Enter Competitions

Online Competitions

Most Australians today would jump at the chance to win free money, but many are simply not taking steps necessary to win free money or other valuable prizes that are available. Many businesses today offer online competitions as a marketing strategy. Online competitions can generate a lot of interest for the company, and businesses need to only provide one grand prize or a grand prize coupled with several smaller prizes to create that interest. Some competitions are skills-based and others are won by pure luck. Of course, regardless of what type of competition it is, you can’t win if you don’t enter. Even when you do enter, you want to take steps to increase your chance of winning.

Select Your Competitions Carefully

Logic tells you that the more competitions you enter, the greater your chances of winning. This is entirely true, but you don’t want to waste your valuable time entering competitions that you don’t have a chance of winning. Consider eligibility requirements for the competitions. Some competitions will not allow you to enter if you currently or previously worked for the company hosting the competition. Some may not allow you to enter the competition if you previously entered a competition or previously won a competition offered by the same company.

Follow the Rules

Read the rules carefully for every competition you come across. Some have very specific rules noted in the fine print that my disqualify your entry if they are not followed. If you want to increase your chances of winning, you should read and follow every rule provided. This may include details like fully completing every space on the application page, submitting your entry form in a certain format and more. Some rules limit the number of times you can enter, and you may be disqualified if this is not followed. If it is determined that you broke the rules after winning, you may be stripped of your prize.

Protect Your Privacy

While you want to enter to win as many competitions as you can to increase your chances of winning, you also want to protect your privacy. Some entry forms will ask for your mailing address, your email address, your mobile phone number and more. This information may be provided so the company can contact you if you do win. However, it may also be used to send you tons of marketing material that your really don’t want. Read the rules and conditions for the competition to determine how much personal information is actually required to enter. Also, keep some information private, such as credit card numbers and other valuable information.

Open a New Email Account

You may consider opening a new email account to be used only for competition entries, as your email inbox may be bombarded with spam when entering competitions. While companies may use the email address you provide on entry forms to send you promotional offers and more, you do want to monitor this email account. This is the same email account that a competition may use to contact you if you win. By opening a new email account, you can keep your competition email separate from other important email.

Pay to Play

Free competitions may equate to free money if you win, but they also equate to stiffer competition. Some competitions may require you to make a purchase and submit proof of purchase in order to win. While this may seem like a hassle to you, it also seems like a hassle to others. Many other people may be unwilling to pay to play, and this means you may have a greater opportunity to win.

Showcase Your Writing Skills

Some competitions will require you to write a few words on a specific topic in order to enter the competition. These contests may seem like more effort than they are worth, but they can be quite lucrative if you have decent writing skills. Keep in mind that many of these contests will ask you to keep your entry to 50 or 100 words or less. This equates to only a few sentences. While you can jot down a few sentences with minimal time and effort, you do want to be clever in your response. Think through what you want to say, and try to avoid writing the same thing everyone else will say. You want your response to stand out and get noticed.

Track Your Entries

If you are serious about winning competitions for money, you may start entering several competitions a week or even several each day. You can use the tracking tool at CompetitionsGuide.com.au to monitor and track your entries. This can help prevent you from duplicating entries. Keep in mind that some competitions will disqualify you if you enter too many times.

Consider the Odds of Winning

Most competitions indicate your odds of winning in the fine print of their terms, conditions and rules. You can increase your chance of winning a competition in general by focusing your efforts on those competitions that offer you better odds. Typically, odds are better in competitions that are less promoted, that have a smaller prize, that are skills-based or a combination of each of these.

Avoid Making Enemies

Some competitions require you to provide the names and contact information of friends and family members in order to enter. While you may want to enter as many competitions as possible, friends and family may not appreciate you revealing their contact information to marketers. The contact information you provide will generally be used to send those friends and family members marketing material, and they may be unhappy to learn you are the reason why they are being bombarded with marketing material they don’t want.

Choose Competitions Offered By Companies You Like

You can enter any number of competitions, including those offered by companies you don’t regularly support. However, entering competitions of companies who you do enjoy doing business with can pay off. Many companies will send you special offers, coupons, discounts and even access to future competitions by participating in the competition. Even if you don’t win the competition you entered, these discounts, coupons and more provide you with some financial benefit to entering competitions. However, these are only valuable to you if you regularly support the company.

Win Some and Lose Some

The odds of winning any given competition are fairly low in most cases. You may enter a dozen competitions and not win a single one. However, with time, effort and perseverance, you will start to win a few competitions. You may win cash, gift cards or special gifts, and these are wonderful rewards that you earn simply by participating in the competitions.

Entering some competitions takes little to no effort at all. You may simply have to invest a few minutes of your time to complete a short entry form. With other competitions, you may have to write a short narrative to submit with your entry or provide a proof of purchase. These efforts are all minimal when you consider the possibility that you may win a considerably large or valuable prize for your efforts. You do have to play to win, so take time to research competitions available for you to enter today.