I’ve been hosting quite a number of giveaways lately. Some I try to make really easy – on me and the entrants – while others are a bit more difficult.
Generally, I try not to require anything special for the entries. Just enter here. I keep a google doc so everything is in one place and I just pick someone using random.org.
However, sometimes I make it hard. I require tweets, comments, or followership. Because I really am obsessive-compulsive – as we learned earlier – I do go through every entry and check to see if they’ve completed the required hoops.
Yes, maybe, it would make more sense to see who wins and then just make sure their entries have been made accurately but, well, it’s me.
Anyway.
It really IRKS me that people who enter my contest say they’re a follower and aren’t. I mean. It’s so easy to check GFC. If you weren’t really going to follow me then just say you’re an email follower for goodness sakes – there is no way to check that!
Of course, no, if they say they’re a follower I leave them in the contest because maybe, just maybe, I’m checking the GFC thingy incorrectly but REALLY?
So, now I’m left wondering, is it just me? What do you do? Do you even check?
Gina: Good question/topic. I am also a bit on the OCD side and the first few giveaways I hosted, I let the "I follows" but really don't slip by. Then I thought about it and now I check if they truly follow. Even tho I use Random.Org to choose, I want a "true public follower" to win. I have even incorporated it into my Disclaimer. Hope this helped a little.
Oooooooooooooooo so not cool.
I don't usually require they be followers so I don't encounter that problem much.
I used to allow extra points for being a follower, tweeting, re-posting, etc and I would check but honestly, it became too tedious and time consuming so I stopped and now I just have our followers fill out the handy-dandy google doc and finito!
The only time I allow for extra entries now is if I'm doing a special giveaway like some of the ones we did for Halloween where it's only one prize for one winner.
Anyhoo – if you truly don't mind going thru the extra effort of checking, then go ahead and allow for the extra entries. I think it really boils down to what is manageable for YOU 🙂
♥Isalys
I am waaaayyy to lazy to add up extra entries or check to see if someone is following. So I don't put any requirements on my giveaways. Of course, I'm just giving away books. Maybe if I was giving away a Kindle or something I'd be motivated enough to actually follow through with stuff like that.
The other side to this is I'm trying to build quality followers, people who follow my blog because they really like my content and will comment on posts, etc…not just following b/c they want to win a book- but mostly I'm just too lazy to check, 😛
Thanks, my friends! I want followers & I really would like for people I like to get these books I love. When they're my books I care a bit more than when I'm doing the giveaways for others but still… I'd like some honesty!
I always make my giveaways open to everyone, followers or not for a few different reasons. One is that it's easier for me to just use the names in the comments at Random.org and pick a winner without having to do "background" checks on everyone. Of course, I prefer the entrants to be people who have actually visited my blog, follow me, or express in their comment that they just found me and plan on visiting again… but I also know it's not easy to know who truly follows your blog since there are so many ways to subscribe to a blog. I, for example, follow 100+ book blogs through RSS feeds in my browser. I don't think you can check that? So that's the other reason.
Also, I don't want people to simply follow me because I'm giving away something. I want my followers to actually be interested in what I have to say… not just what I have to give away. It keeps me humble, too, because my number of followers stays small. LOL.
I do often restrict my giveaways to the US and Canada since it is expensive to ship overseas. But then I feel badly for my regulars who don't live in North America so I sometimes open it to everyone. Once I mailed a book to a complete stranger in Italy who I highly doubt has ever visited my blog again. That's kind of a bummer.
Good topic. 🙂
WOW! Terrific, everyone. I REALLY appreciate your responses. I'll have to think about it & do something easier!