This isn't a contest post - sorry to mislead you - but it is a post about blog contests.
There has a been a bit of controversy in the bloggerverse about contests and requiring people to follow their blogs. (actually there's a controversy about almost everything pertaining to blogging these days!)
Anyway, it got me thinking. How do you guys feel about blog contests?
*Do you mind following a blog to get an extra entry (if it's optional)? Or follow on Twitter/ Facebook etc.? (I never require you to follow but I do give extra entries if you do)
*Do you like extra entries? (Personally I hate cutting and pasting the links - even though I require it for my contests - so I usually don't have extra entries when I enter a contest other than following the blog/Twitter, but I do put up links on my own blog or RT to help out)
*If a contest didn't have extra entries, would you still be willing to RT the contest to help spread the word? (I always try to RT contests or link them in my sidebar whether I have entered or not. This is probably the #1 reason bloggers use extra entries - to help spread the word about the contest. I know it's a pain for you guys entering & believe me it's a pain for us too to check the links etc.)
*Would you rather leave a comment as an entry or use an entry form - usually Google Docs? (I like using forms when I enter but I haven't used them myself for my contest....for a couple of reasons; I like reading comments and more importantly - I don't know how to use Google Docs...lol)
How about the prizes??
*What type of contest do you like? Do you like to choose your book/signed books/swag/Gift Cards? (I've had a few "pick your own book" contests and they seem to be the most popular.)
*Any suggestions as to how bloggers could make contests easier or is there a type of contest you would like that you haven't seen yet? Maybe more movie giveaways or something else?
I'd love to hear your thoughts............
I don't like to post about contests, but I try to sidebar the ones I enter. I don't mind following. I mean, most people throw them to gain followers, and I can deal with that.
ReplyDeleteForm is pretty easy to figure out if you have a few minutes to spare. I've never used it before but I have a giveaway coming up and wanted to give it a try. I hope I have it set up correctly :P.
ReplyDeleteDo you mind following a blog to get an extra entry (if it's optional)? Or follow on Twitter/ Facebook etc.?
I don't mind having to follow a blog but I wouldn't want to have to follow the person on other things like twitter on facebook. I've only done two giveaways and have required people to follow once. I haven't done it for the other one because I didn't want to make people follow but it was an extra entry option.
Do you like extra entries?
Depends if I really want what's being given away and if its not too much. If its pretty extensive then I might skip out on the giveaway all together because I know there will be people who will go all out with doing the extra entries and my chances of winning will be slim.
*If a contest didn't have extra entries, would you still be willing to RT the contest to help spread the word?
If a friend of mind is hosting the giveaway then definitely or if it is a really cool giveaway then I'll tweet about it and probably post the link in my blog sidebar.
Would you rather leave a comment as an entry or use an entry form - usually Google Docs?
Filling out a form is easier to fill out but its kind of hard to do the extra entries if you want to do several and have to go copy and come back and paste the link in the form. What if a giveaway allows 5 tweets or something? I don't want to do all 5 tweets at once.
How about the prizes??
What type of contest do you like? Do you like to choose your book/signed books/swag/Gift Cards?
I like the choose your books, e-gift cards are nice too, not so much a fan of swag unless its like a book poster. Swag tends to take up space in my house and become junk. Book related giveaways are nice too. I did one with bookmarks by Annie Stegg last month and it was really popular.
Any suggestions as to how bloggers could make contests easier or is there a type of contest you would like that you haven't seen yet? Maybe more movie giveaways or something else?
Continue the choose your own books giveaways (we like options), maybe some themed giveaways that have a few different books but are linked by genre or age group or style (ex. graphic novels). Oh and embrace the forms :). Lena uses them all the time she can help you out if you need help or tips.
-Sandy
I dont mind to follow on twitter or facebook. But to share it in twitter, I am little bit reluctant to do that. I prefer make a blog post or put in my side bar.
ReplyDeleteAn entry form make the contest easier and does not take time.
And about the prizes,I love any kind of prizes as long as it's open internationally :)
Thanks for your opinions!!
ReplyDelete@Janet - I don't mind following either - as long as it's optional
@Sandy - I like Lena's forms too. Have to make my DH put one together to try out for one of these contests of mine.
@Aleetha - I try to make most of my contests international. That's why I do a lot of pick your own books - so I can order from Amazon or The Book Depository. It would be too expensive if I always had to pay for shipping myself.
I don't require people to follow if they want to enter one of my giveaways -- I mean, it's nice to have new followers, but if someone just does it for the giveaway and doesn't care about my blog, then it doesn't mean much to me. I don't ask people to put up something on their own blog, on Facebook, or on Twitter -- all I ask for is a comment. I think filling out a form might be easier, so the next time I do a giveaway, I'll use one of those, instead of going through the comments. :)
ReplyDeleteSo many questions! :-D
ReplyDeleteI don't mind at all having to follow a blog to enter a contest. I kind of think you should be follower to enter a blog's contests.
I totally understand why people have the extras. I just like my life simple to enter things.
I'm not bothered either way if the comment or the form. They both work. I would think the form is simpler for the blogger, but as a contestant, it doesn't matter to me.
I love the pick your own contests. But I understand that you are not made of money and that they are not practical all the time.
The one contest I have seen at the start of 2010 which I enjoyed is where there are set of books the blogger liked and winner picks one. It gives people a chance to read what their favorite blogger liked.
Thanks!
Katie
Let's see. I never follow a blog just to enter a contest. I've followed blogs that I've discovered through a contest, but never just to enter. I don't mind extra entries, as I think it's a way to 'reward' your current followers. When I have contests, I give non-followers one entry where followers on the blog or twitter can get extra entries.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind RT'ing the contest if I had a relationship with the blogger. I prefer Google Docs, but I don't mind using comment forms to enter either. I like the 'pick your own book' contests.
Hope this helps!
@Katie - I like that contest idea!
ReplyDelete@Tara I don't follow for every contest either. Only if I like the blog. Actually I don't enter many contests.
Do you mind following a blog to get an extra entry (if it's optional)? Or follow on Twitter/ Facebook etc.?
ReplyDeleteNope, not really, I am not gonna follow a blog just cos of a contest. perhaps the blog is so not for me. I will follow if I wanna follow
Do you like extra entries?
They are a bit of a hazzle sometimes
*If a contest didn't have extra entries, would you still be willing to RT the contest to help spread the word?
I am very lazy, perhaps if they made it easy for me ;)
Would you rather leave a comment as an entry or use an entry form - usually Google Docs?
I do like the form
How about the prizes??
Books and gcs :D
What type of contest do you like? Do you like to choose your book/signed books/swag/Gift Cards?
I really love when I get to choose a book
We have follower appreciation giveaways where the prize is typically bigger and it is geared toward being a treat for followers. When we have contest for author features etc, we normally ask the author what they have in mind. If I do the contest (all my idea) I make it super simple and ask for a single comment to enter.
ReplyDeleteI seriously dislike having contests, but the other "dolls" love them and I accept that it is just part of the blogging community.
I usually only join a contest if I like the book that's being given out. I guess I like picking my own books as a prize but I haven't won that kind yet.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm already following a blogger, it doesn't hurt that I get an extra entry just for following them already. If I'm new to the site, it depends on the blog... If I like to look of it / content, I'll probably follow and enter the giveaway.
Extra entries are a pain to do.... I usually retweet the ones I see, but mostly I dump them all in one post on my blog. If I'm too lazy, I'll just skip extra entries until I feel like doing them again.
*Do you mind following a blog to get an extra entry (if it's optional)? Or follow on Twitter/ Facebook etc.? ---I don't mind following, and if you get an extra entry, it's a nice bonus. :)
ReplyDelete*Do you like extra entries? --- I like some of them, although sometimes they get a little ridiculous, like when they want you to vote for them on sites or something.
*If a contest didn't have extra entries, would you still be willing to RT the contest to help spread the word? --- I do if there is a retweet thing for twitter right at the top or at the bottom of the post, but if it's not easy access like that I usually don't.
*Would you rather leave a comment as an entry or use an entry form - usually Google Docs? ---I definitely prefer Google Docs, I don't like having to scroll up and down to fill out comment entries, although if the blogger has the pop out comments I don't mind as much.
How about the prizes??
*What type of contest do you like? Do you like to choose your book/signed books/swag/Gift Cards? ----I'm a fan of pretty much any prize as long as I'm eligible to enter lol I'm in Canada, so it's always disappointing when I read a post with an awesome prize, only to have it right at the bottom that it's US only. I definitely like giveaways with books the best though, either choose your own or one that the blogger has chosen. :)
*Any suggestions as to how bloggers could make contests easier or is there a type of contest you would like that you haven't seen yet? Maybe more movie giveaways or something else? ---- Movie giveaways would be cool, or even the first season of a tv show you really like would be cool. I'm always looking for awesome tv shows. I think google docs makes contests easier, Mary from Bookhounds wrote a great post about how to use google docs, here's the link: http://maryinhb.blogspot.com/2011/01/google-forms-how-and-why-for-blogger.html
Maybe that will help you figure it out, it's actually simpler than it seems lol
I hope my answers help you at least a little bit :)
My favorite contests are the ones that require only your name and your email. I usually put links on my sidebar whether it's required or not, mostly for my own benefit so I don't lose track. I hate having a million different ways to gain points because, while i like bettering my odds, i don't like spending more than a couply minutes on entries. Also, forms are the greatest thing ever!
ReplyDeleteI'm not big on swag. Mostly I just pass ot off to my sister because I don't know what to do with most of it--unless it's something really funny or neat like a Tee or, once I got a ghost-shaped lamp thingy, that was pretty funny. But I don't enter just for swag.
@amber I really like the idea of a season series giveaway...
ReplyDeleteLooks like I'm going to have to test out google docs!
Thanks everyone!
Looks like you've already got great suggestions ;D
ReplyDeleteBut I'm just going to post a comment anyways.
I think the only time I don't like entering the contest (no matter how much I like the prize) is when the contest has 1000+ extra entries (taking all of the space in the contest form) and it's a hassle to get through all of them as it takes time, even though I don't really complete all of them.
I personally have mixed feelings about having to be a follower to enter a comp/giveaway. In one way why shouldn't we reward our loyal followers but on the other hand how many people follow a blog just to enter things?
ReplyDeleteAs for enteries via leaving a comment on the post or filling in a form? I don't really mind either way as long as it isn't too complicated (I don't like added extras for this reason)However I like forms in that your e-mail address is not so public.
Prizes. I love surprises so 'pick your own' comps are probably my least favourite. Author signed books are extra special I think.
I don't mind having to be a follower, but I really dislike it when lots of extra points are giving for posting on your blog, etc. I don't have a blog and I feel like this is just a way to ensure that the winner will most likely be another blogger. I almost feel like people who are "just" readers are totally disrespected by the bloggers who do this. As for Twitter and Facebook, I don't have time to tweet and I happen to feel that Facebook is an invasion of privacy and I refuse to get an account, so I also dislike when extra points are given for those.
ReplyDelete@JenM - I never really thought of it that way. I think we (or at least I)are trying to find a way to balance getting the word out about a contest without making it a pain for everyone. I never even thought about it as being preferential to bloggers - winners for my contest tend to be non bloggers most of the time.
ReplyDeleteI don't enter many contests myself and almost never do the extra entries because I don't like clicking back and forth cuting and pasting but I don't mind spreading the word.
Thanks for your input.
*Do you mind following a blog to get an extra entry (if it's optional)? Or follow on Twitter/ Facebook etc.?
ReplyDeleteNope, I don't mind. It's great actually.
*Do you like extra entries?
Sometimes, but some extra entries are ridiculous and very troublesome. I like simple ones
*If a contest didn't have extra entries, would you still be willing to RT the contest to help spread the word?
No :x At least not RT, I have real life friends on twitter and I kinda like to keep uhm, my two lives, seperated. LOL
*Would you rather leave a comment as an entry or use an entry form - usually Google Docs?
Google Docs all the way. You can learn slowly, just take your time.
What type of contest do you like? Do you like to choose your book/signed books/swag/Gift Cards?
Yes I like choosing ones, but I'm fine with mostly anything. I will only join if the prize is something I want to win though, just so others can have more chance at winning.
Any suggestions as to how bloggers could make contests easier or is there a type of contest you would like that you haven't seen yet? Maybe more movie giveaways or something else?
Eh I don't know. Google Docs is pretty easy enough. I just wish some bloggers wouldn't ask us to do ridiculous/super troublesome stuffs for extra entries, or even worse, mandatory entry.
*Do you mind following a blog to get an extra entry (if it's optional)? Or follow on Twitter/ Facebook etc.?
ReplyDeleteI don't mind having extra entries included for following, but I usually don't like obligatory following for a contest that is, say, an author's guestpost or something run by a publisher. I've declined entering (or reposting) some contests that require following/subscription.
*Do you like extra entries?
I don't always do the extra entries, but I don't mind them being there. Again, it depends on the size of the prize. Some prizes don't exactly inspire mass sharing, while others I'm excited to spread the word about.
*If a contest didn't have extra entries, would you still be willing to RT the contest to help spread the word?
I'm constantly posting contests in my sidebar, even for a lot of them that I don't enter. Either I already own the prize or it's not something I'm personally interested in, but I think my readers might enjoy it, so I pass it along.
*Would you rather leave a comment as an entry or use an entry form - usually Google Docs?
I much prefer Google Docs forms. I read a lot of sites through GoogleReader, so I guess I'm lazy in that respect. Plus it gets a bit repetitive seeing comments of all the same thing.
*What type of contest do you like? Do you like to choose your book/signed books/swag/Gift Cards?
I like books, signed books, gift cards, and choose-from-this-selection as prizes. I'm not too big on swag, but that's probably because I don't use bookmarks or such.