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Do You Prefer More Entries or Less?

I've debated about this for a while and just can't decide which is better, and maybe it doesn't matter because everyone may have their own opinion.

When entering a giveaway are you irritated or disheartened by giveaways that offer many multiple ways of entering?

If so how many entries do you think a giveaway should allow. Beyond the daily tweet.

For example entries for blogging about the giveaway, entries for putting buttons on a blog, entries for entering other giveaways on the blog.

I would like to hear from not only those that enter giveaways but for those that host them as well. I would love to know the pros and cons about offering many multiple extra entries!

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Permalink Reply by Crystal on September 20, 2010 at 4:58pm

I personally like to make entering a giveaway as easy as possible. I usually ask for a comment and will give one extra entry per day if someone Tweets a link to the giveaway. I think this makes it easy for readers to enter, and it makes it much easier for me to keep track of.

Likewise, I REALLY have to want something to comment, follow, tweet, place a button, like on facebook....and then come back and leave you six separate comments saying I did those things. Call me lazy...to me it is just not worth it. But I know that works for some people, and I understand why people do it...it gets your blog out there!

Crystal
http://www.momforless.com

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Permalink Reply by Deb Anderson on September 24, 2010 at 5:58pm

I used to only do the one entry per request thing too, until I had a sponsor turn me down for a review/giveaway because they "require" at least 100 entries per contest to make it worth THEIR trouble. That was simple enough - I allowed extra entries for doing the extra things. But then I keep hearing that folks don't really like all that. I know that I myself am disheartened when I find something I'd love to win in a giveaway on another blog and there are already 1,500 comments halfway through the giveaway!! At that point I feel like I'm wasting my time entering that one at all...

I am tempted to go back to the one entry per request thing. But then that looks like all my giveaways are "low entry" - which does prompt some casual surfers to enter, but it also looks to the sponsor as if their giveaway isn't drawing very much attention on my blog.

It's a two-edged sword. :-/

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Permalink Reply by Brenda Melendez on September 24, 2010 at 6:00pm

I like it when there are just a few ways of entering a giveaway - maybe just 4: mandatory entry, and 3 extra - follow the blog, like them on Facebook, and subscribe to their email. That way the person still gets "out there," but I don't have to take too long to enter their giveaway.

Brenda
http://www.brendashandmade.blogspot.com

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Permalink Reply by Storm on September 24, 2010 at 6:01pm

I prefer less, myself. Honestly, what drives me most insane is 3 entries for the exact same thing - such as 3 for following me here, 4 for following there. Most of us have a limited amount of time we can spend online. It's just too much - look at it this way: would you rather a reader spend the time spent on your blog reading a non-giveaway post, or writing 10 entries to the giveaway that should have only been 2 or 3?

I give four entries on the majority of giveaways I host - one for the mandatory question, one for following or subscribing to my blog, one for sharing on Twitter, and one for blogging about it.

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Permalink Reply by Emilie @ Baby Loving Mama on September 24, 2010 at 6:06pm

I don't mind multiple entries and I appreciate the variety of choices but I hate those that give 5 or 10 entries for doing a single step such as blogging, linking up on a giveaway linky or voting for them for something. The most I will give as extra is 3 for blogging it with at least 50 words just because it does take more time.

I especially despise entries that ask you to vote for someone on anything. It is like buying the vote and therefore makes whatever they voted for cheapened. (This is assuming that the vote is for some type of top blogger list). I have and never will add an entry such as this.

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Permalink Reply by Hanan on September 24, 2010 at 6:10pm

I completely agree with Storm & Emilie!

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Permalink Reply by Colleen Shibley on September 24, 2010 at 8:18pm

Thanks this is all very helpful. I admit I totally agree on the voting thing. Many times it is hard to see think of the other side these are great points.

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Permalink Reply by Crystal & Co on September 24, 2010 at 8:34pm

For the giveaways I host on my site I give 8-10 entry options, but none of them are mandatory. You pick how you want to enter. Only want to enter once- pick which way. Want to enter all 10 ways and tweet daily, that works for me to.

I think it is key to let the reader feel like they have some control.

When I enter giveaways, I get turned off by mandatory entries as well as complicated entries. If I get an email from a contest I entered that states I did not enter correctly, I need to do _____, _____ and ______ I am over it all ready. :)

Great topic by the way!

Crystal
www.crystalandcomp.com

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Permalink Reply by Bri on September 24, 2010 at 8:55pm

I like to offer lots of entries - it gets comments and gets my giveaway out there. I always make the mandatory entry super simple, like check out the companies web site, so the giveaway is quick and simple to enter, and then provide extra entry options for following my blog, following on twitter etc. I give multiple entries for some, since it takes more time and helps me advertise my giveaway.

I'm a lazy entrant myself - I do the required entry if it's not a complicated list of steps (I hate giveaways that have 10 steps for the mandatory entry, and won't enter those), and maybe an extra entry of following via GFC or post on my blog, and that's why I like to keep my main entry quick and easy - not time consuming for you to enter, but still giving the company traffic on their website. I don't worry about the number of comments on a giveaway - I always use random.org, so even if there's 500 comments, you still have a 1 in 500 chance, a lot better then the lottery :) and I think a lot of blogs use a random way to select winners.

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Permalink Reply by Louise on September 24, 2010 at 10:48pm

I completely agree!!

Deb Anderson said:

I used to only do the one entry per request thing too, until I had a sponsor turn me down for a review/giveaway because they "require" at least 100 entries per contest to make it worth THEIR trouble. That was simple enough - I allowed extra entries for doing the extra things. But then I keep hearing that folks don't really like all that. I know that I myself am disheartened when I find something I'd love to win in a giveaway on another blog and there are already 1,500 comments halfway through the giveaway!! At that point I feel like I'm wasting my time entering that one at all...

I am tempted to go back to the one entry per request thing. But then that looks like all my giveaways are "low entry" - which does prompt some casual surfers to enter, but it also looks to the sponsor as if their giveaway isn't drawing very much attention on my blog.

It's a two-edged sword. :-/