Random vs. Efforts-Based Contests


Do you find yourself entering lots of contests without winning anything? Maybe you're entering the wrong contests.

Most contests can fall into one of two categories. Random or efforts-based.

Many people enter a lot of random contests with poor odds and don't win anything. Ever. Random contests include those that say "Share this and tag 3 friends" or "Enter your email for a chance to win" and can have a really large number of entries because they're so easy to enter.

Efforts-based contests are exactly what they sound like. They involve more effort than just tagging a couple friends. These include contests where you have to get the most likes, guess the number of something in a jar, or be the first one to respond.

Efforts-based contests is where I win most. The more effort involved, the fewer people who enter. If the prize is good enough, it's worth your time. This is where I won my iPad Pro, my Oreo sweater, a hammock, multiple gift cards, and more. These contests are usually less frequent which can make them harder to find.

My iPad? I spent hours getting people to like my photo on Facebook.

The Oreo sweater? I bought supplies to make Oreo balls and went into full decorating mode to take the best photo to enter.

The hammock? I filled out a crossword puzzle and emailed it in first.

These contests aren't impossible to find, you just have to keep your eyes open.

And some random contests will have so few entries that your odds may be even better than efforts-based contests.

So the next time you find an efforts-based contest, don't just keep scrolling. Stop and ask yourself if you have time and energy to enter something with a good chance of paying out.

And if you're hosting a contest? Efforts-based is going to give you a much better idea of who your dedicated customers or followers are instead of random people following you for the contest and unfollowing when they don't win.

Leave a comment and let me know what contests you're entering. As always, feel free to tag me! @amberwinscontests

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