Webupon

The great economic slowdown of 2009, which some people have labeled as a recession, marks the beginning of The Golden Age of Online Contests as never before have so many great opportunities flooded the internet. There are so many contests on the web today they actually compete with each other in their generosity, as to shout and attract attention in the crowded marketplace. And the internet is so accessible today, that some unemployed or under employed Canadians have now become professional contest participants.

The downturn in the North American economy and the fear mongering that has occurred in both American and Canadian television news media has pushed a record number of consumers online, and now several coupon websites have huge followings of freelance moms and frugal shoppers. But coupons and contests are two different things, and in many ways, one is the direct evolution of the other. Over time and regular use of the Internet, many coupon clippers are transformed into ‘semi- professional web contesters’ because of the opportunities they witness here, but it takes dedication and a very special passion to turn professional and do nothing but enter web contests all day long… Could you do that?

Becoming a Professional Web Contest Participant

You really can make a living do this online today. The practice can offer terrific returns, especially if you take it seriously. The novice must learn to measure his or her own strengths to determine what type of contests work best for them. Veterans have the ability to study a list of offerings and spot the ‘easy marks’; they have enough experience and they understand the arena so well, they can accurately gauge the odds, and quickly identify and ignore a hopeless cause to focus on stronger prospects. But you, the rookie, you must study and learn these are things.

Here Are Some Tips on How to Win Contests in Canada

Learn these basics, and you will prosper in The Golden Age of Online Contests. Most professional web contest participants are hooked on winning free stuff, and you will be too.

1. Ritualize the process of rapidly finding and entering contests

Build a separate a toolbar on your browser with the proper buttons and arrange them in order of a morning or evening ritual. I start work every morning on a contest index, and that’s how I locate contests that are specific to Canada. I like this site because the offerings are divided into regions (provinces) and also by prizes. No other site divides up the potential in this fashion. The categories include Automobiles, Cash Prizes, Electronics, Home Prizes, Travel Contests, Photo Contests, Game & Toys, Prize Packs, Sport Contests, New Contests, and Regular Contests.

2. Enter contests based on skill, or part skill

Imposing skill requirements often eliminates much of the competition. Focus on the hard stuff. The harder the challenge the better. Whether it’s a cooking contest, or creative writing or Twitter poetry, or a geography quiz, or photo or video submission, the task will scare off 75% of the non professionals.

When competing in contests that involve talent or creativity, professionals will edit and re-edit their potential submissions after they obtain a second opinion. The most dedicated participants will do the work six or ten times and then only submit their very best material, the one they know is a winner.

3. Avoid big and spectacular insured prizing

Things like $1,000,000 sweepstakes, dream homes and new Lamborghini sports cars are contests that are guaranteed, and the company pays an insurance premium against the possibility of someone winning. Yes it is possible to win, but honestly, Slumdog Millionaire had better odds. It’s far more likely the contest will end without anyone winning, and so the risk to the host company is amortized in the fee and this breeds terrible odds. Besides that, the only sponsors capable of offering such big prizes are American sponsors because of the size of their market. So a Canadian entrant in a contest open to both USA and Canada faces slimmer odds of winning simply because there are 330 million more potential participants in that contest as opposed to 30 million for a Canada wide contest.

4. Read carefully the rules of the contests you enter

It is worth a couple of minutes to ensure that your entry is not disqualified and it will also enable you to view the odds of winning, where applicable. Look for contests that are restricted to certain geographical regions or age groups so the odds favors you.

Do not enter twice with two different email addresses if the rules specify one entry only. You must obey because your IP address and time stamps are recorded, and multiple entries will only disqualify you. And do not enter your children or your dog, because most Internet contests are reserved for human beings of age of majority in the province in which they reside. For one your dog won’t be able to answer the mandatory skill testing question that Canadian law imposes. Also its worth remembering that in Canada the laws concerning children and privacy over the internet strictly prohibit any contests targeting kids under the age of 13. So entering a contest in your child’s name really is a waste of time as they cannot possibly win.

5. Enter contests that offer multiple prizes to further increase your chance of winning

Look for contests that are organized by young marketing companies and especially small town interactive companies. Many of these firms have no experience hosting or advertising contests. A well trained eye can spot the differences; things like poorly written descriptions and poor distribution of indexes can spell opportunity for professional contesters. The prize is infinitely more winnable if the contest managers are inept at advertising their offering.

6. Make online contests easier to enter by using a “form filler” such as RoboForm

There are a few different systems, but RoboForm lets users rapidly enter repetitive data (name, e-mail, address and phone number) with a click of the mouse. The easier a contest is to enter, the more likely you will submit entries regularly and increase your odds of winning.

7. Study time delays and daily entry schedules

When aiming to win contests online, it may be beneficial to enter at different times of the day. Veterans give some credence to the practice of entering contests both on the first, and the last day. Others are content with daily entries. Contest managers on the inside know that interactive programs run on chronologically programmed servers, and these machines keep quotas according to set times of operation. Variety can increase odds in computer generated selection programs.

8. Use a disposable email address

Most professionals have several accounts and use gmail or hotmail to enter contests online. This leverages the superior spam filters offered on these services, and prevents more spam from reaching your priority email account. Remember that most contests require users to remain an active member at their conclusion. So if you funnel all their newsletters directly into your spam folder you will automatically be erased from their database. Since they often have no other way to reach you than your email address, you won’t receive the winning notification.

Are you interested in becoming a professional contest participant?