Selecting and Notifying Winners
Someone left a comment the other day on one of the Winning Posts that really kind of bothered me. They had made a comment about one of the winners winning more than one giveaway in a month. They also mentioned wondering if the winners were really randomly drawn.
Here is my process:
– I delete any entries after the expiration date and time.
– I go to Random.org and draw a number for the winner based on the number of entries for that giveaway. Random.org then assigns me the winning number. I go to that comment number and there is my winner.
– There is a Mandatory Entry for every giveaway. If I choose your number and find that you haven’t done the Mandatory Entry, I choose another winner. Companies are donating products for giveaways, so the least we can do is visit their site and complete the mandatory entry for the prize.
– People have tons of opportunities for entries in the contests. They can blog about the giveaways, tweet on a DAILY basis, leave comments on non-giveaway posts. The more entries you have, the greater chance you have of winning the giveaway.
Does that mean I have to go to each post, or are you going to post the winners in one post? I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep track of which ones I entered and when they ended, but if you’re just doing a post once in a while, I’d definitely see that. I read the feeds, so there’s no problem there.
I can certainly understand.
Btw, whoever wrote that comment to you is incredibly rude; just because they hadn’t won doesn’t mean that the giveaways are rigged.
Yes it does sometimes seem like the same people are winning all of the time not only here but on other blogs too. I imagine these people blog their butts off even more than I do!
I would prefer to get an email if I won, but I do like that you have a winners posting day and a separate winners tab on your blog to make it easier to track. Life is crazy here and remembering where, what and when a giveaway ends can be stressful. It is such a pleasant surprise to see a winning notification in my inbox!
How long does the winner have to respond to the post before a new winner is picked? It would be a real drag to catch up on posts only to find you had won, then lost a giveaway!
I suppose my opinion is biased as I have had an awful time recently checking and rechecking a giveaway with a no email policy and I swear the winner was never announced. I even emailed to blogger and got no response. Very frustrating!
I see that a lot of the same winners are winning also, but you know what, they win because they are doing to work of commenting. It takes a lot of work and time to do all the extra entries, so it should be rewarded if the rules are followed. No, I am not one of the multiple winners, but I try.
Also I think it is cool if you do a weekly posting of the winners, but if I may make a suggestion….If you are not already doing this, could you make a post on those Wednesdays stating “Winners Post UP, please check for your name”. That would be a great reminder for me when I am swimming through the mounds of emails I get daily.
I truly appreciate all the great giveaways, Mommy Files and others are doing. If it were not for the wins I have won, we wouldn’t be having Christmas.
So everyone, get to commenting.
Shannon this has been really helpful to me. I won the other day and was wondering when you would send me an email. I am glad that I emailed you so that I didn’t loose out. For the other people, she has a tab at the top of the page with the other tabs, “Winners”. It takes you to a page with all the recent posts she has written with the winners listed. Just click each post to see if you are a winner. You usually have somewhere between 48 and 72 hours to reply I would think. That is how most blogs do it. Some give up to a week, but I am pretty sure with The Mommy-Files, you have 48-72. 🙂
thats sad that you have to do this 🙁 …
I think its great they can win more than once…if they put in as much as they do, they deserve it. I know I spend hours entering giveaways… I am sure they do to, if they are winning alot. I say YAY for them..and the rest of us just need to keep commenting with all our extra entries until our day comes!
I see how we can click on Winners in the Header above to be taken to the area that tells who won, and the date of the post, yet were is a link to contact you with our mailing information in the event we have won? Since you are only going to be posting this once a week, are you going to give people one week to respond back before drawing new winners, or are you going to donate prizes not won to a charity?
Are you going to still be putting winner information in your newsletters that are emailed, or is that going to be discontinued too? I mean that’s not individually notifying winners, it’s a mass mailing right?
Just curious. You need to do what works for you. I just want to make sure I understand. Thanks for everything you do.
Sorry, typo above, I meant to type Where is a link to contact you , instead of were.
This is my system, too…
I personally think that if someone doesn’t trust your blog, they shouldn’t enter! We can only do so much to show that we’re honest, and you show the random.org screenshots, too! That’s SO time-consuming. Then people don’t even appreciate it. lol Oh well.
You are one busy lady 🙂 Whatever way you do it is fine with me. No complaints with this chick 😉
I can’t believe someone actually said something about that!…….wait, yes I can!! I’m sorry, but that just wouldn’t be right to throw back someone’s name just because they already won an item from you that month. I’ve had several people win at least a couple of items from me. Luckily I haven’t had any complaints for it……yet….
Perfectly understood. As long as you subscribe, you should be able to read the notification that you’ve won a giveaway.
If someone is winning more often it is probably because then enter more often and in as many ways as possible. and they are lucky. i have been following you for a very, very long time and won sometimes, and lost sometimes. i have great faith in your honesty and fairness. those that question may not do all they can to win and before they question you and your methods, they should make sure they are following directions and entering in all the ways you give them.
I am sorry to hear your frustrations. I can’t even imagine dealing with three kids, plus doing all of this, too. Keep up the good work!
I’m glad you wrote something…I had seen that comment and it had kind of bothered me, because I know that I’ve won many times on your blog. The thing is that I work my butt off doing it! I tweet daily and take advantage of all the extra entries. So, thanks for bringing it up!
I also felt very bad that someone hurt you by questioning your selection process. The point to me is that you and your sponsors are offering free and useful prizes to people who visit your blog and play by your rules when entering giveaways. I’m sure it’s hard work for you. I also know that many entrants work very hard at their entries, too, for reasons of their own, and that they deserve to win more often than do those who stop by occasionally and make a single comment. If I were the only entrant for a giveaway and still didn’t win, I’d worry about the selection process! Otherwise, I believe that 99.99% of blog owners are completely honest and above-board in awarding their prizes randomly, and you certainly are. Someday maybe I’ll win one of your giveaways. Meanwhile, I enjoy your blog and applaud your efforts, and I’m sorry you were discouraged by that one person’s unkind remarks.
Sorry you had to write this Shannon. I know things are random and you are a honest chica. Keep doing what you do–YOU ROCK!
I”m sorry that someone felt they had to ask. Of course your using random.org and so what if someone wins more than once. It happens alot! Probably because that person has entered alot! I was on a site that there were like 6 things that ended and one lady won like 4 of them. But she worked hard at all the extra entries and was able to win. Sure you get dissapointed when you don’t win something you are hoping for, but that is no reason to say negative things. THanks for all you do and keep it up!!
SO sorry that people are so rude.
Oh Please….you don’t have to explain yourself to people that don’t know what they are talking about. Keep up the good work
Shannon, I saw that comment and I mentioned a little remark to you in my comment, don’t know if you remember. But I think anyone who isn’t gracious about winning or about others winning, should just stay away from giveaways. It is not a RIGHT to win anything, it is a priviledge! It takes a lot of work to do a review and giveaway, especially if there are a lot of entries.
Don’t let the crabby people (I’m censoring myself) get you down, you have a fabulous blog and do a wonderful job, and those of us who know you love you. We will continue to be here.
I work hard to win giveaways and I appreciate your honesty.
Oh My! I am fairly new to your Blog but have been joining Blogs for a little while now as I have looked to start my own. I love that I found giveaways! I am recently unemployed so have lots more time in the day to peruse the Blogs I enjoy and take advantage of entries into many of them. I only enter in a giveaway I can use or am interested… giving others a chance in items that I can not use in my house, I also keep Twitter open and watch for any announcements to get extra entries if possible… I have won a couple small things recently but nothing “large” yet. I have enjoyed entering and the excitement of possible winnings… Most of all I have learned about companies I have never heard of, I have been reminded of products I forgot about but wanted to get when first seeing, I have met some great people and have also learned many new things from “other content” on their Blogs! Those are all wins in my book and if I actually win an item w/ my plethora of entries as I stay up til Midnight to get last entries in, etc- Then great! I can’t believe someone would question your ethics on the giveaways though. Rude, yes! And as another person stated, if they have doubts of legitimacy of the giveaways then they shouldn’t enter. My other thought is, if someone has no desire to do more than visit your Blog for a giveaway, then I wouldn’t be concerned if they win or not. I am still looking to start my Blog, (Yeah, would give me more entries too- LOL) but, I can see how hard all of you work to get these giveaways from companies to offer and yes, it provides you with readership, more followers, etc – I also see how all of you would love to have an item to give to everyone who enters, how you can sometimes actually feel bad that someone didn’t win… For someone to just come and enter and win is great, but I can understand wanting to help give back to those that support you and have been supporting you. Maybe people should follow Blogs for the right reasons rather than always looking to get something out of it! Okay, whew, that was a rant- LOL Enjoying your Blog and I will be sure to post more often!