Reviews and Giveaways: An Overview
Like good reviews, giveaways boost customer traffic, create brand excitement, and increase sales. On the other hand, for entrants, giveaways are an exciting way to interact with our favorite types of giveaways.
The participants get an interactive experience where they can honestly review the giveaway (and the host).
This giveaways article will cover all there is to know about reviews and giveaways combined.
Types of Giveaway Reviews Participants
1. Giveaway Entrants: These are users and customers who need to write reviews to win prizes. We will cover how you can write great reviews to maximize your chances of winning.
2. Giveaway Organizers: These refer to individuals and companies who need more reviews. We will cover how you can incentivize users to write reviews for your giveaway and beyond.
Tips for Review Giveaway Entrants
For review giveaway entrants, here are 8 tips for improving your review writing skills.
1. Establish Why Your Review is Helpful
The success of your product review depends on how helpful it is. To draw the reader in, we suggest creating a catchy title to inform the reader straight away what your review is all about.
Consider writing how and why they should read your review in the first few sentences. You can also include why your review offers the reader valuable information.
2. Create a Clear Structure
We recommend structuring your review from start to finish. Begin with the points suggested above. Then, consider what you will write about in the middle and ending sections.
The middle of the review should contain the bulk of your information and details about what you’re reviewing. Ensure that you make this part short and sweet.
The end of the review should include a few good words about who you’re reviewing or your constructive criticism for them. Overall, end it positively and close with salient points for a well-rounded review.
3. Be Personal and Friendly
Your review can be as personal as you like. You’re welcome to write just like you would while talking. However, you must keep it clean and appropriate for everyone to read.
The company can’t post profanity or similar content. Reviews will be moderated before they’re shared, so you want to ensure your review gets posted.
There are rules for publishing your review, but much of that is common sense. Freedom of speech allows us to express ourselves, but your review should be civil, even if honest.
4. Be Detailed and Honest
The more specific your review is, the more likely it is to be helpful for another person and more beneficial for the person you’re reviewing.
Consider leaving details about the product or service to make it more helpful. This is a way to tell them what you like about them or their product!
To do this effectively, ask yourself what you would like to know if you didn’t already know it.
5. Make it Unique
You should try to make your review stand out from the rest. You’ll likely be facing tons of competition (in a giveaway).
Be original, and don’t try to copy someone else’s review. Copying someone else will mean your review will be lost among the rest. Being yourself means your review will be as unique as you are.
6. Step into the Readers’ Shoes
It pays off to write how your audience speaks. Sometimes, the products or services you review won’t have a well-defined consumer group.
Other times, you’ll review things marketed to a younger or older audience. You should aim to communicate in a way that sounds meaningful to them.
7. Provide Constructive Feedback
You can include helpful hints for how the company or business could improve its offering. Constructive feedback is usually welcome.
But you should try to avoid being unfriendly! Keep things courteous while offering your view on what the company is doing well and how it can improve. Making the company consider what you say will make sure it’s memorable.
A good review should also help others form their ideas of what you’re reviewing. You want to explain which factors contributed to your (positive or negative) experiences.
8. Keep to the Review
Your reviews shouldn’t contain personal information such as phone numbers, social media handles (unless required), or what you ate for dinner yesterday. Remember to keep it relatable.
Also, you shouldn’t write reviews that promote other companies within the review. First of all, that’s the company’s competition.
What are the Free Giveaway Sites?
There are free giveaway sites where you can hone your review writing skills. Some of them include:
- Freebie Depot
- Freebies.com
- Totallyfreestuff.com
- Sweepstake.com
- TrueSweepstakes.com
- Giveaway Monkey
- GiveawayListing.com
- Freebie Depot: This is a popular site for free giveaways. You can complete offers and claim prizes when you enter a giveaway. Freebie Depot can also email your freebies or giveaways depending on your win. Simply enter your email address and subscribe to their newsletter. You should check them out.
- Freebies.com: This is an exclusive membership website. You can sign up for free and access various freebies, such as product samples, coupons, and contests. Exclusive giveaways are part of this membership. When you visit the site, you earn ballots (entries) by taking quizzes, completing surveys, and more. Then, you need to use your ballots to win free samples and gift cards.
- Totallyfreestuff.com: This site offers a wide variety of free stuff, including clothes, shoes, food, toiletries, electricals, and laptops. It’s a streamlined service. You can use a search and category feature to find the specific giveaway you want to enter.
- Sweepstake.com: This is another legitimate and well-known giveaway site. You can find some of the best sweepstakes, contests, and giveaways here. The site is updated very regularly, so there are always giveaways running.
- TrueSweepstakes.com: TrueSweepstakes.com is one of the best sites for finding free sweepstakes and giveaways. You can win millions in free prizes from legitimate and trusted companies. This website has many promo codes and is easy to navigate.
- Giveaway Monkey: Another popular and legitimate website, Giveaway Monkey, is where you can find many contests and giveaways. You will find giveaways in categories ranging from beauty to hair to fashion to travel. You can also promote your giveaways on this site. As a result, many businesses, such as pet sitters, beauty businesses, and painters, promote their work on this platform.
- Giveaway Listing: The GiveawayListing.com site has been online for over a decade, offering its users extensive lists of free giveaways. Initially, the site focused only on Amazon Giveaways, but lately, it has listed feeds of many other popular giveaways, such as Goodreads, Gleam, NFTs, and more. In the Giveaway Listing, you will also find detailed guides on improving your chances of winning highly competitive giveaways.
Review Giveaway Entrants: The Bottom Line
We have listed some of the best giveaway websites for free giveaways and prizes. You don’t have to pay to access and enter the giveaways.
You must find and select the giveaway you want to enter. Some giveaway sites may require you to complete questionnaires or simple requests to maximize your winning chances. Ensure that you follow the giveaway site’s guidelines when entering.
Review Giveaway Entrants FAQs
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions for people looking to enter review giveaways
What Companies Are Doing Review Giveaways?
Today, many companies hold review giveaways, primarily online. It seems too good to be true that you can receive free products for review, but it’s legit.
But here’s the challenge: How do you get these companies to give you free products to review? On another note, how can you write reviews to enter a giveaway?
For the former, you get sent a free item. All you need to do is give your honest opinion about the product you’re reviewing. The cherry on top is that you can keep the item once you’ve reviewed it!
With the latter, you must write a review to enter a giveaway. It’s as simple as that. The icing on the cake here is that your review will increase your credibility for the next giveaway.
The more reviews you make, the better you get at doing them, bumping your rankings in the review stakes. You’ll also continue to be eligible to review free products, so the free stuff continues!
This list could get extensive, but to capture the breadth of variety in review giveaways, here are a handful of companies that allow you to test products to review or review an item to win a prize.
- Daily Goodie Box: They send you free samples, and you review them
- Try Products: You test their new products and get free stuff.
- Treat Spot: They also treat you to products to review free shipping.
- Pinch Me: Submit your feedback and earn “coins” to exchange for rewards.
- She Speaks: Write comments, get involved with communities, and earn freebies.
- Home Tester Club: Worldwide reviews and free products for all.
- Vogue Insiders: With a focus on cosmetics, you get samples for reviewing their goods
- Goodreads free books (review a book to win – we cover this below).
How Can I Write a Book Review?
As mentioned above, Goodreads offers its audience the chance to write book reviews as part of its giveaways.
Entering a Goodreads giveaway is as simple as entering your details. However, you’re encouraged to follow other steps to increase your chances of winning a giveaway. One of which includes writing book reviews.
You get a better chance of winning free books in exchange for reviews. Your first review may take time, and you may not know where to start. We recommend starting somewhere, and Goodreads is a perfect place to do that.
All you need to do is cover why you enjoyed the book or didn’t and if you would recommend it.
You can find more information about this in our 6 Ways to Master the Goodreads Giveaways article.
How Can I Write a Review on Amazon?
Anyone can submit a review for nearly any product sold on Amazon, even if you haven’t personally purchased that product.
You will find groups where Amazon sellers trade their free products in exchange for a small favor, such as leaving reviews for their products.
Amazon Vine: First in line for alternative ways to write reviews to win free stuff is Amazon Vine. This is an invite-only program; invites are only sent to trusted reviewers. Therefore, you have to be writing great reviews to get this opportunity.
Amazon chooses the reviewers, called Vine Voices, based on their previous reviews that the Amazon community deems helpful. The better your reviews, the better your chances of being selected.
Being a Vine Voice allows you to sample new and pre-release items for free in exchange for a product review.
Approach vendors and offer to write product reviews: Another method for getting free items in exchange for reviews is to message vendors directly and ask them. To try this method, first search for the product you want. Look for an option with the fewest reviews and a cheaper alternative to its competitors.
Tips for Review Giveaway Organizers
For just a small cost, depending on the prizes on offer, a giveaway provides a significant return on investment.
It maximizes regular social media engagement and turns it into something more. A humble giveaway can create positive associations for your product or brand.
If you are struggling with your current social media marketing plan, a giveaway could be just the boost you need.
Whether reviews-based or not, a giveaway is valuable for growing your audience, sales, or whatever business strategy you have in mind.
Do Giveaways Increase Sales?
Giveaways do increase sales, that’s for sure. With the rise of social media marketing, giveaways and reviews are highly effective at increasing followers and subscriber lists.
Giveaways and reviews can grow your audience quickly and collect valuable data to increase your sales in the future.
Giveaways have a conversion rate of almost 34%, which is higher than most forms of marketing content. As a result, while your audience tries to win a prize, you can win over potential customers.
These new customers may shop with your brand or grow your business. A giveaway marketing strategy ahead of a new product launch can boost sales; many companies have seen this play out.
While running a giveaway, you can collect participants’ email addresses. After entering the giveaway, they can be added to your email list to receive your newsletter. Now they’re potential customers.
Ideally, you can aim this toward your target audience, which will work in your favor.
How Can You Profit From a Giveaway?
It’s no secret that people like free stuff. That’s why giveaways are so popular. If you know how to run a good giveaway and how it makes you money, giveaways can be highly profitable.
Hosting a giveaway is profitable in a few key ways. A giveaway is essentially a marketing tool. It helps you reach a larger audience and gain more business (and reviews). All of this creates media attention and interest for you and your brand.
Depending on your business, you may want more visits to your website or to create more sales. Essentially, more traffic to your business means more sales and more profit.
When you run a giveaway, you could ask your audience to fulfill an activity, such as writing a review of their last purchase or asking the prize winner about their prize.
Ask your giveaway participants to follow you on social media to enter the giveaway. In the long run, you want these entrants to become new customers.
The bottom line is that you may not make money right away. But the winner of the giveaway and everyone who entered will hopefully become future customers.
Tips to Increase Online Reviews
Here are some more tips to increase your online reviews.
1. Run Review Giveaways
Run a giveaway aimed explicitly at gaining reviews.
2. Reviews and Testimonials
Make it easy to make a review on your business pages. And make your reviews easy to spot online. Create a space for testimonials and have your reviews visible.
3. Social Media
Use social media to your advantage and ask your customers for social media reviews. You can make a ‘call-to-action’ link to post reviews on your social channels.
4. Automated Messages
Follow up with your customers and remind them to leave a review on Google (or elsewhere). If you have automated email receipts (for example), add a message about writing reviews and tell them where to go to write one.
5. Newsletters
Create newsletters to send to your customers to ask for feedback specifically. You can send them questionnaires and ask if you can publish their results (write the review on their behalf).
6. Show Appreciation
Thank your customers who leave you good reviews to incentivize another review from them or their friends and family. Noticing and acknowledging the review will bring more your way.
7. Customer Satisfaction
Follow up with customers who leave you negative reviews and make it known you resolve past mistakes. Make sure to resolve bad reviews online for others to see.
8. Incentives to Review
Create an incentive to make reviews by giving your customers a percentage off or some other benefit. You could include this in your newsletters or on a social media post.
You could also host a contest giveaway that awards the best reviewer with a prize!
Ask your participants to enter the giveaway by reviewing your business (we cover this below). The best review will win the contest.
How to Run a Review Giveaway?
Consider making it part of your giveaway rules to receive feedback from the winner about their prize. You can also ask the winners for reviews about your giveaway.
You can then publish giveaway reviews on your websites or social media. However you choose to use them, they’re one more review for your brand and likely to be good ones.
You can ask the winner to write a review and make it your method of entry for your free giveaways.
Ask the participants to write a review of the last product or service they bought from you to enter. If they have never used your service or purchased from you, ask them to write what they think about you.
It’s possible to use all of your gathered data eventually. This option for using reviews as a method of entry could get you thousands of reviews.
Participants must enter their contact details to win and write a review. They will appreciate the easy entry method, and you will gain loads of reviews. Simple.
Another way to get more reviews from a giveaway is to ask your participants to complete a survey before they enter. That way, you can ask for existing customer feedback.
There are multiple ways to create surveys. For example, you can use a simple poll function on Facebook or create your own online.
Studies show that up to 60% of people will not use a company again after one bad experience, which leads to a bad review.
It’s your job to create a positive experience for your customers. You want customers to return, and reviews are a great way to help you do that as they build brand loyalty.
What Makes a Good Review Giveaway?
As covered, giveaways are a strategic marketing tool, and giveaway websites create a lot of revenue.
When running a giveaway, you must engage your audience while satisfying your needs. There are ways to make the giveaway work for the audience and your business.
You need to ask yourself why you are running a giveaway and consider what you aim to achieve by holding one.
When considering your business strategies, you have to brainstorm ideas. Decide what areas of marketing you want to benefit from the most.
This will give you a clear direction about how to promote your giveaway. You can form your giveaway based on some objectives and work on achieving them.
Marketing Strategies to Choose
- Amplify traffic on social media
- Create brand loyalty
- Grow your audience
- Boost search rankings
- Increase sales
- Get Newsletter subscribers
- Reduce marketing expenses
- Collaborations (join forces with another business).
How to Get More Reviews With a Giveaway?
Giveaways are a perfect way to get more reviews. Reviews and giveaways are perfectly matched marketing tools. You want to capitalize on your giveaways by combining reviews in the mix.
To exponentially increase the effectiveness of your review giveaway campaign, you can follow the additional tips:
- Select your marketing strategy. Get creative in deciding your giveaway details.
- Where will you host the giveaway? Choose the right platform for your giveaway.
- Create and share the official rules. What’s the method of entry?
- Pick a desirable and hard-to-resist prize.
- Make your very own giveaway hashtag.
- Create a mobile-friendly giveaway.
- Make your giveaway content shareable.
- State how you will notify the winner.
Review Giveaway Organizers FAQs
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions from people looking to organize review giveaways
How Long Should a Giveaway Last?
That’s entirely up to you – but do consider your customers. Before announcing your giveaway, you need to pick an end date. You might not know how long it should last, but don’t leave this until the last minute.
First, setting an end date for your giveaway is a legal requirement. Setting an end date is vital to ensure your giveaway is well organized.
With a clear structure for your giveaway, there’s no room for confusion. Your participants know what to expect, and you avoid liability for late entries and complaints.
When you select the giveaway end date, don’t forget to include when you will announce the winner.
If it’s a random and automated draw, that’s a lot simpler. You may even choose to have a countdown for your giveaway.
How Can I Stay Informed About the Best Review Giveaways?
As mentioned, there are plenty of giveaway websites to stay up to date. Checking your favorite giveaway websites is one easy way to know the latest.
And when you’re looking for comprehensive guides about reviews and giveaways, you’re welcome to check back with us.
We will regularly update our giveaway website with the best giveaways and share ways to increase your giveaway reviews.