You Can Help the Sponsor Build the Traffic They Deserve
As product reviewers and sometimes entrants of giveaways, we must be aware of what it takes for our sponsors to actually agree to supply product and what they need to get out of a review and giveaway for it to be beneficial to their business.
A sponsor is looking for several things to happen when they decide to participate on a particular blog. One of the first things they need is to make sure that the giveaway site fits their product. Not all businesses are right for a particular blog depending how the giveaway site owner has established themselves in the marketplace. If your giveaways feature moms, diapers and kids product mainly, reaching out for a guy item or a craft item may make a sponsor pass you by. Find the sponsors for your niche and you will have a better chance of getting more sponsors.
Another thing a sponsor is looking for is return traffic. If your giveaway blog is not promoting visiting the sponsors site as a part of the giveaway, then how do you expect the sponsor to get the most traffic necessary for their ROI (return on investment)? Getting traffic to their site is a key element to a sponsor as they want people to see their goods and their site. The pictures in a giveaway post does not represent all of the products that a sponsor may carry, in fact it could only be one tiny item in a sea of other cool goods.
As giveaway entrants, it is your responsibility to visit the sponsors site as well and answer the giveaway questions about the sponsors site thoroughly. Giving a general response like “I like their purses” does not show that you ever visited the site. Show the sponsor some love and take a few minutes to visit and be interested. This is not only for the free stuff. It is a thank you to that sponsor for taking the money, time and effort to supply a giveaway item. At least repay the favor.
Also sponsors look for honest follow through on requests for followers to their blogs, newletters, Facebook or Twitter accounts. If it is a mandatory requirement, then you as a giveaway entrant better be really doing it. The sponsors do check and guess what, if you say you are following and you aren’t, you don’t win should your number come up. Plus it is Cheating! And Cheaters Never Win!
If the follow is not mandatory but a giveaway entrant uses it as a bonus entry? Guess what? We check. Again, all the sponsor wants is some following so they are getting a return on their investment into this giveaway. It is a form of advertising for them and it is important to receive something in return. It is especially critical for a work at home or self employed small business owner that doesn’t have the funds available like other larger businesses. But that does not mean that all businesses don’t deserve your time and effort to actually follow them. If you are not interested, then don’t follow but don’t use it as an entry either. Again Cheating…
As giveaway site owners and as giveaway entrants, we all need to spend a some extra time with our sponsors to make sure they are satisfied, happy and they are getting the traffic they deserve and need. If the sponsors are happy, they will do more giveaways. If they are not happy, no giveaways. Sending some traffic to your sponsor’s site or via social media is a small price to pay for what they do for us. Besides, you may find a new favorite item or get in on some awesome sales as a follower of theirs.
So… What can you do to help?