Because I am hosting my first ever giveaway on this blog, I set out to learn all I possibly could in a very short time about promoting a Giveaway. I have learned a good bit but at the same time, not enough. This post is my opinion only and I am not an authority! I am sharing with you my personal experience with my very first Giveaway which is in full swing right now.
Let me back up and start at the beginning. I was contacted on LinkedIn by a Representative from NestFresh about the possibility of hosting a Giveaway on my blog. Of course I thought that was exciting especially since I had been seeking a Giveaway to offer my readers. When I learned it was for 2 dozen free eggs, I entered into the negotiation frame of mind. While in college I enjoyed the Model United Nations Club for several years, where negotiation and debate run rampant. Apparently I did gain some type of skill because I was able to negotiate 2 Months of Free Eggs PLUS an assortment of Kitchen tools for our giveaway. You can enter here, hurry because it ends on Feb. 14th. Two dozen free eggs is nothing to shake a stick at, don’t get me wrong. They don’t have to give food away, ya know! But 8 dozen free eggs PLUS an assortment of kitchen tools is just so much better, isn’t it!
How To Promote Your Blog Giveaway
Now don’t start thinking that because I have done exactly one giveaway, I have suddenly become an authority.
You should not seek professional advice right here. These are merely my observations from my first time out!
- Share, Share, Share! Social media sharing is essential to successfully promote your Giveaway unless of course you have a gazillion readers already
- Share some more! There are sites out there created just for this purpose! Who knew?
- Sweepstakesmax.com will allow you to post your Giveaway on their site for others to view at no charge.
- Gonaturalgiveaways.com also allows you to post your Giveaway for free. The only requirement is that the item(s) must be of a natural nature. (tee hee)
If you google ‘where to share your giveaway’ , you will receive about About 48,800,000 results (0.46 seconds) !!!
In Conclusion
Networking got me the opportunity.
Networking and Social Media sharing is essential to promote your Giveaway
Giveaway blogging is an entirely different culture of blogging. It is not easy. It is time consuming but then again, any kind of blogging is time consuming.
I think that once a network is developed, it might become a little bit easier. If you are a Giveaway Blogger, please advice me on this thought!
It is fun! Yes, I have very much enjoyed talking to people, I love people! It is exciting to know that someone is going to be blessed by winning 8 Dozen Eggs AND all of those nice kitchen tools! Wow, that is a blessing, FREE groceries!
Will I do it again?
Yep, it has been so much fun! I sure will so keep checking back!
Do you have a blog post about how to host a giveaway? Link that post here for others to see.
DO NOT LINK A GIVEAWAY
This Linky is about HOW to host blog giveaways only. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back often to read other bloggers giveaway experiences.
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Michelle @ Moms Are Frugal says
I have been thinking about doing a giveaway, but blogging in itself takes up a lot of time. I also need to take the time to sign up for Rafflecopter and a few other things to get a giveaway started! Great post.
Shirley Wood says
Michelle, you are so right, blogging does indeed take up a lot of time. I enjoy all of the wonderful people I get to meet such as yourself though. I was intimidated by Rafflecopter but it was super easy.
Always Reiding says
I love this post–it’s a great resource for blogging. I hope your giveaway is a success!
Shirley Wood says
Thank you. It was a good success. I appreciate you stopping by.
Nikki says
I’ve helped host a few giveaways and I usually google “giveaway linkys” and get a lot of hits. That seems to work for me 🙂
Shirley Wood says
Yes, I have done the Google thing also. Gotta love Google 🙂
Faith Still says
I use giveaway linkys on other sites frequently to attract more attention.
Shirley Wood says
It works like a charm, doesn’t it!
Marisa Slusarcyk says
I can’t even manage to give away cash, lol i don’t know where I go wrong when I have a large unique viewer count, a large views per day following and a decent sized email following. Oh well, more for me!
Tanya says
Thannks for the tips! I’m always looking for new ways to get the word out about my giveaways.
Shirley Wood says
Thanks for stopping by Tanya. I found the Giveaways to be a lot of fun. Promoting is quite the job!
Jessi Fearon (@TheBudgetMama) says
I’ve hosted several giveaways before and it can definitely be challenging! Some giveaways have totally flopped and others have succeeded in a way that I never thought possible! Thank you so much sharing your knowledge!
Shirley Wood says
Thanks for stopping by Jessi. I will continue to learn and grow in knowledge as I continue to experience the fun of hosting giveaways. I will go check yours out too!
Jennifer at Purposeful Nutrition says
I have done some giveaways. I was not aware of the sites that allow you post for free. That is very helpful. Will be pinning this for later.
Shirley Wood says
Thanks Jennifer. I’m sure there are more sites than I am aware of. If you find one, please tell me. I will add it. Thanks for the Pin!
Nicole says
Thank you for breaking this down. Oftentimes, it can seem very overwhelming to post a giveaway, but as someone who has plans for one very soon, I appreciate this very much!
Shirley Wood says
Thanks Nicole for those kind words. I will keep my eye out for your Giveaway so I can enter! Good luck with it!
Halina says
Wow, I wish I’d know about how to spread the word about a giveaway back when I did my own book giveaway. I didn’t get a lot of post views and comments on that giveaway.
Shirley Wood says
Halina, thanks for stopping by. I would encourage you to participate in another giveaway that someone else is hosting to help grow your followers. Some will leave when it is over, but not all. It is one nice way to build your following.
Katherine Petrunia says
I’m glad your first giveaway is off to a great start! Way to go on getting such a great prize! I think there’s a lot of work involved in hosting and promoting a giveaway effectively, and it sound like you’ve started off on a strong foot. I hope your future giveaways are just as successful! (or MORE successful!)
Shirley Wood says
Thank you for those kind words Katherine. It was successful. I’m gotten involved in co-hosting a couple now. There is a lot less work involved in co-hosting!
Annette Browning says
Perfect timing! I’m getting ready to do my first giveaway as well. I bookmarked this post for future reference. Thanks!
Shirley Wood says
Glad it was helpful for you Annette! I have found the Giveaway’s to be fun and helpful for growing followers!
Jen Bradley says
This is really informative. Maybe if my blog got to a certain size, I may do something like this. I appreciate your time to write it.
Shirley Wood says
Thanks Jen. Hosting a Co-hosting a Giveaway will help your blog to grow.
Lisa {Amateur Nester} says
Very timely tips for me as I’m hoping to do my first giveaway soon. Thanks! Stopping by from Blogelina Commentathon.
Shirley Wood says
Glad to be of assistance, Lisa. Thanks for stopping by.
stacey says
These are all great tips! I’m totally writing some down for later. I’m pretty good about pulling the giveaways together, but the promoting is where I struggle.
Thanks for the tips!
-Stacey
GluedToMyCraftsBlog.com
Shirley Wood says
Hi Stacey, I’m glad you found it helpful! You sure do have to promote by Sharing and sharing and sharing!
Liz Lewis says
Thank you soooooooo much for posting about this. I haven’t done my first giveaway yet, but am very much looking forward to doing so. One of my friends hosted a giveaway recently and was discussing how it wasn’t as successful as she’d planned on it being. Thank for sharing tips on how to make it moreso!
Shirley Wood says
Thanks for the compliment. This was my first one but I did learn a lot!
Johnnalynn Lynch says
Thanks so much for sharing! If you’re interested in hosting Giveaways, check out a blog called Oh My Gosh Beck. She offers both free and paid Giveaway hosting opportunities AND participating in her Giveaways will help grow your social media and blog following. I’ve hosted and continue to host with her and I’ve gained so many new followers as a result. This is really great information!
Shirley Wood says
Thank you Johnnalynn for that information. I will go check out Oh My Gosh Beck!
Jaclyn says
What an awesome post. Super informative and interesting. Going to bookmark this for future use. Thank you 🙂
Shirley Wood says
Jaclyn, I’m so glad you found the information helpful. I hope you Pinned it to your Blogging board:-)
Lalia @ Found Frolicking says
Giveaway linky pages or posts are definitely a great way to promote a giveaway. Websites such as Giveaway Promote are free for bloggers and are another great way to promote giveaways. When you’re hosting your first giveaway, it’s so overwhelming!!! To figure out what program to host it on, what you’re supposed to include on it, and then of course promoting it. I still remember being ecstatic about my first giveaway, but then my eyes bugged out when I realized all the work it entailed! I’ve come a long way since then, and now I’m just about to do my first prize package giveaway! Which is a whole other ball game!!!
I don’t currently have a post about hosting a giveaway, but you have inspired me! I am going to write one for my Wednesday person post sometime soon. Thanks!
Shirley Wood says
Thank you so much for your helpful comment. I will check out the Giveaway Promote page! I’m about to begin Giveaway #3, I must be hooked! Please come back on Link your Giveaway post once you write it. I would love to hear your advice! Thanks for stopping by, Lalia!
Tink says
Great information. I normally leave something like this up to my sister since we share a blog and I noticed that she has been here alreasy. I’ll just have to nudge her from time to time reread your post and come up with something for ours.
Sarah Barker (@sarahsfare) says
Shirley, This post could not be more perfect. I’m in the middle of a blog re-design and I’ve been thinking of doing a giveaway when it is all finished to boost traffic. But, it will be my first, and so naturally I’m a bit nervous – well, was nervous – now I feel much more confident.
Sarah’s Fare recently posted → Eggs in a Nest
Shirley Wood says
Glad it was helpful to your Sarah. It was my first, as I mentioned so I wanted to say those things while it was fresh on my mind from the newbie perspective! I will watch for your Giveaway!
Meeghan says
Thank you for posting! Hopefully I will someday host a giveaway on my blog…so, I pinned the info for later use. THanks!
Shirley Wood says
Thanks for the Pin. Glad you found the information helpful!
Jeanette says
I have done a few giveaways before. Great tips.
Shirley Wood says
Thanks for stopping by Jeanette. Glad you liked the tips.
Mommy Maleta says
I ran my first giveaway recently too. It was fun! Thx for the tip about mentioning that there are sites devoted to advertising giveaways. I’m going to check that out for my next giveaway.
Shirley Wood says
You are so welcome, Mommy Maleta. Glad you found some helpful tips, hope to see you again. Thanks for stopping by.
Val @ Love My DIY Home says
I intend to do a giveaway one day – when I do I’ll check back for your tips. Thanks.
Shirley Wood says
Thanks for stopping by Val. Glad you liked the tips, looking forward to your next visit!
HilLesha says
Wishing you much success with your first giveaway! 🙂
Shirley Wood says
Thanks, HiLesha. It was a great success. I am already involved in another one!
Marcia @ Blogitudes says
Excellent post and information! I haven’t attempted a giveaway yet, but have been thinking about doing one. I’m pinning this for future reference and I thank you much! 😀
Shirley Wood says
Thanks for the Pin! I enjoyed you love story! You should give it a try, I’ll help you promote it on Social Media, just contact me about it. Thanks for stopping by.
Tonia says
Good tips. I find that promoting across social media is the biggest draw for bringing people to a giveaway.
Shirley Wood says
I found that to be the case too, Tonia. You have to share, share, share!
Angie Young says
Thank you for the tips. I’ve been considering doing a book giveaway on my book blog. And your tips have been very helpful.
Shirley Wood says
Thanks for those kind words. I’ll be sure to watch for your giveaway, Angie.
vwbug says
Great tips on giveaways. I haven’t had a chance to do one yet but haven’t really pursued it. Sounds like it would be fun… always something new to learn.
Shirley Wood says
I enjoyed it and am already doing another one. It is a great way to increase followers too.
Ashley @ Simply Designing says
Great ideas! And way to negotiate! Wahoo!!
Shirley Wood says
Thanks, Ashley. Thanks for stopping by.
Pam says
Great suggestions – I especially liked that you negotiated for a bigger prize – I don’t know why I never thought to do that!
Shirley Wood says
Thanks Pam. I credited my negotiation class from college with that idea. I enjoy the art of negotiation. The Rep for NestFresh was awesome to work with too.
Rebecca @ Love at First Book says
Great tips! I have run some giveaways and there are pros and cons for sure.
Kemi Quinn says
You know maybe I should be more active on LinkedIn. I host giveaways all the time. Some people contact me out of the blue but my linkedin profile is just about nil. Thanks for the tips. This veteran has learned a few things.
Shirley Wood says
Thanks for saying that Kemi. I appreciate that vote of confidence. I will certainly be doing more Giveaways. It did increase my readers and my social media followers and plus, it was fun!
Natalie says
I’ve only done one giveaway on my blog (and that was over a year ago)–it didn’t go very well, so I’ve been wary of trying another one. I don’t think I shared my giveaway enough, and THAT’s why it didn’t work. You’ve given me a little more confidence to try another giveaway in the future! 🙂
Shirley Wood says
Natalie, I was much please with the result in the end. It more than doubled my blog traffic for the week and increased all of my social media followers tremendously. I’m participating in one now that I signed up to do a good while back. There are too many requirements to the entrants so it will be interesting to see how this one plays out. It’s a whole new world.
Renew Your Space says
Great information!! I love hosting giveaways 🙂
Elena Fredrick says
This was such practical information and just in time since a giveaway is in my near future. Thanks for all the footwork you have done. This makes it a bit easier for me now. Yay!
Rebekah says
Thanks! I’ve been thinking of attempting a giveaway sometime in the next few months, but as a busy momma I think I had better wait a little longer. I’m looking to grow my group of followers a little and don’t want to suck them in for a giveaway and then have them not return. 🙂
Shirley Wood says
Thanks for stopping by Rebekah. I felt the same way. The Giveaway has been fun though. Some will stay and some won’t, it is what it is.
Kristen from The Road to Domestication says
Great info here! Everyone loves a giveaway, that’s the good thing 🙂
Shirley Wood says
Thanks, Kristen. Giveaways can be time consuming but it is worth it if you win, right! That’s why we love ’em!
Anna @ Northern Homestead says
I have not done a giveaway yet either. But now I know where to go for info if I wanted to. Thank you!
Shirley Wood says
Anna, it has been fun. Go check out the Go Natural Giveaways link, it will lead to some opportunities.
Alli says
I so enjoyed participating in your giveaway! I love giveaways and feel so special because you included me. Looking forward to finding out who wins!
Shirley Wood says
Thanks, Alli. I have learned that the giveaway is FUN! Thanks for participating 🙂
Amanda Smith says
Great tips! How on earth did you negotiate?? WOW!!
If you need more places to link your giveaway up, check out my page in my blog titled blogs I love and link ups. Some of the links i have there are places to link up a giveaway 50 places.
I hope your giveaway is a HUGE success!! And I hope I win!! 🙂
Shirley Wood says
Thanks Amanda. I will go over to your blog and check that out!