Sweepstakes Results

Over the past year I've learned the importance of a mailing list, and probably the most effective means of building that list is through having a sweepstakes giveaway.  So I've done three sweepstakes over the past few months to build up those subscription numbers.

Each one has generated about 250 new emails.  It's important to note that when I initially put up the sweepstakes, I only get a couple dozen entries.  But when I do a little paid advertising, about $20 worth, the number jumps and I get many, many more.  So it's worth it to do that little extra.

I ran the giveaway on Shortstack, then made a post on Facebook and boosted it, and did a Google search on sweepstakes promotions where I found several sites that show ongoing sweepstakes and I simply found the button for entering my giveaway.

I lose about five subscribers every month due to attrition.  Therefore, it's good to do a new giveaway about every season.  This way the numbers grow faster than the attrition, and I'm not spending too much by having it every month.

The most important thing that I find in holding these giveaways is to have the prize be something that's relevant to my series.  This decreases the decaying numbers from the list because they're getting things in their email that they want.  The first giveaway I did was a Kindle Fire, and even though what I have to offer is book related, it's a specific niche.  Therefore, people were entering the sweepstakes who like different types of books and wanted a Kindle Fire for them.  Then, when they saw what I had to offer, they were less interested.  However, when the prize was a book about a fan film of Indiana Jones, they were more interested in sticking around to read adventures of an Indiana Jones-like character.

My next giveaway will likely be in the spring since I've had one for the summer, autumn, and winter now.