A pinch of creativity can go a long way. Yes, it is actually possible to turn, entering and winning competitions into a well profound business. People also do this professionally. This process is called ‘comping’. There are numerous competitions running all around the world, featuring exciting prizes ranging from sports cars to hard cash. Entering in competitions can grant you things that you have always dreamed of! That being said, always remember that there is no secret formula to winning competitions and there is no guarantee that you will win the competition.
[irp] [irp][irp][irp]
Now, where can one find these competitions? Plenty of forums, for example, the Prizefinder and Loquax are strictly dedicated to comping. You can also find plenty of competitions to register on too, on items in the supermarket, or in your local newspaper and definitely all across social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Provided you are serious about winning the competitions, you need to keep your wits about you at all given times.
Which details competitions require
A total of approximately 95% of all the competitions that people enter are just in case of filling details such as emails, telephone numbers, and your addresses. This tedious task does pay off. The remaining 5% of the competitions are those that take not only more time consuming but also more effort, however they are popular for yielding the greater award. Let me give you an example, there might be a competition that wants you to come up with a catchy catch phrase, a slogan, a photograph or a film video, and the reward might be around $300.
Therefore don’t a little hard work and effort pay off? The type of competitions that are more involved is definitely worth going for as most people won’t bother with them meaning you’ll have more chance of winning. When I was entering competitions a few years back I would easily spend three or four hours each day searching and entering every competition I could find.
The common question arising would be, does it take time? Well, if you are dedicated to comping, it would easily take three or four hours searching for and entering every competition. Every bit of free time would go into researching and applying for these competitions. Your common train of thought should be, “The more competitions I enter, the higher the chance of winning I have.” With well-developed software such as Roboform that automatically enters your details into forms and LastPass that conveniently saves passwords for the sites, you need to log on too, the process of applying for these competitions becomes easy.
Increasing the odds
It is said that around 99% of winning the competitions comes down to only luck. That being said, you can increase your chances of winning. Let us take a look at how this is done. It is advised to look for local competitions which will guarantee that there will be fewer entries, entering the competitions. Social Media has become a huge platform for entering competitions, especially on Twitter. You can do specific searches for hashtags, for example, #winningcompetitions or #comp. This will increase your chances.
The best way to start is by having the mindset of treating this as a job. Set aside a total number of hours that you can spend on research and application each day. Work on your personal system and set out for how long you enter your competitions. Along with this, it is also advisable to have a separate work email set up, one that is different from your personal account which will prove to be very easy and convenient for you.
In addition, remember to set aside some targets to work towards. This will motivate you and help you do better every day. Always remember that comping is not a reliable income, a lot of it depends on luck. Creating and tracking a spreadsheet can prove to be very beneficial as you can keep track of the competitions you enter and the prizes you’ve won.
This will prevent you from wasting time entering the same competitions more than once as this can get you disqualified, too. The key is to be patient, it is rare to have a quick turnaround with winning competitions. Having said all this, let us talk about the things you need to watch out for.
[irp] [irp][irp][irp]
Things to avoid
There are, a few things to be cautious about while you enter competitions on a large scale.
Spam websites
Beware of some sites that offer ‘exclusive’ contest lists specifically aimed at campers. Don’t bother paying to view lists like these – they will normally just include the most popular competitions, meaning if you’re out looking for this stuff each day, you will already know about them. Also, your chances of winning any of the competitions mentioned in these lists are inevitably much lower due to the fact they will be seen by thousands of people.
Antivirus
It is advisable to invest in antivirus software that protects your company. As you will be browsing in a lot of new websites, every day. It is important to have antivirus software. As it will prevent you from getting any virus that might harm the software of your computer or PC.
Tips for winning
It is important to keep a watch on your email, for responses. It often happens that you would be notified when you have won an email and if you do not respond quickly, the prize from winning the competition will move on to the next contestant. Avoid missing out on emails like these.Stocking on essentials is always important. It is advisable to keep a set of ready stamps or postcards. Just in case your dream comp arrives with an extremely early deadline.
In addition, it is extremely crucial to check out the rules. Do not get yourself disqualified just because you did not read or adhere to the rules properly. It would be very advantageous to read the small print and keep an eye on tricky questions. Pay extreme attention to the deadline.
[irp] [irp][irp][irp]