Sweeper/Giveaway/Contest-Lover Accounts
More and more rules are including no giveaway accounts and no sweeper accounts. They simply don't understand how social media works and who really gets the word out about their products so they include in their giveaway rules that accounts that look like contest accounts aren't welcome to enter and or win their prizes.
On one hand I totally agree with them, and on the other I totally disagree with them, but at the end of the day it's their giveaway and their rules. There are many accounts that I would avoid picking too if I was the sponsor so I can't blame them for feeling the same way.
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How to Not Look Like a Sweeper/Contest Account
1. Your BIO on Social Media Platforms
Having any of the following terms in your bio is not only a put off to sponsors and actually most of us long time contest lovers. If you don't want the first thing people think about you is that you are only following them for a prize erasing the following from your bio is a huge step.
Terms to Avoid in your bio
- Love contests
- Lover of contests
- Giveaway hunter
- freebie lover
- Contest obsessed
- Contests
- Giveaways
- Giveaway lover
2. Social Media Handles
Your social media handle name is so much more important than you may realise. I have spoken with so many sponsors who have said they do pay attention to handles and when a winner is picked by the sponsors choice they exclude ones that scream giveaway account.
Avoid having the words contest, contests, giveaway, prize lover and things of that nature are any part of your social media handle. Going with your real name definitely helps when it comes to winning prizes online. Just check out the people who are winning the most prizes and see that their names online are real and their own or a nice catchy handle that has nothing to do with winning prizes.
3. Posting Prizes on Your Public Social Media
Posting a picture of a prize you won is a great way to thank the sponsor as well as give the sponsor kudos for running a legitimate giveaway. It lets others know that when that account has a giveaway it's safe and real and worth entering.
BUT if that is all you post on your Instagram feed, you are quickly spotted as a giveaway account and most likely won't win giveaways very often.
Make sure to post pictures of your real life, meals, outings and just other random things. Have more natural posts than prize posts.
4. Who You Follow and Who Follows You
If your only online friends are contesters, your account screams sweeper account. Brand and sponsors pay attention and if they only people you ever tag are other giveaway entrants then your account is quickly labelled a giveaway account or sweeper account.
Follow more brands and influencers accounts than you do contesters accounts. Tag real people from your actual life outside of online in giveaways to increase your chances of winning.
💡Explain to personal friends (who don't enter giveaways) how to turn off notifications for anything you tag them in. This way you can tag your real life friends without bugging them with your notifications with every entry.
Be picky about who you follow and who you allow to follow you. Having more real life friends that you can ask to tag will go a long way for your giveaway wins.
5. Old Giveaway Posts
Some giveaways ask us to share their image on our feed with a hashtag to have us entered to win a prize. This is awesome but at the same time it's a post that screams giveaway account.
Once that giveaway is over and the winner has been declared, delete those old giveaway posts. I see so many old posts for the Oxygen clothing giveaways that are just free advertising for them at this point and your account screams giveaway or sweeper account.
At the end of the day every sponsor has the right to make their own rules for their giveaways. There is no point getting upset or messaging them to explain when contest accounts should be able to enter. A small business starting out would rather their product get into the hands of a real potential customer. Which is logical and completely understandable.
If the rules of a giveaway bother you just move on to the next great giveaway. We know as contesters that we are the biggest advertisers for so many influencers and brands. Give your time and entries to other giveaways that don't have such stringent rules. A positive mind brings positive things.
If you are new to entering contests check out the many other contest tips and contest faqs to get your started. Check out the latest contest posted on the Contest Library, and make sure to visit the most popular instant win contest page. 🍀 Good luck in everything you enter.
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