While usually, the unprompted pop-ups claiming you’re a winner are scams or hidden viruses, winning also isn’t so out of reach. With sweepstakes, there is a possibility of winning large and we’ve included some tips to increase your chances of winning a legitimate sweepstake.
Statistics
By working the statistics, that means entering sweepstakes early and often. Okay, maybe less early because timing doesn’t necessarily impact your chances, but do definitely enter often. This involves doing your research by finding what sweepstakes there are out there. While it does look a bit old and dated, online-sweepstakes.com compiles a list of sweepstakes and organizes them by day and by entry frequency, which can help you sort through the clutter. The “Promotions” app on Facebook can also do the searching work for you by presenting a compiled list of available sweepstakes.
Use Your Mobile
Considering American adults spend an average of 3 hours and 30 min per day on mobile internet alone, according to an Vox article by Rani Molla, there’s a hefty level of opportunity to make use of the habit we’ve already built. During the time spent scrolling and staring at our phones, considering slotting some of that time to enter sweepstakes. From when you’re waiting for an appointment at your doctor’s office to time spent on public transportation, those are golden moments to enter extra contests and even text-in to sweepstakes. Two caveats, though, if you don’t take public transportation and drive yourself to and from work, stay off your screen, and if you enter text-in sweepstakes, make sure it doesn’t come at an extra charge with your service carrier.
Resource Base
By building your resource base, you can cut down on the time you spend doing something someone else has already done. Within the same concept as going on online-sweepstakes.com, consider joining a sweepstakes club to stay in-the-know and keep a pulse of available sweepstakes. ContestQueen has a listing of all active sweeping clubs including their location and contact information on how to join. Not only do you get tips from those around you, you also have the opportunity to build a new community of friends and fellows. Sandra Grauschofph from The Balance includes five more great reasons to consider joining a sweepstakes club in this article.
Sweepstakes With Low Odds
Sometimes to succeed, you have to know how you fail, and this is one of the times. Know which sweepstakes are worth entering and especially which ones are not. Even if the form only takes about a minute to fill out, that’s still time you could’ve spent on another sweepstake with a higher chance of winning. Sandra Grauschofph has another article on The Balance with a moderate list of ways to spot sweepstakes with low odds of winning; these traits include sweepstakes advertised across the nation (think the Wheel of Fortune Spin ID and Publishers Clearing House) as well as contests with unlimited entries.
For more tips on how to increase your chances of winning a sweepstake, check out yet another Sandra Grauschopf article on The Balance with 20 tips. Zachary Crockett from The Hustle also wrote a profile piece on women who often rake in the sweepstake prizes, which includes their tips and tricks. By learning from the success of others, start preparing for your own sweepstakes success story.