I recently entered a Facebook competition by Marbig. I had to create a 50 character slogan to go onto a coffee mug. My entry was WHAT’S WITH THE SELFIE? GET A LIFE! The prize was a Nespresso Coffee Machine. I don’t even drink coffee but that’s what happens when you get serious about comping: it becomes just as addictive as coffee, sometimes more so. You know, how you just can’t start the day without a comping fix.
I can’t resist a competition especially a fun, creative one like this Marbig one. The only problem is – it’s a voting competition. This is fine for all those who have big families, very friendly neighbours and lots of Facebook and Twitter friends but alas…I don’t. Except for the friendly neighbours. I have quite a few. So if you are in the same boat as me I have put together a few suggestions to help you with entering voting competitions.
(1) Don’t enter them. There is nothing worse than being reminded that you have few online friends. Best avoid them if that is the case and you think you won’t be able to get enough votes. You definitely won’t win even with your most awesome entry ever, but at least you won’t have your ego dented.
(2) Check the terms and conditions and closing date before entering. This is always important but for voting competitions it is even more so you know how you can elicit votes, how long you have to get them in and so you don’t do anything that is seen to be cheating.
(3) Get all your family, neighbours and friends to vote. Obviously not all will be bothered to take the time to vote but some will. If you are really serious, don’t rely on the automatic procedure for the competition website or Facebook page to contact friends (that sometimes comes up when you enter asking for names and emails etc) because these emails might just be mistaken for spam and deleted by unsuspecting recipients. It is best to cut and paste the link to your entry into a personalised email to friends and family with any instructions on how to vote. The friends that do end up voting are probably those that are aware of your addiction or hope to gain one of your unwanted prizes some time in the future.
(4) It always pays to become active in comper forums. Start with the one here at competitions.com.au. When you are ready to seek votes simply click on the Voting Requests tab and ask the others. Keep your request warm and genuine and make sure you always vote for them in return – remember – it is a two-way street. By following posts in the forums and other chat sites you may also be alerted to other voting competitions to enter.
(5) Twitter and Facebook (and any other social media site you happen to be a member of). If you have heaps of online friends perhaps a proportion will vote if you ask nicely. Simply send out your link and a request. It’s always worth a try.
Hopefully the best and most reputable competitions will still have a prize allocated by a judge as well as for the number of public votes otherwise it wouldn’t be entirely fair, would it? One final word: it is still vital to create the best entry you can whether it is a selfie, another photo (of your children perhaps) or even something as absurd as a slogan on a coffee cup. Of course it may just be a matter of crossing your fingers, pretty much the same procedure as for all the other ones you entered that week. Then just wait and see what happens.
