We often get asked how to increase your chances of wining prize competitions. The short answer is: select the right competitions!
Remember that most of the time, you can increase your chances of winning by picking prize competitions that give you good odds and by filling in the right information. For example, make sure you don’t pick competitions where the answer is too easy (after all, you can be sure many other people will pick that one as well!). In some cases, it can make sense to enter prize competitions where there is a small entry fee – in that case, take a good look at the odds before playing.
One thing is for sure, the prize competitions sector is growing and there are definitely a lot of winners out there. Anything from small prizes, such as vouchers, DVDs and CDs, to big prizes, like holidays, cars and of course cash. Remember, the general rule is that if a competition is free to enter and the prize is great (i.e. worth a lot of money), it is likely that the company running the competition will have to sell a lot of tickets or collect many entries to make it worthwhile. So, pick your competitions wisely to get the right mix of attractive prize and worthwhile odds.
If you regularly enter competitions, it pays to keep track of everything you enter, either by hand in a notepad or in a spreadsheet. You just can’t be expected to remember everything! Otherwise, in some cases it can be worthwhile to scan or photocopy your entry so you can prove that you sent it!
If you have won a competition, expect the promoter to contact you by either telephone, a letter or email, depending on what you provided when you entered the competition. Usually, promoters should contact you within four weeks after a competition has closed, otherwise it is likely that you didn’t win I’m afraid. Have a look at the terms and conditions for clarification, as they can vary significantly. In some cases, you will just receive the prize directly (this is common for CD/DVDs or for T-shirts and other small prizes) or a letter through the post inviting you go get in touch.
Another thing to think about when entering a competition is to put yourself in the promoter’s shoes. Try to understand what they are likely to get out of running the competition. Is it to pay for the prize by selling tickets to participate, is it simply to create awareness of their product, or is it to sell your information to a third party if, for example, the competition is free to enter? Otherwise, you will find that companies may want to run competitions simply to promote their product or brand name, or attract people to their website (this is quite common in internet marketing these days). Finally, some companies run competitions to collect data that helps them to understand their market (i.e. finding out what type of person reads their magazine, visits their website or buys their products).
The next thing to bear in mind is that you need to keep a positive frame of mind. You just can’t be expected to win all the time, especially if you focus on competitions with a high value prize and so-called “easy” entry. Just stay optimistic and keep trying new competitions, eventually many people do win something, however small. Even those that play a lot go through phases when they just don’t win anything, but the more you keep trying, the better chance you have right? Also, this is where it pays to pay attention to odds and only pick competitions that make sense from a cost versus expected return perspective.
Keep in mind that information you provide will often be used in some way or another by the promoter within data protection guidelines unless you have explicitly opted out. These days, it should be clear when you enter a competition, how and when you are likely to receive information. This should appear in the form of a tick box on entry forms and web pages. On postcard or plain paper entries, you can write ‘no further correspondence’ or the relevant words if stated differently in the terms and conditions after your details. If you subscribe to an email newsletter to enter a competition and no longer wish to receive it, simply follow the instructions to unsubscribe at the bottom of the page, they should always be there.
It can be worthwhile to opt in to receiving extra newsletters or mail, as a way of finding more competitions that you would not normally receive. For this type of newsletter, you can consider setting up a special email address or subfolder to make sure these don’t flood your inbox if you enter many competitions!
I mentioned you should focus on odds whenever entering a competition. The odds of winning the National Lottery jackpot in the UK are 14 million to 1 and probably even lower for other big national lotteries. The odds of winning a national competition are far better!
Your odds will obviously vary depending on how many people enter, but for example a free competition in a popular newspaper or magazine could attract 9,000 entries, whereas a smaller promotion, a free competition in a little-known magazine or website, could end up with only 30-50 entries. In some cases, it can also make sense to enter fee-paying competitions, as you can get even better odds – if you are willing to lose the price of the ticket should you not win of course. The trick is to keep your eyes open and sign-up with good websites and magazines where you know the odds are good and competition organisers reputable.
In general, it pays to be patient. It can take up to six months to build up your entries (think about the competitions with closing dates in six months to a year’s time). Even then, remember the odds of the competitions you have entered. Just keep persevering and hopefully after a few months you should start to see the fruits of your labour. And remember, you have got to be in it, to win it!
