Winning a sweepstakes can mean great prizes or large sums of money. Many of these contests require no more than a few minutes of time and basic information of the entrant. By knowing enter a sweepstakes, entrants can increase their chances of winning and ensure they claim any awarded prizes.
Requirements
Begin by taking a closer look at the sweepstakes you wish to enter. Before even entering, you can determine if you have a good chance at winning or if this sweepstakes is best avoided. If you're hoping to become a winner, check the amount of prizes being offered. One prize of a million dollars might seem like a great opportunity, but you'll have a higher chance of winning if the contest is offering 100 prizes of $10,000. The greater the number of prizes, the higher your shot of winning.
Look at what is required to enter the contest. If the contest is asking for a submission such as a video or creative project, then the amount of entrants will be less. If you feel that creating the submission will be easy for you and the prize is worth your time investment, then know that the pool from which you can be chosen is far less than if you're just required to enter your name. However, don't enter sweepstakes that ask you to subscribe to a service or test a free trial. Offering credit-card information to these sweepstakes can end up costing you a great deal of money for a small chance at winning a prize.
Maximum Entries
Always enter a sweepstakes with the maximum number of entries allowed. If the sweepstakes says you can enter 20 times, then submit 20 entries. Know that your fellow entrants will also be placing multiple entries, so you don't want to place yourself at a disadvantage. Also, check the rules to see if multiple entries can come from members of the same household. If they allow this practice, have a relative also enter the sweepstakes to further increase your chances. Some sweepstakes will allow one entry per day for the length of the contest. In this case, set aside a time each day to fill out your entry. This is especially useful for online competitions that only require you to enter a name and email address which can be done in a short amount of time. Don't try to bend the rules on entries and attempt multiple entries from different email addresses under one name. With this practice, you risk disqualification and possible blacklisting from future sweepstakes with the company.
After the Sweepstakes
All sweepstakes competitions have an end-date and a date when the prizewinners will be notified. When you're entering a sweepstakes take note of both of these dates. The first date is the final time in which entries are allowed while the later date is when to expect to learn if you are indeed a winner. When the second date passes, check the website of the sweepstakes or contact the company to learn who the winners of the competition were. If you were the winner, you will need to provide information on where the company can send your prize or tax information for large sums of money. This will not only ensure that you receive a prize if you are chosen, but also make sure the sweepstakes did indeed award a prize.
