My Prize Winning Secrets!

In the past few years I have become addicted to online scrap booking give aways and challenges. And I have been lucky! Some of the prizes I have won: a scrapmabob (drink holder with garbage for crops), a Martha Stewart Cake Cartridge, a mini album, a stamp set, some Bell Blvd items, a Pet Scrap book kit. So, what are my secrets?
1) The Cricut Message board-find lots of giveaway links in the Cricut Chat Section & RAK & Swaps. RAK stands for Random Acts of Kindness.
2) Facebook-Do a search for all of your favorite companies and like their pages. The post giveaways their all the time. You will need to set up a Facebook account to like another page. This actually has become my best source for give aways!
3) For blogs with regular give aways, subscribe to posts. For example, Everyday Cricut usually has weekly give aways and daily posts. Your chances increase if you leave a comment on each daily post. So, you want to know every time the post and then you can make a comment and enter. Look for subscribe to post at the bottom of the blog. This will generate an email to you every time they post to the blog.
4) For Challenges: Visit Craft Crave and click on the Craft Categories tab to see a list of current challenges. You can also subscribe to posts on blogs with regular challenges. For example, Etsy Inspired Challenges posts a weekly challenge with prizes. And if you did not win my last drawing, you can watch for my next prize at the Etsy Inspired Challenge blog December 11th, 2010. You could win the scrapbag at the top of the post and never lose your spatula again!
5) It's ok to follow to win. Most blogs are trying to generate income by blogging or promoting their product on a blog. So, if they want followers and often require this for entry into a contest. It is ok to follow. No email is generated by following, and they will only get your email address if it is listed on your Google account. Now if you want to see all the blogs you follow and if they are holding a contest, you will want to subscribe to them and choose follow in Google reader. Then go to Google reader daily or often and read the headlins of the blogs to see what you which blogs you want to visit.
6) If you leave contact information you will want to type in your address in the following manner to be safer "jsmith at hotmail dot com" This will prevent malware and spy ware programs from automatically finding your address and infecting your computer.
7) Create a contest or junk mail email account. If you are entering contest you will be asked by quite a few to provide an email address and then you will get all their online promotional emails. So, create a free account at hotmail, or yahoo and use that address instead of your personal address for these contests. But don't forget to check this address for contest information!
Now I've got you started, and if you have any tips please share them in the comments section. Also please check out my Etsy Store Sales thru Cyber Monday at Scrapguild and Scrapincovers! I hold a sale just 2times a year! I have great gift ideas for the crafter who has everything and the Cricut enthusiast! Be sure to use my coupon code at check out!