Today I am sharing my tips on how to find free things to give away on my blog.
When I first started blogging, I decided to host a few giveaways to help readers find my page. It worked, but I was paying for my own items… until I realized that I didn’t need to do this because there were businesses that WANTED me to give away THEIR items at no cost to me!
Here are a few tips to find items to give away for free.
1– Contact someone that sells something (Origami Owl, Thirty-One, Tupperware, Mary Kay, etc…) and ask them if they will give away an item and you will share a link back to their page. Most of them will be happy to have the extra exposure. I find that most of them will give away a gift card for around $100 (at no cost to me.) I also ask them if they want to offer a 10% discount to my readers. This will bring them extra business, as well.
2- Contact a company.
Example: I recently contacted a company to see if they could provide a product that I’ve been wanting for our son for Christmas (worth $400). I told them how I wanted to include it in a post and I asked if they would provide a second one to giveaway on my blog. They asked for my stats and I was quick to respond.
They sent me an answer of YES & YES! The worst that they could have said was no, so it is worth it to ask.
3- Contact other bloggers.
I was recently in a giveaway where 18 bloggers joined together and we each gave $10. We were able to purchase a brand new Kitchen-aid mixer for one lucky winner! Plus, I got a bunch of new readers from this giveaway (yay!).
Or- you could ask a fellow blogger for a book to give away, or one of their products or courses. Most will say yes. 🙂
4- Sponsored Posts
A LOT of my sponsored posts will come with giveaways. I would say that 60% of them include a giveaway of the product that I am reviewing. This is really the best because you are being PAID to give away one of their products!
5- Go to a local store or place of business.
When I was a teacher, I would often go to local businesses (movie theaters, pizza places, coffee houses, etc…) and ask them if they had anything that I could give to certain people that helped out a lot in our classroom. When I was the Room Mom for our son’s preschool classes and in charge of gifts for all of the teachers at the preschool, I did the same thing. I went to local stores and asked if they had anything that I could offer the teachers for the preschool. Again, I was rarely given a “No”. Most people want to help out and they want to promote their business.
I have done this in the blogging world, too. I have called local companies and asked for a product or gift card to giveaway to my readers. I am sure to give credit where credit is due (“thank you to ____ for giving us this great product to give to you!”).
In the end, hosting a giveaway is a great way to give back to your readers and most companies are glad to help! Don’t get too carried away though. Too many giveaways and it loses its “spark”. I do more during the holidays and I highlight them with a “ps- check out this giveaway this week” when I send out my newsletter.
Your turn- share your best tips or recourses for your giveaway prizes.
Some really great ideas here, a couple I hadn’t thought of, thanks
I would like to do more give-aways. I appreciate your advice on this one. I’ve got some work to do now.
What great tips. I’m looking for new ways to grow my blog and I think this will really help. Thanks!
Sure! 🙂
Great tips!
These are some great ideas, i definitely agree with the “just ask” philosophy!
I would love to do this, but I feel self conscious about my blog and stats (possibly?) not being impressive enough for a company to want to give something to me for free in exchange for promotion. Do you have any recommendations regarding stats to achieve before approaching companies?
I wouldn’t feel the need to share your stats with them. I would just say something like
“Hi,
I’m Emily at My Love for Words and I love your _____. I know that my readers would be crazy over it, as well, and I wondered if you would be willing to let me review one and give one away to my readers. I have a great following of loyal readers and they trust what I give them to be my honest opinion, which is why I can’t wait to share this with them. I know that they will love your product as much as I do, so if you would allow me the chance to introduce it to them through this giveaway, I would be so grateful!
Thanks so much! I look forward to hearing your response.
Emily
Awesome tip. I always wondered about this and figured they would want to know your stats before they sent you something to review. Thanks for sharing!
I’m working on launching my blog here in the next month or so. Is there any way to get free items from companies to use for a website launch give away? I obviously would be new and wouldn’t really have stats or loyal followers yet. Any tips for this? Thanks! 🙂
Definitely. I would just tell them just what you told me: you are starting up a new website and want to give away their awesome product as a giveaway. You will talk about why you love their product and how they will be so excited to win the giveaway!
🙂 Good luck- let us know when it is & we would love to support you!
This was a very helpful post. Exactly what I was looking for!
Hi, so I have a very established blog. Good number of followers etc and Ive been writing awhile, mainly personal stuff. Recently started Interviewing remarkable women around my area and it’s going well. Now the thing is I am wondering if I should separate the two.
That way, things are cleaner and also I can start to build equity there in the new space and also use to do giveaways and try and get some income going. I will cross-post at my main blog till that takes off.
Guess am just thinking aloud and hoping you will have some ideas and feedback for me?
Thanks so much. 🙂
Rads
I think thats a good idea. Thats what we did with this blog. 🙂 (separated blogging content from our normal content)
Becky-
This is a great post. Thanks for writing! I just started my own interior design firm and actually am looking to give away some interior design services online. Basically, all of the design is done through cyberspace and then the client puts it together. It’s fun and affordable. If you, or any other blogger commenting here for that matter, is interested I’s love to give away a free room design in exchange for a blog post about the product. Please let me know if this is something you’re interested in. Thanks!~
Very helpful! Thank you so much for being so willing to help the rest of us out!
Great Info…Will be putting these ideas to use soon!
great idea
Thank you for sharing this valuable information!
I was just wondering you said you got a free vacation can you tell me from who? We have had 1 three day family vacation in 20 yrs. and it would be such a great post or series to blog about our vacation. (of course then would it be a vacation. LOL)
Thanks!
I just call hotels/companies that I want to stay at anyway 🙂
I love this! I tend to be the one that gets told no though.
Great advice thanks
These are some really great ideas! I especially like the ones about contacting other small business owners such as Mary Kay Representatives. This sort of collaboration, allows everyone’s business to grow.
Thanks for the tips! I can’t wait to try one out!