Confession: I used to hate, hate, hate blog giveaways. I really didn’t have a rhyme or a reason to dislike them. Now, I look back and ask myself why I disliked them so much and I really think it’s because I didn’t quite understand how to do it. Sure I had a Facebook account, but had not heard of Twitter. And I had a blog, but it was just a small personal blog, and a couple of blogs set up for my previous online work. Which is a whole other thing in itself. I have since closed those blogs up.
I visit Online-Sweepstakes often. I have been a paid, and non-paid member for 6 years. Would have been a founding member if I would understood how to register into the forums. I have to throw that in there for you all. 
Anyway, after Winter and I had free time online (meaning we weren’t working), we were indeed blogging a lot more than usual. One of my favorite online hobbies is to enter giveaways and sweepstakes online, (again) so I was entering more often. I have to admit I have had wonderful luck! Let me know if you want to see my out-of-date win list. I’m uber proud of it.
One day Winter showed me a blog giveaway, to which I told her “I have seen those, I hate them!” and she continued to prod encourage me to enter just a handful of blog giveaways, and if I didn’t win in 3 weeks that she’d drop it. Okay, fine. She had to show me step-by-step what to do. I felt a little dense since we both had blogs and I simply didn’t “get it”! But she very patiently walked me through it, step-by-step. What a loyal bestie I have, eh’?
Now thinking about it, I wonder how many folks have visited here, seen the giveaways and like me turned away, not being sure of what to do, or how to enter.
So here I am, as you can see and take a hard guess, I no longer dislike blog giveaway! But I love them! And I’d like to tell you step-by-step how to enter. I thought it was such a daunting waste of time, and I was so very wrong.
#1 The biggest majority of blog giveaways I have read, written or entered begin as a review. We (bloggers) work hard on our reviews. Please, take a few minutes to read what we have to say. There ARE honest and ethical blogs out there. I’m proud to say that we are one of those.
#2- Since #1 covers reading the post, this should be a given. Read, read, read! Many times the mandatory is not completed. That has to be done, or no other entries count. This is absolutely the most important part of entering a blog giveaway. You must do those.
#3 Those extra optional entries are just that. Extra and optional. Now I think this is what drove me crazy about blog giveaways, causing my dislike. I didn’t want to do all of that, I didn’t understand all the tweeting, and blogging and, and, and …. I had closed my little personal blog down and it seemed rather daunting to open one back up to tell others about a giveaway that even I,myself didn’t understand.
You really do not have to do those if you don’t want to. A very wise friend once told me to take my time, that you can’t eat an elephant all once, it must be done one bite at a time. So go slow, there’s no need to rush.
I have seen many people win using the one single mandatory entry. If you’re really interested in a prize, then do the mandatory entry, it’s rather painless. And go on. Want to do the other entries?
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
A common entry on many blog giveaways is to tweet, using Twitter, then to comment back with the link to your tweet. That’s the tricky part, and I’ll show you how here. Believe it or not that is rather painless too. And quick!
Sign up for your own twitter account, it’s pretty easy. Choose your user name, yadda, yadda, yadda. You get that. But that entry asks you to send a direct link to your tweet. Wha…? I didn’t know how to do this for quite sometime.
Read on, directions to get your direct link.
See my fancy red arrow pointing towards those little words that say “less than 5 seconds ago via web”? Right click that on your tweet, chose copy link location, then comment back to whatever blog you are for your entry.
Each and every single comment/task is an entry each blog is different. But remember, many blogs, ours included ask that you leave a single comment for each thing you do.
Mandatory entry is one comment, that is one entry.
Tweet is one comment, that is another entry. Another separate comment.
On our blog we ask that you leave a comment for each entry. If you tweet for 100 entries you can leave 100 comments. It’s not that far fetched, but you get it, right?
Following us on Google is easy also. Google has gotten pretty big, so I’m sure there are a lot of people that have a google account and you don’t even realize you do (I didn’t lol) . Or you can use your gmail. Click the link to follow, and it’s self descriptive and gives directions. If anyone needs help, comment here or drop me an email from our contact page, I’ll do my best to help you along.
Any questions? Let me know, I’ll either make a new post or update this one! I hope this helps someone out there!
Thanks so much for the info!
I have a question about Facebook entries.
I don’t know what to use when I’m to post a link with my comment.
Do you know what I mean?
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ellen Beck, Carolyn West and Rose RedNeckWitch, Rose RedNeckWitch. Rose RedNeckWitch said: How To Enter Blog Giveaways http://bit.ly/bCDpE6 [...]
The FB link to put in a comment is much like the twitter link. You right click on the phrase that says “posted 3 seconds ago”, copy link address and paste it into the blog comment. I usually put “FB post: (and the link)”.
Barbara I think Sarah is right. I’ll look tomorrow
when I’m on the laptop. I was just checking in from my iPod.
I’ll make another picture if you want me to lol!
I like making those, soon I’ll add some sort of goofy humor!
Please give this a tweet I know that these are
some of the most common questions asked about entries.
You know I wish someone would have done this sooner cause when I started to enter I made mistakes prolly annoyed some nice bloggers who I have to say was very nice and helped me on how to enter….Thanks again!
What a great blog post! This will help lots of people.
I enter blog giveaways if it’s something I’m especially interested in. My problem is that I’m not very organized, so I rarely ever have the daily entries offered, thus my chances of winning are really small. There are too many blogs out there for the time I have, so I try not to spend all of the time doing giveaways because some of the best blog content is not about a giveaway, in my opinion. Also, if there are over a thousand entries in the comments that discourages me from entering unless multiple prizes are being given away.
There are several items I have purchased after reading blog reviews, giveaway or no, so I really appreciate honest reviews.
I love this post. I just started entering blog giveaways last month and have had great luck
but I was very intimidated at first and didn’t know what to do. I know this will help a lot of people out there. I will be retweeting.
Yes good article! I just always click on “wall” on facebook & post there. I have 22 giveawys up right now so I hope someone who’s looking to win some cool prizes will drop on by.
Rose- excellent post. I have been sweeping for over 25 years and have seen many changes. Hubby and I also subscribe to OLS and I would always skip over the blogs. Last December I started entering them and have been winning regular. At first I thought I would just sign in for the sweeps and ignore everything else. What I found was a great group of people and some wonderful blogs with really great post (non-giveaway related).There are about 10 blogs that I now follow faithfully. I still enter online sweeps and an occasional snail mail, but blogs and twitter (my new favorite friend) keep me busy. Oh- and BTW- your blog made my top 10
I am officially blog addicted!
I was over at slickdeals not winning anything and found the bloggers..and havent done half bad. Nothing from my fav witches lately, but keep plugging away
I think the biggest thing is persistence and just to keep entering.
Found Twitter and cant get up- but Facebook is still a PITB.
If you like generally smaller neat prizes that are well reviewed, a blog is the place to go- and I LOVE the witches!
Thanks for the article! I totally agree about the reviews! Us bloggers work hard on them and they deserve to be read!
Great Post Rose I know I used to Enter Regularly but lately have been busy working my buisness so when i get to the blogging Giveaways I am always feeling to tired to enter a lot so i miss out on a lot LOL but thanks for all the great Info it does help
Heidi, I do too! Because I also made tons of mistakes. I know that I did now, but then I didn’t. Having been on both sides of the fence, as a blogger it’s hard to catch every single mistake. When I catch a mistake I email them and let them know.
Every person, every blogger and every blog is different.
Terri, I always do the tweet entries, well almost always. I usually put a note to myself in word. lol
Donna, I agree. In the time I have been sweeping I too have seen a ton of changes. The one I hate the most? FLASH! URGH!
I’m so glad we make your top 10!
I’m really glad this has helped a few. Like I said, I know I sure could have used this when I first began entering blog giveaways.
i just love bloging i love to get things free and i love candles of all kinds
Ummm Rose? Why did you post this in MY Blogging For a Cause?? HMmmm you are just so misguided lol. Now I’m going to wait and see how long it takes you to find this with of course a few hints from me!
Yeppers ILY Snarky an all
Winter
Well looks like it took me a little while to find this Wise Witch. Because it is blogging for a cause. A cause to help others learn to enter. We’ll see how it takes YOU to find this comment, without any hints frome me.
ILY Moxie Witch.
Thank you for your plain english explanation, I love sweeping and I have been member of OLS for over 6 yrs but like many always avoided the blogs, & twittering for sweeps but recently started getting into them, for me, some of it was Very confusing, especially the part about the twittering status thing ( to leave a comment back) and It took me a few days to figure out what that meant, I wish I would have read your post first then I would of known exactly what they meant, thanks and just wanted to say you have a great site and lots of really nice giveaways and reviews.
This is greatness! Thank you
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I wish I had discovered this information several weeks ago. My daughter was the one who turned me on to entering blog giveaways, especially since I love to read and she knew I could get a lot of great books this way. Well, I was EXTREMELY intimidated at first and almost gave up because it was just too overwhelming. But being the “determined” person I am, I stuck with it and now spend WAY too much time on the computer entering giveaways. And winning!!! Thank you for taking the time to “teach” us how to blog.