When I started this blog all I wanted was a venue to write. I didn’t blog to be a contest blogger hosting one contest after another just to keep readers or gain more readers.
I blogged because being a full-time mom with no usual work people or office politics and problems to deal with can be really boring. I have too many thoughts in my head that needed to be expressed. I am itching to share things I find interesting. I need a place to call my own. Where I am the Queen and nobody else dictates what to do or what to write.
Having the need to be with my daughter more than anyone else as most of you knows, or I guess those who really read my blog and follow my social media accounts know, my daughter has autism and I’m hands on in taking care of her/ pick her up from school, to her therapy doctor, etc. and even bring her to events I attend if possible. Being a single mom is not a joke, what more being a mom of child with autism. what more if I am not getting a single cent from the sperm donor. Hah! And I heard he press releases he gave financial support.
My blog is my happy place where I am still me and not just a mom.
Anyway, this isn’t about me and my life but I just wanna say that to those serial contest joiners who just just follow and like blogs and bloggers and their social media account for their contest and then after that if they didn’t win un-follow their accounts and find another blogger/blog contest to join/follow and if they don’t win the same thing happens.
Years back when I started my blog contest all I wanted was to thank my readers for following and reading my blog. I was not expecting to get a huge number of readers. So I was giving back love for the support. Most of the prizes from that giveaway are items I own.
Then after that I held series and series of contest some are even sponsored by brands/companies.
That was the time I discovered a lot of serial contest joiners who gave different names and email accounts and then later on find out that it was the same person winning over and over again.
For a blogger like me who hold contest what we wanted was to spread the love and not just to a limited number of people. So we feel offended sometimes when we see the winners are the same person. That is when I started holding contest with at least a reprimand of previous winners to not be able to join after 6 months of winning a previous contest so as to give the others a chance to win.
Then there is this dilemma of having contest sponsored by brands/companies, as some other brand can be really slow in sending the winners prizes. To the point that the winner will be very pesky in asking the blogger when are we sending their prize and ask very intimidating questions as if we are trying to keep their prizes for ourselves. As if! These contest joiners didn’t know that we already have what we are giving away that’s why were giving it away. We are not that selfish or hmmmm “patay gutom” to keep the prize were giving away we have a lot of it and were getting a lot more than what were giving away.
Anyway these serial contest joiners don’t also know how busy bloggers can be jugging their time with other things than just blog or attend events. So sometimes the delay. Especially if the blogger don’t have yaya’s, personal assistants or katulong to boss around. Most of the serial contest joiners I assume would have nothing else to look forward to but join contest and hope to win. They hate losing I think.
They don’t know bloggers like me who hold contest in our blogs know who are the serial contest joiners. We were even tempted to make a list out of you so we could ban you from joining or at least not make you win until everyone else wins first. Hah. But we didn’t.
To contest joiners I know how excited you are in getting your prizes. But please cut us some slack. Your prizes are yours no doubt. We don’t want it that’s why we are giving it away.
With that said, I am very much turned-off at holding contest in my blog anymore. Even if it is a sponsored one.
Each time a brand or I in person gets delayed in sending a prize for the winner. The winner gets very incriminating like I was hoarding his/her prize and have no desire of giving it away.
I’m sorry, I am way too blessed with so many things to be selfish like that. Your prize is yours. Enjoy it.
If it get’s delayed I’m sure there are valid reasons and well you have all the time to join and wait for the winners announcement and join other contest not to give some time in getting your prizes.
And when they get their prizes they don’t even have the time to tell you they got it. But since they no longer pester you about their prize every effing day means they got it. Right.
Anyway, just need to air this out again. As all the winners from the contest I held this September are very pesky about their prizes. But I think they all got their prizes they just too eager/excited to get it in a blink of an eye. Like you have nothing else to do.
For bloggers: If you experienced the same it is time to air your side.
For contest joiners: You can do the same too.
As Shrek said: Better out than in!
Stay gorgeous everyone!
23 Comments
For me, the reason I became a contest joiner is because I am a SAHM. May small time akong online job para lang may extra money kami ng kids ko. Last year ko lng nalaman na may mga Facebook, Twitter, Blog contests pati Instagram meron na rin. Pag may gusto akong prize, talagang ineffort-an ko un mga daily task. Hindi man ako kasing swerte ng iba, lalo na pagdating sa mga creative entry or liking contests. Meron talagang hakot kung hakot kapag nanalo.. karamihan sa mga kilala kong regular contest joiners is SAHM or kaya may computer shop.. iba iba ang dahilan nila kaya sumasali sila un iba un mga napapanalunan is nagagamit para sa kamag-anak na may sakit or para makapagprovide sa pamilya kahit papaano.. pero meron din naman kasing pro dahil cheater, gumagamit ng auto liker or dummy accounts kaya talagang piling pili na rin ung mga nasasalihan ko kasi masakit talaga sa loob un makikita mo sumasali either un mga swerte or masisipag na contest joiners o mga magkakamag anak naman tapos sunod sunod un apelyido sa comment section ndi man lng nahiya ng konti. tsk tsk.
Sa mga bloggers naman, once na confirm naman na ako un nanalo.. naghihintay na lang ako. kapag 3weeks or 1 month mahigit saka na lang ako humihingi ng update. I try to be nice as I can kasi alam kong hindi to full time job ng mga bloggers at meron din naman silang sarili nilang mga buhay.
Sana lang talaga maging responsible and honest contest joiners lahat para naman ganahan ang mga sponsors at mga bloggers. Minsan kasi talagang nakakawalang gana na ring sumali ng mga giveaways ngayon.
Ooohhh…I can name them even if I’m dead tired or sleepy like a sloth. LOL! 😀 I’m a contest addict myself. But I play fair. And when I say fair, I don’t “unlike” or “unfollow” if I don’t win the contest. I also read, and as much as possible, post a comment on the blogger’s post. It’s really frustrating that 90 out of 100 of the contest that I join in, eh sila ang nananalo. My hubby knows that kasi nagra-rant ako palagi sa kanya. 🙁 Whenever I see an FB Status from a blogger saying that the winner of their giveaway was already posted in their blog, I would just say “Alam na. Sila na naman.” 🙁
Hi Earth, I totally agree!
Okay lang naman sumali ng sumali kaso sana naman wag abusado at mapagkunwari. :/
I understand what you mean I also know that some readers who really want to join contest get dismayed when they see the serial contest joiner won or if they so them joined a contest they wanted to join.