Choosing Legitimate Sweepstakes
Follow blogs and websites that offer free sweepstakes listings. There are tons of free sweepstakes being offered all the time—companies often use them as a way to raise awareness about their brands. However, searching them out individually can be really time-consuming, and it can sometimes be hard to tell which sweepstakes are trustworthy. To make the search easier, bookmark a few popular sweepstakes websites, and check back regularly to see what's new. Some of the most popular sites include Sweepstakes Advantage, Sweepstakes Fanatics, SweepstakesBible, Contest Girl, SweepstakesLovers and Sweeties' Sweepstakes.
Subscribe to a sweeps newsletter to get listings in your inbox. If you'd prefer to have sweepstakes listings sent directly to you, sign up for email newsletters from sweepstakes directories. They'll sort through any active sweepstakes, highlighting the best ones in their emails. It's a good idea to have these emails sent to the email address you use for entering sweepstakes, rather than your main email address. Some of the most popular contest newsletters include This 'n' That Sweepstakes Club, SweepSheet.com, SweepsU.com, and I Win Contests. Most of these sites offer a free version of their newsletter, but they typically will also offer a premium membership where you'll get exclusive access to certain listings. These usually cost around $30-$60 USD for a year-long membership.
Follow sweepstakes pages and groups on social media. Many companies use contests and sweepstakes to help boost their followers on social media. While you may sometimes come across promotions being offered by the brands you already follow, you'll be more likely to come across contests if you follow social media pages or join groups that aggregate sweepstakes. Similar to a website or a newsletter, these pages will post new sweepstakes, along with reminders to re-enter daily contests. Sometimes, these groups might provide their members with exclusive information about sweeps and other contests, so be sure to check the pages regularly.
Use the radio and social media to find local contests. If you can find a contest that's only eligible to people who live near you, be sure to enter it! Local and regional contests tend to get fewer entries than sweepstakes that are open nation-wide. Local radio stations frequently promote sweepstakes and contests, but you may also see promotions on local business pages on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You may also get flyers in the mail or see advertisements in the newspaper telling you about local sweepstakes. Check the rules before you enter regional contests—you often have to live in a specific area in order to qualify.
Avoid sweepstakes that ask for your bank information and other scams. Unfortunately, any time you're surfing online, you're at risk of coming across a scam. To be safe, stay away from any contests that ask you to pay to enter, or which ask for your credit card number or other personal information. Many sweeps will only require you to enter your name and email address, although some will ask for additional information like your home address. Read the fine print before entering your phone number into a sweepstake—you may be consenting to receive promotional phone calls. Don't enter sweepstakes that you see advertised on pop-up ads. These are typically scams designed to get your email address or other personal info.
Improving Your Chances of Winning
Create a dedicated email for entering sweepstakes. When you're entering online contests, you always have to include an email with your entry, because that's typically how they'll contact you if you win. However, it's best not to use your main email address to sign up for sweeps, or you could be flooded with spam and promotional emails. In addition, you might miss important sweeps information or even emails about prizes if they're mixed into your regular inbox. Companies often use sweepstakes as a way to identify potential customers, so they may send you emails about their products or services after the contest is over. If you accidentally enter a contest that isn't legit, using an alternate email address could help protect your personal information.
Set aside a little time each day for entering sweeps. The only way you can win a sweepstake is to enter it. If you really want to have a chance at getting a prize, try to spend at least 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week on sweepstakes. However, if you want to be a really devoted sweeper, you'll have the best shot if you spend about 3-5 hours a week on your entries. Try entering sweeps on your phone or laptop when you're watching your favorite TV show, for instance.
Enter as many different sweepstakes as you can. Use your sweepstakes directories and newsletters to find as many contests as possible that you're eligible to enter. Since your odds of winning each one are relatively low, entering a wide variety of sweeps will give you the best chance of nabbing prizes. Avoid entering sweepstakes with low-value prizes that you don't really want, especially if it's an item that you don't think you'd be able to sell or re-gift. Typically, there are no rules that keep you from entering multiple sweepstakes at once—just rules about how often you can enter each contest.
Focus on sweepstakes with multiple prizes when possible. Some sweepstakes only have a single grand prize, but others will have additional prizes for runners-up. If a contest has multiple winners, your chances of being selected for one of those prizes will be doubled, tripled, or more! In some cases, a 2nd- or 3rd- place prize can be nearly as valuable as the grand prize.
Submit as many entries as possible to each contest. Some sweepstakes only allow you to enter once, but others will allow you to submit a new entry daily, weekly, or monthly. Check the rules to see how often you're allowed to enter, then be sure to visit the sweeps page to enter as often as possible. Be sure to check the rules to see if there are additional ways to enter, as well. For instance, you may be able to earn additional entries by sharing the contest on social media, visiting the sponsor's website, or leaving a comment on a blog post.
Look for text-based, mail-in, or call-in contests to improve your odds. These days, online sweepstakes are the most common, but you may still come across sweeps that require you to text or call a certain number, or even to mail in your entry. These types of contests will get fewer entries than online sweeps, so take advantage of them whenever you can. Remember, if you don't have unlimited texting, you may be charged for each text—that can add up if you're entering a lot of contests.
Try to enter sweeps with shorter entry periods for a better chance. If you can find a contest with a short run time, other people won't have as much time to enter. That may increase your odds of winning, especially if you come back and enter each day in that time period. Some sweepstakes run for months, with opportunities to enter every day. That means there's a lot of competition for the grand prize. It's fine to enter contests that will run longer, too! However, if you're only entering a few contests a day, you may have better chances by focusing on the short-term listings.
Read the rules of each contest carefully. You can get disqualified from winning if you don't follow the rules of the contest carefully, so always read the fine print. Check whether there's anything you need to include when you enter, or if there are any criteria you have to meet in order to be chosen. For instance, you may have to include a photo with your entry, or you may only be allowed to enter if you live in a certain area. For mail-in contests, you may need to submit an index card or use a certain size envelope. You may be disqualified from entering if you work in a certain job or industry. For example, you may not be allowed to enter sweepstakes if you work for the company sponsoring the contest.
Get an autocomplete app to help you fill out entries faster. When you're trying to fill out as many entries as possible, it can get tedious to type in your name, email address, and home address over and over. However, you can help make the process easier by using an app or browser extension that will fill in those fields for you automatically. For instance, the Chrome browser will automatically save your information, then will give you the option to auto-fill your entry form. You can also use a separate app like Roboform to fill out your entries for you quickly. Do not use auto-submit software to enter yourself into contests. They're typically banned, and you'll be disqualified for using them.
Use spreadsheets to track contests you've entered. It can sometimes be difficult to remember which contests you've already entered, or how many times you can return to submit new entries. Creating a spreadsheet to keep yourself organized will help keep you from going back to the same contests over and over—and when you're more efficient, that means you'll have more time to enter new sweeps. For instance, you might create a new folder for each month, then have separate sheets for daily and weekly contests. Put an X on each date (or week) after you enter so you'll remember which ones you've already filled out. You can also track one-time entries so you don't forget what you've already done.
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