A note on Giveaways

A majority of our giveaways are those I am hosting or helping another blog promote. I love to be able to bring you so many awesome giveaways in this way! There are so many that I, myself, would love to win, too! haha I love our nice, close blog community where we can come together and do that as well! Not all of the giveaways I offer are free for participating, but to me it is worth the small fee to offer my readers nice giveaways! Giveaways I personally sponsor definitely take more effort, careful planning, written reviews for products, planning the rafflecopter, confirming entries, contacting the winner, etc. It’s not always as easy as it may seem, but it’s TOTALLY worth it when somebody responds to the “You won!” e-mail with just pure excitement! I LOVE that, and I feel so blessed to be able to “make their day.”
Sadly, though, I might have to impose some “rules” on giveaways that are personally sponsored here on Pea of Sweetness. I’ve seen it implemented on other blogs, but my first thought was “would someone really do that?” I discovered the answer is “YES.” Sometimes entries require things like “Liking” a page or following a blog via e-mail, signing up for a newsletter, etc. These are great ways to keep up to date with what is going on with the blog – such as all the wonderful giveaways! A majority of the time these entries are optional, not mandatory, and truthfully you never HAVE to enter anything you aren’t interested in! Many people will “Unfollow,” “Unsubscribe,” etc. as soon as a giveaway is over – particularly if they haven’t won. Then the next time that blog has a giveaway they are interested in they just do it all over again as if it was no big deal. Well, it is!
My 1K Fan Giveaway was sponsored by ME. All of the prizes came from businesses which I independently represent, and although I get a “discount,” they are not free. Obviously when a business offers a giveaway it is in hopes of gaining exposure for their products or services, and the cost is offering a product free of charge. It’s actually generous of businesses to do this no matter how big or small and should be appreciated! Well, I had a few “Unlikes” and “Unfollows” after my 1K Fan Giveaway, which, honestly, as I said, is expected, but when I got an “Unsubscribe” from the runner up as soon as I sent the prize – well, that one hit a little too close to home! Perhaps if it wasn’t my own product and my own money that went into the prize it wouldn’t have been so “personal,” but it made me realize how ungrateful and unappreciative people can be. For one, my newsletter has a variety of options so you can choose the option that best fits your needs so you don’t get things you don’t want to receive! I not only don’t want that for myself, I don’t want that for all the awesome businesses or blogs that are so gracious to offer products for a giveaway either! The whole process isn’t “easy.” Arranging a giveaway takes time, offering a product for free costs the business owner money, etc. and all deserve appropriate acknowledgment. We’ll all still do it because we love people and we love what we do! I do hope if you’re on the other end, though, you’ll consider that!
From this day forward I will be making note of “Unsubscribes,” “Unfollows,” “Unlikes,” etc. for any of the giveaways personally sponsored on Pea of Sweetness (and not just for us but for any participating bloggers that report them to me as well as the businesses if they report them to me), and you will be ineligible to enter any future giveaways on Pea of Sweetness. I know I am NOT the first to implement this rule because I have most definitely seen it on other blogs, but I truly didn’t think it was necessary. Now I know it is. It will be noted in all my future giveaways.
I want to say a special “Thank-you” to all my wonderful readers and blogger friends that have been so awesome because my overall experience has been just that – awesome! I’m excited to continue to grow and offer y’all some more great giveaways! 🙂