Guest Author - Sandy Lovern
It's a whole new day in sweepstaking and we are lucky enough to be a part of it!
Twitter, Facebook and other social networks are changing the way we approach sweepstakes. The question is, are we flexible enough to go with the changes that are occurring, and profit from them?
Here's what I am talking about. For those of you who have been sweeping for years, you've developed a system to enter sweepstakes that may, or may not, have worked for you. You fill out 3x5 cards and neatly print your envelopes, or you methodically enter online sweepstakes like a programmed robot. That may have been enough in the past, but this is a new era.
Twitter and Facebook have jumped on the bandwagon and are toting a whole new game plan for sweepstakers. Have you noticed lately all of the contests and sweepstakes requiring you to sign in to Twitter or Facebook to enter them? This is a new thing that I don't foresee going away anytime in the near future. We are living in a generation where information is shot out in rapid fire and consumed like M & M's. Pop, pop, that's how fast we need to be, and believe me, he who hesitates is definitely lost.
With the emergence of social sites, companies are taking advantage of innovative ways to reach their consumers. Research has found that companies using Facebook and Twitter have consistently increased their fan base by leaps and bounds. A survey of 100 online retailers found that 60% of them had links to social network presences on their sites.
According to a recent study by ForeSee Results Inc., 49% of respondents become a retailer “fan” to learn about special deals and options, 45% to learn about products, and 5% for customer support.
In December, Southwest Airlines ran a Fans Fly Free Facebook contest, which generated over 400,000 new fans. In January, Einstein Bros. Bagels increased their fan base by over 373,000 by giving a "buy one bagel, get one free" coupon to their fans.
Companies are giving their consumers an incentive to become fans. Once they have the fans, it is a great opportunity for them to reach out and communicate with them. Think of how inexpensive this advertising is for the companies, versus them using print advertisements and commercial spots.
You can find and follow sweepstakes on Twitter
The challenges for the 2010 sweepstaker are: Are you willing to spend more time on the computer? Can you navigate through the online social network, and will you be able to enlarge the way you've always entered sweepstakes?
So all of you sweepstakers, come out of hiding, make your presence known on the social networks and tweet your way to success.
Get the inside scoop on how people are winning all of those sweepstakes and contests, and here's a clue, it's not all luck! Sweepstakes Your Guide to Winning! will give you step by step instructions on how to be a winner. To learn more, go to http://www.bellaonline.com/ebooks/ebook160.
To read more from Editor and Author Sandy Lovern, please visit
Sandy Lovern; and Sweepstakes Success
