The Ultimate Giveaway How-To: Hosting

I thought of doing this how-to on giveaways post because my blogger friends keep asking me for help how to advertise, get sponsors, and host a giveaway. So, since I have nothing to do tonight (missing out on Callum David in Davao cause I have no one to go with :( ), here is my giveaway post:

1) WHY SHOULD YOU DO A GIVEAWAY

-to give back to your existing readers

-to gain more readers (duh, isn't this why we do this?)

-to get stuff in the mail

2) GETTING SPONSORS

-Prepare to be asked for your blog statistics. Some shops ask for this but some shops don't so be prepared. Doing a giveaway is sort of like advertising for a shop so they wanna make sure that for an item they give, there is a sure return in the number of likes or followers on their pages. So, if you are a new blogger, do not fret. You can start by sponsoring the prizes for your first giveaway. Your hits will definitely increase after the first giveaway (hihi. sneaky), especially if you've advertised well.

-Write a letter asking for sponsorship. I think it is preferred if you send the letter through e-mail rather than a Facebook or Multiply message since it is more formal, but again, I was able to get sponsors via a Multiply message (I asked first if they were willing to sponsor and then e-mailed them to be safe). If you have no idea how to write the sponsorship letter, Google it!

Stuff to put in your letter:

-Introduce yourself and your blog.

-If you are really a fan of the shop, now's the time to tell the shop owner what particular product or thing from the shop that you like.

-Start introducing your giveaway: What it's for, when will it be held, how long it will be held, mechanics that will benefit the online shop (like FB, follow twitter, etc) and most importantly, WHAT YOU WILL BE GIVING IN EXCHANGE (logo on the blog for , a sponsored post, a write-up, review or what have you)

3) HOSTING YOUR BLOG GIVEAWAY

You can do it the old school way (comments) or the easy way (Rafflecopter)

Rafflecopter makes giveaway hosting and joining easier because as long as you are signed in on Facebook and Twitter, you can automatically like and follow pages. This is recommended, especially if you have a lot of sponsors so you can be sure that the participants followed and joined. They don't even need to put in their email address cause Rafflecopter gets the info from Facebook (as well as the IP addresses, so no to dual entries!!!). It also automatically links to the blog entry wherein you posted your giveaway in the "tweet this" option AND it does not accept entries once the deadline of the giveaway is reached.

After you're done editing the giveaway, you can copy the HTML code and paste it on your blog.

For Facebook pages, you have to install an external app but Rafflecopter can teach you how to do it.

For comments, you ask for the reader's info (don't forget the email address so you can contact him/her!) and put the entries in excel (especially if you have a 1 comment for multiple entries rule) and then pick a winner using random.org. It's tedious, but you know, whatever floats your boat.

(Haha I'm obviously pro-rafflecopter! Loved it ever since I discovered it!)

4) ADVERTISING YOUR GIVEAWAY

E-mail giveaway websites that would advertise giveaways for giveaway addicts.

For Philippine residents only giveaways, try mukhangpera.com or boy-kuripot.com.

For nail polish giveaways (international), try crazy-for-giveaways.blogspot.com

*other tips:
-try to make a BIG giveaway with lots of prizes. People will most likely join that!
-Make a giveaway whose main steps are to like or follow on Facebook and Twitter since most people have those 2. Following Multiply or Tumblr can be for additional entries. :)

Soon, I'll be posting tips on how to join giveaways and make the most of it!

Hope that this post helped!
If you have questions, don't hesitate to comment! :)