and being just a blogger follower? If I'm just a blogger follower does that still count?

Yes i think it does make a difference. If I am going to check to see if you did indeed follow me I am only going to check my GFC feed. If the box is not working email the blog owner or leave that in a comment so they can be aware of it

2.) Another popular extra is to add their button, and I am having the hardest time figuring out how to do that. If you know a good website or link on how to do it that'd be great.

You can only add the button if you yourself have a blog. It is normally a small piece of code that you copy and paste into the side of your own blog using an HTML gadget. Again, if you are having a problem alert the blog owner so that they can help you

3.) What advice do you have for when your package is lost in the mail from a blog win?

If a package is lost in the mail, it is usually the fault of either the sponsor or the PR company handling fufilment. Most bloggers dont send out the prizes themselves. You can ask the blogger in a private email to assist you and most are happy to do so. I recently was able to get another package sent to the winner myself

4.) What is your advice on entering blog contests in which you already won from a sister/same corporation of the sponsor, for example I had no clue one t-shirt company was related to the other until a blogger mentioned it, meaning I was entering many contests I was not even eligible for. Is it different for big companies though like Wal-mart/Sam's club? How long are until you are eligible to win again from a sponsor? A good estimate would be great like a year?

Unless it specifically states on the blog post you can win multiple times from the same sponsor and even the same blog. Some companies however specifically state you can only win so often or so many times so watch for that. Also sometimes multiple blogs will host the same contest and sometimes you can win from only one of the participating blogs.

5.) Do you recommend doing the daily tweets for extras because I rarely do this because I find it to be very overwhelming, but notice many people doing it endlessly.
The daily tweet is by far the easiest way to rack up extra entries. If you want to increase your overall odds, that is the way to do it. Just make sure you go back to the blog to let them know it in a comment.

I know I asked a lot, I hope this is helpful and not too much of a pain to answer. Thanks a lot! :hello:

[luckysluna]

Thanks for answering my questions! Good luck at your speaking engagement! I think you'll do great! :smile11:

[madamerkf]

Thanks! I hope the answers helped! Keep em coming!

[madamerkf]

Remember to bring your questions to my Sunday Morning talk!

[madamerkf]

Soooooo...I would love some feedback for those of you that were still there. Both positive and negative feedback is welcome!

[obxhatteraslight]

Soooooo...I would love some feedback for those of you that were still there. Both positive and negative feedback is welcome!

who scooted out early and am so sorry that I missed your segment. :bawl:

[RoseBC]

Hi Wendy,

Enjoyed your presentation very much. Made me want to try blogging sites. I finally had a chance to go to your blog and try to follow the directions for the Alight give away. I hope I did it right!

I still find it confusing to go to blog sites, so hopefully I will get used to them and understand how to enter their sweeps as I get more experienced!

mollyrbc aka rosebc

[madamerkf]

thanks for the feedback! If you tell me what name you used I will check for you to make sure you did it right. If you have any questions, just ask!

Wendy

[RoseBC]

I sign in as two similar names: rosebc (on OLS and Facebook) and mollyrbc (email, twitter)

[madamerkf]

looks good so far to me:)