Contributing Columnist Lauren aka “>Jewels Of Saraswati

I love the excitement of running a giveaway each month for my shop! If you are new to giveaways, but always wanted to have one, here are a few basic tips to get the wheels turning…..

First, what kind of giveaway do you want to have? Will it be through your blog, your Myspace, Facebook, or Twitter? There are so many ways to do it! Although it is not imperative that you use social media, these are by far the easiest and the most successful platforms. If people are following and interacting with you already, they will surely want to be a part of your giveaway!

Choose an item (or two!) you think many people would enjoy receiving and spend time on creating quality photos of it.

Some ideas if you want to work through your blog:

• Your blog is a great place to make your official announcement, reveal your start/end date and explain the rules to participate.

• You will need to decide how they will participate. One suggestion would be to have them follow your blog to enter, or leave a comment on the post. A really fun interactive way to do it is to have a theme. For example, say you are having a Valentines Day giveaway. Have participants tell you how they fell in love with their significant other in their comment to enter. This way your followers get involved and enjoy being part of the process!

• Don’t forget to post numerous lovely photos of the giveaway item and explain what makes it so special!  If you can make more than one of the same item, post one for sale in your shop as well, and offer a discount during the giveaway period.

• Don’t have a blog of your own? Head to the forums and search for a blog looking to sponsor a giveaway. There are two that come to mind, one is Christie Cottage who does a “Win it Wednesday” and the other is Etsy it up! They sponsor it, promote it etc. and you are responsible for mailing the item. You can even post a thread in the forum saying you are looking for a blog that will do this. It is great promotion for both parties!

Some ideas if you want to do a giveaway on your Facebook page:

•  You can ask your fans to post something on your wall to enter. It can be their favorite item from your shop, their favorite color, a story, just about anything. There is room to get quite creative!

• Another idea that works well is simply tell all of your Facebook (or blog) followers that they are automatically entered if they are following you. It is a great way to show your appreciation for their support and no one has to do a thing! 

Other ideas/tips:

• You can also run a giveaway from your Twitter account by asking followers to RT your giveaway, or on your website if you have one.
• To be fair, use a random number generator to choose your winner or have a friend/family member pick the winners name from a hat.
•  Remind participants to leave a way for you to contact them if they win.
• Once you have winner, contact and congratulate them and don’t forget to ask for their mailing address. Assure them their info will not be used for any other purpose.
• Have a deadline for them to respond if they do win.
• Include a discount code with the giveaway item. They may want to share with friends or be encouraged to visit your shop and make a purchase!

Once you have it all figured out, promote it. 

Ways to Promote:

• Use high traffic sites like Indie Smiles where you can post your giveaway and your link! (http://www.indiesmiles.com/happy-giveaways/)
• If you are on Etsy, get into the forums! If you are in Artfire, Folksy or another online venue do the same! Have others share their giveaways too.
• Blog about it. 
• Tweet about it.
• Post details on your Facebook fanpage
• Mention it in your newsletter/mailing list if you have one.

Have fun and enjoy the ride! You will be surprised at how excited your fans will get when they have a chance at winning a free item from your shop!

Pendant photo courtesy of MDStudio.

ADD A C A P T I O N……

Read more…

Get your article published on Indiesmiles!

Rules are simple. Write an article (400 words or less) and send us the title and first paragraph to:

info@indiesmiles.com

Include a pic that you own or a pic that you’ve had permission to publish.

Winner’s chosen each week from the best subject matter and writting style of the author.  We will post a new winner each week and have their article published right here, on Indiesmiles front page! Feel free to write about your own shop, or give your shop credit, you can also write about a friends shop, or your blog! We only ask that you submit a fresh article that has not been published elsewhere.

So write about your shop, business ideas, anything Indie related and email us now!

Rules:  We reserve the right to reject any article because of subject matter that may not be Indie related or may be against the law, or against the laws of Karma.
Picture courtesy of Track and Field Designs

Join in on our latest contest! Write an article about your shop, a friends shop, a how-to or a business article…Indie please and you could have your article published right here on Indiesmiles in July!

You can find the contest entry…… right here on our sidebar, you only have a few weeks so get your creative juices flowing and enter by the end of June to be considered. The winner will be chosen by Sue and El; but we will also consider the comments that we read about each submission.

Hope to see your article on our front page!

Join in our “Spring for a Deal” contest for a chance to win your choice of advertising on Indiesmiles! 

THE PRIZE

You can choose from our Smiles Coupon Campaign, our Indie Finds Directory, our Big Smiles Ad Space, or our Showboat Feature. Read more about each advertising program by clicking on their respective links.

This month, our Coupon Campaign will feature our new “Spring for a Deal” theme where stores will offer our IndieSmiles coupon for $5.00 off with a purchase of $25.00 or more.

THE RULES

First, if you haven’t done so already, join our IndieSmiles Facebook group. If you for some reason cannot join the group, add El and / or Sue as your friend (that’s us!) and request that we add you.

Then, leave a comment on our Facebook group! Entries are accepted daily so leave a comment once a day to increase your chance of winning!

Enter before March 10!

Its that simple

Instructions are available here.

You’ll LOVE This….the un-Valentine Love Contest from Doodlage! Where professing “Love” should be done in the most unusual way! Read what Doodlage has to say about the theme of their contest.

With all this Hallmark-sponsored-vomit-inducing-pink-redness all around us, why don’t we create some alternative unorthodox ways to display our LOVE? So, here’s the thing, doodle, draw, scribble anything that makes you think LOVE. First thing that comes to mind, which makes your heart race faster and your sight go blurry. Use the word LOVE in your creation, or explain to us in a few words why what you drew means LOVE to you.

See the Doodlage blog for more details about the materials you can use and how to enter, but don’t think it’s too late to promote or enter this contest, since this is an un-Valentine theme, you’ll have until Feb 24^th to submit your entries! Don’t you just adore that!

There will be many handmade prizes, plus you guessed it, a free advertising spot from Indiesmiles!

Anyone who wants to donate a prize to this unValentine contest, please contact Doodlage for information on how to donate, you can leave a comment on her blog or convo her at: Doodlage.Etsy.com.

Indiesmiles donates ad space valued to $25.00 to help Carole’s cause. Carole is related to Sue’s (interactive marketing consultant for Indiesmiles) cousin by marriage. This is no cure for her liver cancer except a transplant. Please join us and take part in this contest!

Contest details and pics of all the awesome items you can win!!!

$1.00 will get you a entry ticket! Every little bit helps!!

This Gift *Basket filled with Handmade (and vintage) goodies is to Benefit Carole Stites-Luka who is in desperate need of a Liver Transplant.

ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER!!!!!
OPEN TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES!!!
Some of the items are pictured here, there are many more, so please see Carole’s blog for more details and view all the items you can win!

See all the awesome items that you can win, by checking out Carole’s blog! A Paper craft kit subscription for one full year, valued at $150.00 plus two gift certificates valued at $20.00 each and many…items donated by various artisans. PLUS, free advertising space from Indiesmiles. Valued at up to $25.00 (for your shop or blog!)


Liver4carole

Read more on Carole’s story:
Carole’s Story

ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER GETS ALL!