Contests and giveaways

[threepeas]

Ok I'm think of doing a carnival soon and wondered if any of you have done this and how you go about getting prizes or people to sponser the giveaways?

Tiff
http://www.three-peas.com

[Jane @ Kidzarama]

Hi Tiffany,

I've noticed all sorts of prizes up for grabs with carnivals. But you don't have to have someone else offer a prize.

Prizes can include children's games from the blogger's cupboard (new & unopened of course), website/graphics services, and hand~made items from the blogger.

So you don't need to have someone else sponsor it, if you can think of something that you have that your target market would want.

I picked up some great cross~stitch booklets the other day from a local op shop for 50c each. There's some lovely ones in there in good condition, and I plan to offer some as a prize on my own blog next month.

Remember also that if you offer a 'thing', then it has to be posted.
That's why I grabbed the cross~stitch booklets. They're worth ten to twenty times what I paid, are sought after, and will post nicely.

Good luck,
Jane

[zimkandace]

I have no idea how to tell you to go about getting it sponsered either but I've hosted a few contests and you'd be surprised what will get your readers motivated.

I've given away $15 Starbucks cards, $25 Amazon and $30 Amazon cards.  I know that it can get steep but the Starbucks card I found in my purse, unused.  The Amazon cards were from money I'd won on someone else's contest.  Also, it increased my traffic enough to pay for more contests.  And, that's the point, isn't?

Anyway, I don't have time to hunt for sponsers but more importantly I don't have the patience.  So, I hope someone can get you the suggestions you are looking for.

Good Luck!

[Lynnae]

I've always offered my own prizes too.   

[grocerymama]

When you do a prize give-a-way, what are the requirements to enter? For instance, post a comment, or link back to your site. Which ones get the best results?

[Linda]

you might contact boutique owners...a great place to find mom owned boutiques is top100 sites...they seem to multiply like rabbits!  and a lot of them are starting blogs to go along with their shops, so you might find them in blog listings as well...

[Happy Momma]

When you do a prize give-a-way, what are the requirements to enter? For instance, post a comment, or link back to your site. Which ones get the best results?

I've done some giveaways and requirements to enter can vary depending on what you want to do.  What I have found works the best is if you only require the person to leave you a comment.  If you ask for a link back to your site you won't get as many people entering.  What I do is I have the person leave me a comment to enter- typically I ask the person to click over to the site that has the product I'm giving away and pick a favorite product.  Then if the person wants an extra entry into the contest they can blog about it on their blog and then come back and leave me another comment letting me know they did it.

Check out a couple of my giveaways to see how I do it, if you want to:
http://www.livinwithme.com/2008/05/an-exciting-giveaway/
http://www.livinwithme.com/2008/05/a-picture-of-me-and-a-giveaway/

[grocerymama]

Great Thanks, I think I'm going to put an idea together!

[Lynnae]

When you do a prize give-a-way, what are the requirements to enter? For instance, post a comment, or link back to your site. Which ones get the best results?

The easiest is just to do comments.  The best way to get subscribers is to ask them to subscribe.  If you're not using wordpress, they'd have to subscribe via email, so you have a record of their subscription in feedburner.  If you're using wordpress, there's a plugin you can use to add a footer to your RSS feed.  You can add a secret phrase to the feed footer and ask people to email you with the secret phrase. 

[Happy Momma]

you might contact boutique owners...a great place to find mom owned boutiques is top100 sites...they seem to multiply like rabbits!  and a lot of them are starting blogs to go along with their shops, so you might find them in blog listings as well...

What is top100 sites?

[berriesweetest]

Grocery Momma, I'll respond to your PM, but I do it by emailing businesses I am interested in and have already had contact with. I am a freelance writer who reviews mom and kid stuff, so I am starting by approaching those who already know me through my writing and asking them to sponsor contests and it is working. I tried approaching some of the same businesses before, outside of the magazine I write for, and didn't get anywhere. So my best approach is starting with those I have a relationship with.
I like the idea of offering prizes that you make or have, though...I'll have to try that.
As for how to run contests, I do what everyone else does---leave a comment, check out the vendor's site, and blog about it and link to me for extra credit.

[grocerymama]

Thanks Berriesweetest! You rock!

[berriesweetest]

I now....
I know....
It's a curse, really. 

[Jane @ Kidzarama]

Beauty *and* brains