I have fielded the question from many bloggers that are just getting into the “review/giveaway” arena and they all want to know a few key things:

  • How do you get companies to sponsor your giveaways? This varies from blogger to blogger. The more established bloggers may be approached by companies looking to have their brand featured on that particular blog and they offer a giveaway. However, if you wait around for a company to contact you when you’ve never done a giveaway or review before, you are going to be waiting for awhile. Your best bet is to just come out of your shell and find companies that you want to work with and just ask. The worst they can do is say “no” but the bets they can do is say “YES!” You truly have nothing to lose and tons to learn, so why not give it a shot? Most PR reps that have to say “No” will even tell you why and you can learn from that!
  • How do you promote your giveaway? I have a few favorite websites that I use every single time I have a giveaway because they generate the most traffic. Online-Sweepstakes.com is a fantastic place to start. When I have a giveaway, it is my #1 source of traffic each and every time. I also register my giveaway with Prizey and Tip Junkie. Tip Junkie does require a minimum prize value of $25, so just make sure you are within those limits if you list there. There are also tons of blogs that offer giveaway link-ups like Simply Stacie, 5 Minutes for Mom and Dear Crissy. Just make sure you read the directions for the linky before you toss your link up there. Of course, you always want to post the giveaway on your own Facebook and Twitter pages, as well.
  • How do you pick a winner? Personally, I prefer using the WordPress plug-in called “And the Winner Is…” because it will automatically close comments, choose a winner and display the winning comment to me with only a few simple clicks on one main screen. All I have to do is click the winner’s email address and it pulls up an email to that person with the subject line already generated. If you are on the Blogger platform, then your best bet is probably going to be the random.org number generator. If you need help getting your comments numbered, this post by Susie Jefferson is the hands down best tutorial I have ever seen to get it done. Once you have chosen a giveaway winner, verify that they completed the mandatory entry and send them an e-mail informing them of their win and ask for their mailing address (assuming this is a tangible item you are giving away). Once they confirm and send their mailing info to you, send that off to the PR rep who sponsored the giveaway with a big fat THANK YOU for their generous support of your site.

So, there you go. Those are the basics when you’re running a giveaway. The length of the giveaway, required entry and extra entries are all dependent on your giveaway item, your sponsor and your own personal comfort level. Now, go out there and give away some awesome prizes!

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Lindsay lives with her hubby and two little girls in Atlanta. She blogs at Lindsay Blogs and can be found at any given moment on Facebook and Twitter. She writes about life, faith, blogging and just about everything else, so be sure to check her out!