Do You Participate in Giveaways?

Friday, May 25, 2012 by Kathy Murdock from Thrifty Mom's Two Cents

I follow a girl on Twitter who spends a lot of her day entering sweepstakes, which she then tweets about. I love this, because I get to see all the goodies that are given away. Yet, I have never participated.

I’ve never felt ‘lucky’ when it comes to giveaways. I’m typically the only person in a room of one hundred that won’t get a door prize, and my ticket number is never called out during a drawing. Plus, sometimes the time it takes to sit down and fill out a survey or respond to a giveaway is time I should be working or playing with the girls. When time is limited, as all of you know, you have to choose your activities wisely.

But I won a cake during a cake walk last week at a kid carnival and I’m beginning to wonder if my luck is about to change.

So I started looking a bit more closely at giveaways.

They are everywhere these days, now that people make money off of blogs and companies can use bloggers to promote their items. Think about it: A company gives a blogger $45 worth of product. The blogger writes about that product and 400 of her followers on Twitter read the review. If only a third of those head to the company’s site and only half of the third buys, the company still makes a killing on just a $45 investment.

Great for the blogger (more readers), great for the company (more buyers), great for the winner (something for free).

Also, a company can promote their own giveaway on their own site. Hand out $50 worth of product. Get people interested in the product. Sell the product to several people who didn't win and make three times or more what they gave away. Great marketing!

So this month I’ve been entering a giveaway a day for one of the magazines I subscribe to. (No, I haven't won a thing, but you never know!)

I thought it would be fun to post great places to look for free stuff, and if you know of any more please share in the comment section. Here are my rules with giveaways, though: I don’t randomly give out my home address, which you have to do if you win, so I only participate in those from sources I trust. The links below are to well-known magazines and shows. If you share, please make sure your giveaways are from trusted companies.

Here you go:

Lucky Magazine: I love this magazine, and they constantly run giveaways!

Women’s Running: If you are a runner, you’ll appreciate their 50 days of giveaways (though we are about half through now).

All You: This magazine always has great coupons, great tips on saving money, and great giveaways!

Ellen: For Ellen viewers, check out her daily giveaway!

And, since I work for them I can’t win (less competition for you!), but if you like free stuff (who doesn’t?) you should always stay up to date on the sweepstakes here on EverydayFamily!

Kathy Murdock
Kathy Murdock works as a full time writer and web designer. Recently planted in the middle of the deep south from the busy streets of Los Angeles, when she's not coding Wordpress websites or writing about women in business and thrifty motherhood, Kathy spends time ...Read More

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