Thursday 27 September 2012

Tons of tips to make you a Twitter winner!

... .and lots of useful tips for compers who don't use Twitter, and Twitter users who don't enter competitions.
Over the summer, I posted daily tips on Twitter using the hashtag #compingtip
In case you missed any of them, here is the full list.

  • check where a promoter is based - nobody is going to send you pate or cheese from the USA, it would go off in the post
  • Make a list for each day of the week and add any promoter who regularly runs a comp on that day
  • If the comp tweet contains a link, check it to see if you need to follow it to enter – sometimes what looks like a RT comp isn’t one
  • Check how many times you are allowed to enter, multiple tweets might disqualify you
  • Look when a promoter last tweeted – if they’ve not been around for a few weeks, the comp probably is never going to be drawn 
  • Don’t just tweet comps, it makes you look like a  bot and promoters might think you are one pick another winner if you are drawn
  • If a comp closes at a certain number of followers, check how many they have before tweeting in case you are too late
  • If a promoter never tweets anything but their comp, and they don’t have a website, it could be a scam – check carefully. 
  • Some ways of collecting tweets only show the most recent so it can help to enter very near to the closing time
  • Check the apps you have authorised and only keep the ones you currently use, to help avoid getting hacked 
  • Never open a link in a message that has no other text even if it is from a friend – they may have been hacked
  • Alarm bells should ring if a big prize is offered by somebody with only a handful of followers
  • Scam comps may be a spammer trying to get you to follow them so they can send dodgy DMs
  • Make sure you RT the right tweet, not one that is just info about the comp (unless you are just informing friends of it)
  • If a comp requires a unique answer, copying yours from somebody else will rule you both out. Don’t do it. 
  • Twitter will only let you RT the same thing once; if you are allowed to enter more often you will need to edit the tweet 
  • If you have a list of tweets to send daily, note down when each closes. Some people tweet comps months out of date! 
  • Don’t trust other compers to have checked T&C, check them YOURSELF. 
  • Interact with promoters. Then they will know you are a human, not an auto-tweeting bot. 
  • Don’t claim you’ve done something (liked, followed, commented, subscribed) if you’ve not – you’ll be disqualified. 
  • An obvious “comping” username can count against you. Avoid the words “comp” and “win” in it. 
  • Don’t tweet more than 100 times an hour or you’ll end up in Twitter jail. 
  • If a promoter is based in Ireland, check which part. The Republic has different laws so you probably can’t enter their comps. 
  • Tell non-comping friends and family to select “Hide retweets from this person” on your Twitter page. 
  • Don’t have a protected Twitter account – nobody will ever know you’ve entered their comps. 
  • Don’t tweet the same thing several times – you could go to Twitter jail or be filtered out of search
  • Follow as many other compers as you can – if they spot a new comp you’ll be one of the first to know
  • It’s fine to use the retweet button nowadays, in fact if the promoter collects entries by email it’s the ONLY way to enter. 
  • If a promoter tweets about a comp, then doesn’t tweet again for 6 months, the comp isn’t going to happen
  • Make sure the person running the comp gets an @ mention in your tweet or they won’t know you’ve entered
  • If there’s a hashtag, make sure you include it and spell it correctly
  • Have a picture on your profile, not just a Twitter egg. It really does make a difference to how much you’ll win. 
  • Always check the rules and instructions. Don't rely on another comper as they may have been in a rush and not checked themselves
  • Check your @ messages and DMs at least once a day to see if there are any winning messages
  • Follow the person running the comp – it’s good manners and means they can DM you if you win
  • Check the closing date – it’s no use entering a comp that has already closed
  • If there’s a link to the rules, follow it. Otherwise look at the promoter’s timeline for info about the comp
  • Don’t let your timeline be all retweets as you may get filtered out of search. Chat a bit as well! 
  • Don’t copy another comper’s entry if there’s a slogan or opinion question – you need to give your own answer. 
  • Check that the promoter is in the UK or says the comp is open to the UK or you won’t get your prize
  • When a tweet says “enter by 4pm”, it’s no use entering at 8pm! 
  • Say thank you when you get a prize. It’s good manners and lets the person know it’s arrived safely. 
  • Don’t retweet other compers’ entries. It’s annoying to them and means the promoter probably won’t see your entry. 
  • Make lists – one for your comping friends, and lists for comps that run regularly on certain days
  • Look out for scams and hackers – you CAN’T see “who viewed your profile”. 
  • Don’t cheat! Promoters can easily spot people tweeting from multiple accounts. 
  • If a winner is being picked at a certain number of followers, check their current number to make sure you’re not too late. 
  • Not every comp on Twitter is a retweet comp – make sure you’re doing the right thing. 
  • Interact with the promoters – many of them have a real person handling the Twitter account and they’ll enjoy a chat. 
  • Try to make some free time on Fridays as there are so many one day only comps then – it can be hard to keep up!
  • Hashtag searches can sometimes help you to find comps. Try #competition #giveaway #bookgiveaway and #comp 
  • It sometimes helps to enter right at the end of a comp, as older tweets can be lost from Twitter search. 
  • Treat over-generous comps with caution. Somebody with 250 followers can’t afford to give as big a prize as one with 25,000. 
  • If somebody RTs your entry, deleting your tweet will undo their RT. Then you can tweet again - they probably won't RT again
  • If a promoter has Ireland in their name it usually means the Republic. Most ROI  comps aren't open to UK - check with  promoter 
  • Check whether a comp has closed before tweeting – if the prize has already been won, you can’t win it

1 comment :

  1. Great advice Jane; I often hear folk say that Twitter comps are easy, just a "quick click". I know that not the case, and reading the above certainly confirms that! I don't enter many, and am very choosy and (hopefully) check them carefully - more folk should read your wise words :-)

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