Sweepstakes Guide....Enter And Win!

People Really Do Win

The biggest misconception about sweepstakes is that no one really wins. As someone who has been extremely successful ($25,000 worth) over the past three years, I can tell you honestly that people really do win!

It takes some luck, yes, but moreso, it takes a system and persistence. You probably won't win if you simply enter a few sweepstakes, but if you enter them in quantity, you're very likely to see results.

Types Of Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes can be broken down four basic categories:

*Online Entry: These type of sweepstakes come from the largest companies (Ebay, CBS, Quaker, Chevrolet, History Channel, WE, Nickelodeon, Nike and more) to the smallest Mom & Pop web sites and operations. They offer everything from automoblies and cash to clothing, books, toys, calendars, DVDs and CDs. These sweepstakes are easy to enter and free. All you need to do is go to their web site, fill out an entry form and submit.

*Snail Mail Entry: These sweepstakes come from companies large and small as well, but you must either download and print an entry form or fill out a postcard and mail it. Many times, online sweepstakes and snail mail sweepstakes go hand in hand therefore offering you two options. Sometimes an online sweepstakes will offer a snail mail portion for all prizes left over and unclaimed called a "second chance sweepstakes". Entering snail mail sweepstakes can be costly, though, since you have to supply envelopes, cards, paper and postage.

*Ballot Box: Ballot box sweepstakes are usually found locally at banks, restaurants and various store fronts. Since it is a local sweepstakes, you are not against all residents of the US, therefore your odds of winning are higher.

*Text Messaging: Many television shows have sweepstakes that offer entry via text message. The costs for an entry vary. Some of these contests offer free entries online....read the fine print and listen to the advertisement closely, it may save you some cash.

Sweepstakes Entry Requirements

Sweepstakes have various requirements for entry, some are simple, some more complex. They include:

*Simple entry* Essay* Code Required* Trivia* Scavanger Hunt*Newsletter Opt-In* *Membership*Tips*Watch and Win*Fantasy Leagues*Games*More*

Be sure and read the rules so you know what is required for entry.

Sweepstakes Services

There are many online sweepstakes "services" out there that find, list or even enter sweepstakes for you. Avoid any sweepstakes service that enters for you, no matter what the cost. Many of these services use "bots" or automated programs to go through thousands of sweepstakes and enter your information. Many sweepstakes fulfillment companies have gotten wise to this practice and have encoded little tricks into their entry forms. Even more sites have you enter an authentication code so they know it is a human being entering.

The best online sweepstakes sites are those who find, sort and list sweepstakes for you. They are categorized by start date and include such information as prizes, rules, type of contest, entry frequency and eligibility requirements. Many of these sites are free and some may offer a premium subscription you can purchase that provides to you added features and makes you privy to even more sweepstakes that are unadvertised.

Instant Win...Instant Gratification

Some companies run big sweepstakes that offer instant win prizes. You may play a game, spin a wheel, fill in a form, scratch a virtual gamepiece or use an online decoder but as soon as you click "submit" you find out right then that you've either won a prize or need to try again tomorrow. Of course, you may have to wait until the end of the contest to get your prize, but knowing it's on the way is exciting! For many sweepstakes entrants, instant wins are what keeps them modivated and breaks the daily grind of entering.

Tips For Winning

There are tips for winning, but no tricks. As I said before, it takes persistence. Follow these tips to increase your chances of winning.

1) Read the rules carefully. Many people disqualify themselves simply by not reading the rules. Many sweepstakes have age restrictions, restrictions on where an entrant lives and even an entrant's gender or type of employment. Read those rules or you might be wasting your time.

2) Check the entry frequency: Many people don't realize that you can enter a sweepstakes every day, weekly or monthly for the duration that the sweepstakes is open. You can find this information in the rules. So while you may enter once, sweepstakes entrant #5 entered 53 times and has a greater chance of winning.

3) Do not cheat!! As badly as you may want a prize, don't enter for your mother, brother, sister-in-law, neighbor and fifth cousin. Many fulfillment companies track ISP addresses and not email addresses. You may think by simply using another email address, you're safe, but the companies will see you're entering from the same internet service provider and disqualify all of your entries. Cheating also includes lying about your age, gender and that you're a beautician and you're really a construction worker.

4) Don't enter everything you see: The first mistake a new sweeper makes is entering everything they see. That wastes valuable time in addition to taking away a prize from someone who really wants it. Enter what you want, need or can use as a gift for someone you know. This allows you more time to enter a bigger variety of sweepstakes and keeps you from being overloaded.

5) Watch for codes!: Have you ever seen a sweepstakes advertised on a bag a chips or a bottle of lotion? Hang onto that code or UPC, read the rules on the package and enter! Some products include instant win game pieces. Read those as well to see if there is a second chance sweepstakes you can enter.

6) Local, local, local: Pay close attention to your local newspaper for sweepstakes. Check your bank and other store fronts nearby for ballot box sweepstakes. Another place to find sweepstakes abound are local radio station web sites. They're not just doing call-in contests anymore. Log on to your local television web sites as well. Some even have contest announcement newletters you can sign up for.

7) Download a form filler: Form fillers, unlike "bots" allow you to cache your personal information so with a click of the mouse, your sweepstakes forms are filled. These don't always work with flash sites, so be prepared to keystroke your information into the entry form. You still need to check your entry form after using a form filler to make sure things are correctly filled in. Also, read the rules to make sure it's not required to "manually keystroke" your entry.

8) Watch for the quantity of prizes: Some sweepstakes literally give out thousands of prizes. More prizes mean your odds of winning are much higher.

9) It's all in the numbers: Just entering a few sweepstakes probably won't render any results, but entering hundreds of sweepstakes increases your odds immensly. It takes time and alot of patience but is well worth it when the UPS driver is in your driveway at least once per week.

10) Be careful of sweepers burnout: You will get burned out. Pace yourself and when you get discouraged, take a break for a week or so, the sweepstakes will still be there when you return refreshed and modivated.

11) Taxes: Yes, that nasty word just has to rear it's ugly head, but it's very important to keep taxes in mind. The general rule of thumb is that prizes under $500 are not taxed, anything over that is taxed and needs to be reported. You'll receive tax forms from the fulfillment company at the end of the year. So while that trip to Hawaii may look good, make sure you can afford the taxes before you enter.

12) Snail Mailing: If you're entering snail mail sweepstakes make sure your form is the correct size. When packaging your forms, use colorful envelopes or some with texture to draw attention. This Ebay store has a beautiful collection of colored envelopes, shaving cream envelopes and post cards. Puzzles Postcards and More http://stores.ebay.com/Puzzle-Postcards-and-More Also keep pleanty of postage stamps handy so you can mail your entries right away. If it's a daily snail mail sweepstakes, make sure your entries are postmarked on different days.

Misc. Things To Know

There are just a few more things you need to know before you venture into the world of sweepstakes.

*Be patient! Although you have entered 200 sweepstakes, it usually takes months before prizes start showing up. You won't always know you have won, often times a prize will just show up in the mail.

*Expect spam. Yes, you will see alot of spam when you start sweeping, more than you can possibly fathom. Set up a free email address that you use for sweepstakes and that only. Look for a free service that sorts out the bulk mail for you. Always check the bulk folder though, I have found some authentic winning emails there!

*Watch for scams! You will immediately start receiving "you won" emails. Look, first, at who sent it. Is it from a bona fide company you entered through? Or does the email sender have a name like "You Won" or "Congratulations"? True winning emails come either from a person or a fulfillment company and will have the name of the sweepstakes in the subject line. For example: "Congratulations! You have won the Ebay Guides and Reviews sweepstakes". If you're unsure, read the email. True winning emails don't involve lotteries out of the country or ask you to sign up for or purchase anything.

*Follow the sweepers code! Basically, don't cheat, enter only for what you really want or need. don't enter if you know you can't accept the prize and be happy for your fellow sweepers who do win!

*Watch for affidavits Affidavits often appear in the mail or by private carrier out of the blue. They are a form of sweepstakes notification that requires you send more personal information, a copy of your picture identification, you social security number and more.

Are you ready to win?

Start entering and good luck!

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Orignal From: Sweepstakes Guide....Enter And Win!