I’m a bit curious about your approach to contests.
There are all manner of contests around the blogosphere. There are almost as many types of contests too. Some require a simple comment. Some require following a blog, pimping a blog, solving a riddle, guessing something, picking winners, etc. I could go on and on. I typically make my contests fairly simple to enter. On a day I have a contest (one’s coming tomorrow) I get about double my normal hits, but sometimes there aren’t that many entries. Honestly, the number of entries isn’t that big a deal to me, but I’m curious why someone would see a simple contest and choose not to enter.
What makes you choose to enter or not enter a contest? Simple question. Thanks for taking the time to read/answer.
I should be back to a normal week of posts tomorrow. The dayshift is busy.
if it is an easy contest like posting a comment, no matter what the prize is, i will defiantly enter the contest. If it is a complex contest, it would depend on the prize (e.g.-mindset's 2010 Topps Chrome).
ReplyDeletei guess i will be visiting your blog tomorrow to see the nature of the contest.
I usually enter contests that are:
ReplyDelete1. Easy to enter (you make a comment or a simple guess).
2. Offering something I'm interested in obtaining.
That's basically it.
At this point in my life, I'm too busy and too picky (re: don't have room in the house) for anything else.
The only way I wouldn't enter a simple contest is if I'm not interested in the prize, ie hockey cards.
ReplyDeleteI'll second night owl. A third consideration is I like to know that I might have something of interest in exchange, and hopefully extend it into a trade while I'm at it.
ReplyDeleteI've offered a couple of cards on my Vintage Sportscards blog from time to time. Some have been claimed, others haven't. I haven't done a contest yet but have wondered if maybe it will help to thin out my dupes box a little.
ReplyDeleteAs for your question, I usually consider the prize. If it's something I'd like to have, I'll enter. If it's something that will most likely join the pile of 1980s/90s duplicates and stuff I don't have much use for, I'd rather let somebody else try to win it.
That said, I'm not averse to modern cards...I won an Airbrushed Fridays contest from Cards on Cards a couple months ago, and when I claimed the award I simply gave the name of my daughter's favorite team and she ended up being really happy.
Simplicity and prize about says it all.
ReplyDeleteOh and sometimes blogger won't let me comment on certain things and I miss out on contests. Your blog is actually one of the worse ones for not letting me comment on. For some reason the comments that are already there run over the post comment button and it won't let me leave a comment. It is odd because I only have that problem with a few blogs but it happens all the time between the few it happens to. The Troll is the other one that comes to mind I have problems with. I know strange.
I would say simplicity is great. I just won some hockey cards with a couple comments, so if it is easy to enter, I'm interested. An interesting prize is always nice, but I'm so poor I'd take anything if it's free and easy. The big thing for me is that the contest should be interesting - something that is a little offbeat. I think we got a few of these with the various playoffs contests that popped up this year, adding a little variety to the pot.
ReplyDeleteFor me too, it is about simplicity and interest in the prize. I am not going to enter a contest for non-baseball cards no matter how simple, other people will enjoy them immensely more than I. I also won't enter contests where the prize is yankee related.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I don't mind posting a link on my blog, but if the contest is very complicated in a non-interesting way then I also usually pass.
Pretty much same reason at Night Owl - Easy and Interested it.
ReplyDeleteSame as everybody else has been saying - if I'm interested in the prize and it's not a huge hassle, I'll enter. Otherwise, I won't.
ReplyDeleteI try to make the prizes interesting enough that at least a few people will enter, because sometimes it's about getting the page hits (though I try to be altruistic when I can and put up good stuff too). I like to mix up the requirements--guessing games, random entries, skill, whatever. It's a lot of fun seeing what people come up with now that I read as many blogs as I do.
ReplyDeleteI've had them on my blog too. One that booked at over $225 worth of cards. Got a ton of lookers, still do. But as a percentage of lookers to entries, not that high. Can't explain it. I think what attracts people the most are full boxes of premium cards, but I enter the ones I think are fun. I bypassed hobby box contests that were just random draws and entered contests that had isolated cards just because they were interesting. But I'm sure that's not the norm.
ReplyDeleteI try to enter most contests I can. Who doesn't want to win something. I also look at it like the person running it puts in some work to offer a contest so I want to reward their effort by taking the time to enter. I know on the few contests I have run, it was a good feeling to see people take the effort to enter.
ReplyDeletefor me it's about a few things... did I find it in time? is the prize something I want or maybe something someone I know wants?
ReplyDeleteThen I'll enter.
There's a great contest on a great blog going on right now. The prize is a whole box of 88 Donruss. I did not enter. Let someone who thinks that is really cool win it.
Mine is ease... and if you ask me to follow your blog I'm not always goig to do so... I have to like the style of writing and if I don't it's not something I'll do
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's not so much about the prize as it is about winning. I enter as many contests as I can. The easy ones are cool, but I also like the hard ones. I'm still working on JD's Wild Cardz code, and have been for weeks. My Armchair QB challenge is fun for me to run, but that's because I love fantasy football.
ReplyDeleteIf the prize is something I would like, I'll enter the contest. Also, the simpler the better.
ReplyDeleteI will enter if it is a prize I am interested in and it is easy to enter.
ReplyDeleteI usually enter if baseball or football cards is the prize. If the prize is basketball cards, and the contest is easy, I'll go ahead and enter. Somebody might want to trade for basketball cards, after all.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of winning free cards so I try to enter any contest. Its only if they are too complicated or time consuming that I shy away
ReplyDeleteThe prize matters a little, but I like complicated and/or creative contests. It makes it fun when there's a little work to do revolving around my favorite pasttime. I do get a bit distraught about contests that require one to have a blog. I guess I should just get mine going. But maybe I'd just prefer to be a reader and commenter. And commenting for this contest--which is a great idea, BTW--has made me realize how I should do it much more often.
ReplyDeleteThe contest is closed. Feel free to still leave an answer to the question.
ReplyDelete