If you blog, you are probably looking for ways to increase your website traffic and readership. Hosting a giveaway on your site is a great way to get more views and increase the interest in your blog.
So, what is a giveaway?
A giveaway is just like it sounds. You are giving away a product or service for your readers, often in return for subscribing to your email list. This helps to build a list that you can market to later.
A lot of times, you can partner with a business that will sponsor the prize in order to get exposure for their brand. For example, if you blog is about gardening, you could partner with a local flower shop.
Setting Up Giveaways
To do this, you will need a quick and easy form for your readers to use to enter the giveaway. A great platform to simplify the process is Rafflecopter.
Rafflecopter is an easy platform that is great for running giveaways, and it makes it easy for both blogger and users. There is a template you fill out to create the entries you want, add in the prize, and then the readers sign in, and choose which entries they want to enter.
Then, when it comes time to draw a winner, with a click of a button you can randomly draw a winner. Just email them directly for their contact information to get the prize sent their way.
Easy. Peasy.
Rafflecopter Makes Giveaways Painless
Rafflecopter is a really simple and effective way to make hosting giveaways painless and easy for you and your readers. It looks really clean on your site and leaves your readers a quick and easy way to enter.
I have found over the years, if you have a template-based entry method like Rafflecopter, more people enter, because it is easy.
They sign in and enter within minutes. Leaving a blog comment takes time, and if you make that an optional entry, it makes people more eager to enter.
To start using Rafflecopter just go to their website and join for free. You can easily create your first giveaway in just a few minutes.
They offer tutorials as well so you can have the ease of seeing step by step instructions on how to create the perfect giveaway. You may find more benefit to the paid version of Rafflecopter if you host a lot of giveaways, it opens the doors to the ease of use for bloggers who host multiple giveaways a month.
Few Giveaway Tips For Success
Make sure you share exactly what the prize is, who is fulfilling it (you or sponsor), and the end date. Also, include how long they have to respond to your email with contact information before you draw a new winner.
A lot of bloggers allow the winner 48 hours to respond, or they draw a new winner. You may consider having a Giveaway Terms and Conditions page written up to keep things legal and upfront.
Make sure to promote your giveaways on social media and websites that allow you to share giveaways. You can pay to promote your giveaways on big giveaway sites or you can find free ones that will allow you to promote your giveaway for free. Also, look for blogger Facebook giveaway groups that you can share your giveaway in.
I normally host a giveaway for around 1-2 week range, anything larger you will have less likelihood of people entering. Longer than 14 days is too long unless you are hosting a blogger hop giveaway where there’s a huge prize involved. The average date for a blog giveaway using Rafflecopter is 7-14 days.
Including a picture of the prize is another way for the readers to see exactly what they will win! This is great for social media too, so they see the prize and think I have to have it. Make sure to create a catchy social media shareable image for all social network platforms.
How do bloggers do giveaways?
Bloggers do giveaways in many ways – they signup for Rafflecopter or host an Instagram giveaway. There are also IG blog hop giveaways that you can join for a small fee.
Where do I post giveaways?
There are many places to post giveaways to promote your blog giveaway. Consider sharing on your social media profile, in Facebook Giveaway promo groups, and on websites like Giveaway Frenzy.
Boost Your Blog Traffic and Email List with Giveaways
Using Rafflecopter for blog giveaways is a fabulous way to build website traffic while rewarding your audience. You can also make money with your blog by partnering with sponsor that can pay you to host a giveaway on your site.
Be sure to use these tips to host the best blog giveaways this year as a means to make money blogging.