Q) Do people really win competitions?
A) YES THEY DO! And I’m lucky enough to hear from winners everyday here at the office. Everything from small but valued prizes; vouchers, pampering goodies, DVDs and CDs through to the big ones; two weeks in St Lucia, a brand-new Mercedes and £10,000 cash!
Q) How I enter a competition on Twitter?
Most Twitter competitions will require you to ‘follow and RT’ to enter. To follow a promoter, simply visit their page and click on the Follow button, usually indicated by a green arrow. To RT a competition tweet, look below the message for the circular arrows and click – then you’re all done!
The most important thing to do is read what the promoter is asking you – some may place restrictions on how many times you can RT, and should also let you know when the draw is being made.
Remember to RT ONLY the messages from the promoter themselves – RTing from another compers page will only re-enter them!
Q) How do I enter a competition on Facebook?
The first step to most Facebook competitions is ‘liking’ their page – you can do this by clicking the ‘Like’ button next to the page heading.
Liking the page can reveal at entry form, from which you enter the competition as usual. However, there is often other activities you might be asked to do:
Share a page/post: Click the ‘Share’ button on an image or link, so that it is shared with all your friends anf followers on Facebook
Tag a photo: Hit the ‘tag’ button and then add your name to an image in a promoter’s album. Be aware that other Facebook members will be able to see these too! Often promoters will fill an album with similar pictures, as there is a limit to the number of tags that can be placed on each photo.
Tag a promoter in your status: Change your status in Facebook as normal, but add the company’s tag by pressing @ and then the company’s name, ie @SonyTV. A drop down box will usually appear displaying the company’s name.
Q) How will I know when I have won a competition?
A) If you have , the promoter will contact you by either telephone, a letter or email, depending on the promoter’s preference and what details you have given when you entered the comp. Expect to be contacted between one and four weeks after the closing date. Sometimes you will receive a prize through the post without a prize winning letter or phone call – so you never know what your postman could bring!
Twitter
If you have won a prize on Twitter, the promoter will usually contact you using an @ reply. You may be alerted to this by a text message or e-mail, depending on your preferences. Promoters can only contact you via direct messaging if you are both following each other!
Facebook
Keep an eye on your newsfeed, as most Twitter winners are announced on the promoter’s Facebook page! However, it is customary to follow up the announcement with an inbox message. If you have completed a form to enter the competition, they may also have a phone number or e-mail address to contact you as well.
Checking for wins yourself
Many compers find it useful to regularly ‘google themselves’ to see if they have won any competitions. Try searching for ‘your name’+’winner’ on Google and Facebook to see in you show up – you never know!
Q) How many competitions should I enter each week to start winning prizes regularly.
A) I recommend you enter at least 60 competitions a week if you want to start winning prizes regularly. As we all know, ‘You have got to be in it to win it’ and the more competitions you enter the more chances you have every day of being a winner!
Q) What is the best way to get over a ‘lean spell’?
A) Positive thinking and PERSEVERANCE. Every comper (even those that win over 100 prizes a year) can have a ‘lean spell’ (when for one month or two they don’t seem to win very much at all). But what marks the difference between these successful compers is the fact they persevere and keep entering more competitions. The more you believe you are a lucky winner, the more likely you are to succeed – the power of positive thinking opens many opportunities.
Q) Why do companies run competitions?
A) There are three main reasons why they do:
- To promote their company or product, attract interest and get their name recognised as a leading brand
- Companies running internet competitions want to direct you towards visiting their website
- To collect data that helps them to understand their market (i.e. finding out what type of person reads their magazine, visits their website or buys their products).
Generally it is a ‘win win’ situation. Companies want to promote their brand and understand their market and competitions are a fantastic way to do this. For compers, entering competitions is the perfect way to enjoy winning prizes.
Q) When I start entering competitions, will I be bombarded by junk mail, emails and phone calls?
A) When you fill in your name on a competition form you may be contacted again by the promoter or a third party. However looking for the ‘opt out of further correspondence’ clause can prevent this. This should appear in the form of a tick box on entry forms and web pages. On postcard or plain paper entries, you can write ‘No further correspondence’ or the relevant words if stated differently in the terms and conditions after your details.
If you subscribe to an email newsletter to enter a competition and no longer wish to receive it, simply follow the instructions to unsubscribe at the bottom of the page, they will always be there.
Receiving extra newsletters or mail can be a bonus, and a source of finding more competitions that you would not normally receive! I know many compers who have set up their own ‘competition email account’ purely for entering competitions (see ‘setting up your own comping email account’ in the ‘Internet competitions’ section. This way your regular inbox doesn’t get jammed with competition news and free newsletters. Plus think how nice it will be to open up your comping account and see the words ‘winner’ in the subject line without wading through other emails!
Q) Is it normal to wait three to six months before winning your first prize?
A) Yes it is. To start wining prizes regularly you have got to enter at least 60 competitions a week and build up a bank of entries. It can take up to six months to build up your entries (think about the competitions with closing dates in six months to a year’s time!) and then the prizes should start rolling in! The more you enter the more chance you have of winning. When people say they never win any prizes that is usually because they don’t enter very many competitions. It couldn’t be truer, that ‘You have got to be in it, to win it’.
Q) What are the odds of winning competitions compared to winning the National Lottery?
The odds of winning the National Lottery jackpot are 14 million to 1. The odds of winning a national competition are far better! They will obviously vary depending on how many people enter, but for example a competition in a popular newspaper or magazine could have 5,000 and a smaller promotion, a competition on a unusual website or in a little-known magazine, they could have as little as 50 entries. Compare that to the National Lottery! That’s why comping services such as Simply Prizes,Coffee Break Winner and MyComps are excellent value- uncovering those obscure competitions with great prizes that you wouldn’t normally find!
Q) If I am unhappy with the way a competition has been run, or have problems obtaining my prize, who can I contact?
A) The Institute of Sales Promotions are the regulatory body that offer advice to promoters on the best practice of running a competition/promotion. They will investigate all competitions to ensure that they are being run fairly. Send your enquiries clearly expressed to: enquiries@isp.org.uk