Welcome back to “Growing Your Blog” with One Artsy Mama!
{Make sure you read that in a good radio-announcer voice!}
Last time, we talked about some tips for hosting a successful giveaway, like how to choose a prize, manage entries, and run the giveaway itself. If you missed that post, be sure to check it out! Meanwhile, I got some really great questions from readers asking about how to best promote giveaways so you get the word out to lots of potential entrants.
So, today, here are my best tips for marketing your giveaways.
BEFORE THE GIVEAWAY BEGINS:
* “Tease” your readers on your blog, on Facebook, on Twitter, and any other social media you use to let them know something is coming up. The more you hype it up in advance, the more readers can get excited about it and then they’ll remember to come back and enter.
* If you’re hosting an event with multiple giveaway sponsors, put their buttons and/or a button for the event on your sidebar where readers will see it every time they visit you. Again, this builds anticipation and gets them excited for what’s coming up.
* For a big-event giveaway, like a blogiversary or other event with multiple prizes, make up a button with a grab box so that readers and participants can help you promote in advance by displaying the button on their own blogs.
DURING THE GIVEAWAY
* Share it to your social media the day it opens, the day it’s closing, and anytime in between. Let people know when there’s “only 5 hours left to enter the fantastic _____ giveaway!” so they can get their last minute entries in.
* Make sharing about the giveaway an optional way to enter; this way, entrants are helping you to promote it!
* Create a link to the giveaway on your sidebar near the top so that anyone visiting your site can immediately see what your current giveaway is. If the prize is interesting to them, they may click and enter even if they came for something else. You can do a text link, but often a photo draws people in even more.
* Link up your giveaway at any linky party that is giveaway-friendly. Not all parties are, so be sure you read the rules and respect them. There are also specific parties dedicated to nothing but giveaways, like Mindie’s over at Bacon Time, so be sure you link up at some of those to get the word out. Stop by my Places I Party page and look in the Giveaways section for links to those parties.
* Ask some of your best bloggy friends to help you spread the word via their blogs or social media.
RECURRING GIVEAWAYS
* Another thing that helps is to hold your giveaways on a regular, predictable schedule. For example, the first Monday of the month is your “giveaway day,” or maybe you hold a giveaway each week in conjunction with a link party like Kara and I do with Shine on Fridays. That way, readers know when to expect it. Combining giveaways with link parties or other high traffic events helps get the word out to more people.
Hope you find some of these tips helpful!
Now, what should we tackle next?
Katie says
Thanks, this is great advice. I will be doing all these things to promote the giveaway I am doing with you next friday!
Judee @ Gluten Free A-Z says
I have never done a giveaway . I’m going to read your previous post and this and see if I can do one. Thanks so much.
Julie Marling says
New follower from blog hop! I am nbew to this blogging thing. I need to learn how to get involved in giveaways. Maybe your blog will educate me!
http://naptimeshopper.blogspot.com/
Kate @ craftwhatever says
Such great info! I read your first post about this topic, too. Though I don’t feel like my blog gets enough traffic to do giveaways, I have always wondered how this process works. I mean, does the blogger seek out donors or typically does the blogger get approached by a shop? Just curious and thought I would ask. Since we’re talking about it and all : )
the Sweetest Memory says
Great ideas! I love creating the grab box to get people more interested.
Paula Parrish says
Hello Amy,
I host monthly giveaway on my blog, and I found this post to be very helpful. Thanks for sharing.
Smiles, Paula
Wendy says
Great tips! Now I need to read the first post!
Laura says
This is great advice- thanks!
Jillian @ Hi! It's Jilly says
Thanks for the great info! 🙂
MGal @ WatchMeDIY.com says
Thanks for the advice Amy. I am working with my sister-in-law on a giveaway next week. Tomorrow is the 90 day anniversary of my blog and I’m really excited to watch it continue to grow. Stop by and check out the Home Tour I posted last week when you have a chance. Cheers, MGal watchmediy.com