We are always trying to get more page views, followers, and email subscribers. Your blog really depends on those three things. Something I haven’t seen talked about much, that has brought me great success in growing my blog, is giveaways!

What is a Blog Giveaway?

A blog giveaway is just as it sounds…a giveaway you run on your blog! There are programs that will help you set up, manage, and pick the winners of your giveaways.

You can have your entrants do different things to get more than one entry into your giveaway. For example, following you on Twitter, leaving a blog comment, or subscribing to your newsletter are all great options for  those entering. Plus, it builds your blog assets for you!

Benefits of Running Giveaways on your Blog

Give back to your readers.

Giveaways give your followers a chance to win something, whether it be a gift card, cash, books, or a prize. With giveaways, you can show your appreciation to your loyal readers.

Gain new followers.

When you promote your giveaway on social media, you greatly raise the chances of new people coming to your blog. They may be interested in the prize, or be interested to see what else your blog offers.

Increase your page views.

If you run giveaways often, readers are likely to return to see what else is new. Many love to enter any giveaway you run, so they will keep coming back for more.

Build your email list.

Be sure to offer giveaway entries for those that subscribe to your email list. Avoid making this mandatory, but most will still sign up just to get the extra entries…especially if you are offering a cool prize!

5 Tips for Running Blog Giveaways

1. Make sure your prize is related to your blog’s niche.

   In order to attract people who are actually interested in what you blog about, your prizes should be niche specific. For example, if you are a car blogger, give away car accessories or a car magazine subscription. Fitness bloggers can give away workout gear or clothing. If you start giving away anything, you will attract people that are just there for the giveaways – and aren’t interested in the rest of the content you are creating.

2. Always follow your country’s rules.

   There are laws that govern giveaways, contents, and sweepstakes. I don’t want to offer legal advice here, but do some research before you run your first giveaway to ensure you are following the rules.

3. Make sure you’re following social media rules too.

   Facebook, for example, doesn’t allow page likes in exchange for an entry into a giveaway. You can have your readers VISIT your page for an entry, but requiring they like your page can get your Facebook account, or the page, deleted.

4. Always be fair with your giveaways.

   If you have collected entries, choose the winner randomly to be fair. There are platforms like Rafflecopter that will do this quickly and easily for you. End your giveaways at the time and date you decide on when the giveaway starts. Don’t favor your family or friends when hosting a giveaway.

5. You can have your giveaways sponsored.

   There are brands that will allow bloggers to run a giveaway in exchange for one of their products. Make sure you have the sponsoring brand ship the prize to the winner, or else you will be stuck with shipping costs.

Got questions about running blog giveaways? Have you had success with them? Let us know in the comments below!

If you found this post helpful, please share!