Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Giveaways...for the birds?

I kinda sigh when I see another giveaway.  I don't want things I don't want just because they are free. I have a teeny house and no room for stuff that I don't love. I'm just not interested in another necklace or planner.  Ya feel?


I started considering doing a giveaway on the blog this week but I started thinking about how I feel about giveaways and the response I've been seeing all over the blogworld and I couldn't get fired up.  And what total rejection I'd feel if we got such a little response.  I mean, I was actually the first to 'comment' on a wallpaper giveaway the other day which was unreal.  I'm usually #567 in line.  I thought 'whoa. what happened here?' Is there just a general lackluster in response to giveaways...or is it just me?

I need to take a poll.  Show of hands for those still in to giveaways.


-Bethany

33 comments:

  1. I have to admit that I love a great giveaway, and I have won some wonderful gifts. I no longer enter giveaways that are offering something I can't use or do not want. Why take a chance away from someone else who truly wants the item?
    I have had one giveaway on my blog. I am like many in being very selective about what I give away.
    Happy Tuesday.
    Teresa
    xoxo

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  2. If you have something great to give away, host one on your blog. If there is a giveaway for something you covet, go for it and enter. Like the others commenting here, I only enter when I am interested. I have hosted only 1 giveaway on my blog based on an offer from a company, it did not do much to grow my readership, but it was a nice offer. So for me a giveaway is more about sharing something awesome, my 2 cents!

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  3. I used to comment on every single giveaway I saw. Now I'm choosy. It could be something great but if it's not something I'd love to have or love to give to my mom or sister then I skip it. I turn down hosting a lot of giveaways for this reason.

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  4. I agree. I think there must be a more meaningful way to promote conversation and give. I love being generous but it seems strange to have a bunch of people comment and you know the only reason they are there is to win.

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  5. I'm so interested to hear the responses you get to this post. I think giveaways have a lot of value for the company (and have started changing up the way I do mine bec. of that). But, I think it's really important that they have a lot of value for your readers, too. I try to be careful of what giveaways I run but I'm afraid it sometimes seems too much when there are so many of them... You'll probably see fewer on my blog this year.

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  6. I would host a giveaway only if it were to promote a product or service I was offering or I were helping a friend, artist or business I wanted to support with the free advertising a giveaway provides. I have no need to promote a company I don't feel strongly about. I hosted one giveaway of the book my house appeared in and I thought that was to thank my regular followers for their support. I got a lot of comments from people that had never commented before.

    I've only once commented on a post to try to win a giveaway and that was because it was something I would have purchased anyway.

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  7. Dear Nancy!

    Oh, I am not one for giveaways only because I have nothing great to give away! I have had many two or three, and I always felt as if what I had to offer was not what people wanted. I have however, been very fortunate to win some beautiful and heart-inspired art in the past, so I enjoy it. I just try to share my writing and photo inspiration and that is it.

    I really thank you for coming to visit me, and your kind words are all I ever want from anyone, just knowing that my craft of writing or attempting to write can lift someone's spirits!

    I sent you an email with a photo of my dress in the window. Better photos to follow in the next several weeks, however!

    Be well and just BLOG ON WHAT YOU LOVE! Anita

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  8. I have won so many things but never enter just to win something, it has to be something I'd really like to have, to enter for something I don't need or want takes the chance away from someone who does and I don't think that's right.
    Love this post and fun reading all the comments pertaining to it.

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  9. OK, since the subject is being discussed.....I am not crazy about them. When I first found the Blog World, I thought they were fun. Then, I realized that it was a lot of wasted time, going back and forth from the web sites to enter. 90% of the items were items I couldn't use....so I stopped.

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  10. I only comment on things I really want. I think it also gives the blog writer a sense of what her readers like

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  11. I like them sometimes, when they don't involve so much jumping through hoops to qualify! I am sure anything you guys wanted to giveaway would be fantastic anyway!
    xo Karolyn

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  12. I'm with Emily - I'd love to hear what people say. I think they can be great for a company, but if blogs host too many, it starts to feel like they are just about advertising. I enter the ones I'm truly interested in. The biggest thing for me is all of the hoops that some blogs make you jump through in order to enter. I try to not make people like my page or anything - just comment. After all, I don't want to make it about me. I figure if they don't already like my page and they just do it for that reason, they will just unlike it in a short time anyway.

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  13. I only enter the ones with something I truly want. I don't mind them and I even really like knowing that someone is getting to stay home with their family because they can earn a little money from their blog. BUT . . . if the giveaways are too frequent and the non-giveaway posts are too few, it starts to become a little irritating. I think a monthly giveaway would strike a good balance.

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  14. Interesting ideas! I only enter giveaways that offer something I could use or want. I have won a few, and have won some fabulous gifts. For my blog I only offer ones I think would be of value to my readers and try to avoid having them jump through hoops to do so. And I think there are laws out there in both the US and Canada pertaining to giveaways, so you have to be careful!

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  15. I like being introduced to new products or companies, and think that giveaways should relate to your blog or readers. I only enter ones that would be something I really like and are easy to enter. Interesting subject!

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  16. I'm pretty much just saying what's already been said but I only enter if I really like what the prize is. I think it should be a prize relevant to your audience. I have no problems with giveaways but what I hate is being asked to "like" me on twitter, facebook, pinterest and then do the same for the sponsor. I really think that's what is turning a lot of people away. That can take 1/2 hour to do all that liking.

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  17. I don't mind giveaways now and then. However, I have stopped reading blogs where every other post ties to a sponsor or giveaway. It gives the content of the blog an insincere feeling to me.

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  18. Ditto, if I want it I enter. I would also hope that only people who want to win on my giveaway, enter. Otherwise, they prevented someone who really wanted it from getting it.

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  19. Oh gosh, I'm over it. I hosted one myself this year with tepid results. I think there's gotten to be too many and there are always so many hoops to jump through - like visit a site, tweet, facebook, say which item you would choose, and then come back and comment after you do all that? I don't want it that bad.

    www.chattafabulous.blogspot.com

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  20. Ok, I didn't mean to sound so bitchy. I will say that unless it's something I'm dying over, I usually won't enter in order to give others who may feel stronger about it have a better chance at winning. Good post - wondered about that myself!

    www.chattafabulous.blogspot.com

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  21. I'm repeating what others have said but as long as I don't have to go through too many steps and it is something I could use then I'm fine with them. I don't want to win just to win:)

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  22. I only comment on blog giveaways if it's something I would spend money on. If it's not something I really need or want ... I don't do it just to get it. Of course, now you have me curious if what you were going to put up would be interesting!!

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  23. I love them! Ha ha. I don't enter if it's not something I'd really like. I love to host them. I find I get such a good response and it makes me feel good to give back something to my readers who give me so much! xo

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  24. I've hosted a few giveaways back when my blog was new. It definitely was good for traffic, but it was a super hassle to keep track of the responses, many who didn't leave a way to contact them should they win.
    That being said, I've won a Kitchenaid stand mixer, a beautiful coffee table book, a gorgeous necklace and Queen's Julilee products from England. I haven't entered a giveaway for a long time though as I'm just not reading the blogs like I used to in the beginning. You should host one if you have something fabulous and fun to giveaway...~Delores

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  25. I have loved reading all the comments!! I feel a little bit like you do, it has got to be a really good giveaway to get my time and attention.

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  26. I never really "enter" because I don't want to seem greedy..but I love it when others win and there's some really cool stuff out there. But no...winning a giveaway is not at all what drives me. But I do keep my Wheel Watcher Spin # pretty handy

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  27. I think you have to be passionate about the products/items that are being given away on your site. Our parenting has been so transformed by certain products out there that I went to the store and bought a set of our favorite kid dishes to give away just because of how great they worked for us. I'm planning on doing the same thing for our favorite responsibility charts as well as our number one parenting tip for toddlers that involves a $14 alarm clock. In our case it's not about the high priced item as much as passionately saying...this worked great, so much so that I would give it away! I always love it when people are really sincere about their giveaways!

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  28. I agree...only enter if it's something I truly want, and you don't have to jump through a lot of hoops. But I do love putting together a special package of hand-picked items as a thank you for my readers.

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  29. The last time I had a giveaway was in October and I gave a blue and white ginger jar from my store. My experience was good, except that it was lots of extra work. I got great traffic and new followers. What I gave away was a good fit for my blog, so maybe that helped. I wouldn't do one very often, as I think frequent giveaways are a bit annoying. I rarely enter giveaways -- I only do if there's something I really love and can use.

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  30. I was wondering about this...we gave away something and I was surprised that more people didn't respond. I think it has to be something they love and very simple to do...just leave a comment!

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  31. I am hosting less giveaways than previously; although I am often contacted.

    Paying it forward is my mantra so if I can offer something really nice, then great! I do enter giveaways, if it is something that I can give to family or if it is a book I would love to have.

    Really I am working more to promote the arts and have great artists, designers, architects etc. featured on my site.

    xoxo
    Karena
    2013 Artists Series

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  32. Great poll lady. I think most of clearly host giveaways to drive traffic/gain followers and that's fine. I'd like to do maybe two a year? But yes, there are some blogs that seem to have a giveaway every week and it starts to feel like a flea market. I also rarely enter. Like you, I have no room for any more ish in condo! And I'd rather not enter just for the sake of entering, that way someone who really wants and deserves the giveaway stands a better chance of winning.

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  33. lol. The ironies? I just saw that you won the giveaway on Mix and Chic! Too funny! But congrats.

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