HOW TO WIN A SWEEPSTAKE
"Congratulations! You've just won ten million dollars!" Wouldn't that be nice to hear? How about, "Congratulations! You've just won ten pairs of socks!" Well, it doesn't quite have the same ring to it, but it's always nice to win. If you like getting something for nothing, maybe it's time you won sweepstakes. Of course, sweepstakes winners are chosen at random like a lottery, so there's no way to increase your chance of winning. Or is there?
1. 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.
2. 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.[2]
- 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.
3. 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.[3]
- Sometimes, these groups might provide their members with exclusive information about sweeps and other contests, so be sure to check the pages regularly.
4. 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.[4]
- 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.
5. 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.[5]
- 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.