How to Win Competitions Online
Due to the chance nature of online competitions, you may spend lots of money without winning anything.
Use our tips below as a guide to help you win more prizes and not overspend.
Our top 10 tips on winning competitions online
If you want to get into competition entering full-time, you must have a plan. It is no use going in blind and occasionally entering competitions that interest you. If this is your primary tactic, your chances of winning will remain low.
However, winning competitions is more complex than following one train of thought; lots of people use several methods simultaneously to see results.
To help get you started, here are our top 10 tips on how to win online competitions.
1) Enter as many competitions as possible
As mentioned above, occasionally entering a few competitions will yield poor results.
To improve your chance of winning, find competitions and enter them daily. You should enter as many live competitions as you can every day to get the best results (find these on competition listings).
Enter as many as possible without breaking the bank, even if that means buying only one or two tickets for some competitions. If you need to cut down on entering competitions for financial reasons but still want an excellent chance to win, buy less tickets for competitions with prizes that interest you the least.
2) The more tickets you buy, the higher the changes
Although it does mean spending more money, more tickets ultimately mean a higher chance of winning competitions.
If you can afford it, buying the maximum number of tickets for each competition increases your chance of winning more.
However, that may be unrealistic for you, so what is the alternative? Buying fewer tickets does not necessarily mean you should never max out your competition entries; it means allocating more tickets to the prizes you want most.
For example, if there are some outdoor equipment prizes on offer and a brand-new TV, you will likely prefer one over the other. Buy more tickets for the preferred one and less for the other. However, you should buy at least one ticket for each competition (if possible) to keep your chances of winning high.
3) Don’t give up early
One of the most common pitfalls in comping is giving up too early.
A fact of entering competitions is that you will not always win, even in competitions where you max out your entries.
After losing a competition you placed maximum entries on, you may want to give up or take a break. However, you must resist this urge if you still aim to win.
Maintaining a consistent approach is your top priority if you want to be an effective comper, and if you can avoid giving up after a loss, little else will get in the way.
4) Set a reminder to enter competitions
For many of us, saying that we will enter competitions daily is easier said than done. However, it makes the difference between not winning competitions and winning them consistently.
A fantastic way to enter comps daily is to set daily reminders on your phone or computer, depending on your circumstances. If you often work on your laptop, it is more beneficial to set reminders there. Conversely, phone reminders are helpful for those who often go out or use their phone.
Also, setting one reminder a day might not be enough. If you need it, set multiple reminders at different times (morning, midday and evening).
5) Read the rules of the online competitions
A great way to determine how many competitions you can enter is to work out how long it takes to enter each one. You can do this by reading the competition rules (and small print in the terms and conditions).
For example, some competitions take very little time and only require you to select and pay for your tickets.
However, other websites may do things differently. Examples include a competition site wanting you to correctly answer a question to get into the prize draw or performing a task like taking a specific photo.
While these competitions are more time-consuming, fewer people typically enter them, giving you a better chance of winning.
6) Invite friends and family to enter
If you cannot afford to buy too many competition tickets, a top tip is to enlist your friends or family members to enter.
For example, a family of four can get you four times as many tickets for a competition, drastically increasing your chances of winning.
Try this with friends if the prize is a holiday package (for example).
7) Bookmark your favourite sites to check regularly
Setting reminders will only go so far if you enter multiple competitions on numerous sites.
To stay on top of this, bookmark your favourite competition sites to easily access them to check for new competitions.
To make it even easier for yourself, add competition sites as Google shortcuts to remind yourself to check for competitions every time you search.
Additionally, you can opt-in to receive promotional emails from most online competition sites; this is the quickest way to find out about upcoming or live competitions.
8) Enter competitions even if you don’t like the prize (sell the prize)
Although you may prioritise the prizes you want if you cannot afford to allocate many tickets to every competition, you should still consider allocating some tickets to prizes you don’t like.
You should do this because you can sell the prize if you win it.
With the money, you could put it towards more tickets or buy a new item.
In some circumstances, you may get more money than the prize is worth if you sell it on a website with a bidding system (like eBay).
9) Check if you’re a winner
If you enter a larger number of competitions within a month (for example), check the deadlines for those competitions to see if you win.
Every competition on Competition Fox has a live stream draw, so you can see if you won the prize as soon as the deadline hits. We use a random number generator or automatic selector to determine the winner. Even if you lose, you still have a fair chance of winning other competitions you enter.
You may miss the live stream if you’re busy, so check the competition page to see if you are the winner. If you win a Competition Fox prize, we will email or text (or call) you within 24 hours to give you the good news.
10) Check the deadline to claim your prize
Before receiving the prize, competitions require you to claim it. Remembering to do this is essential to receive the prize.
First, you must ensure that your email address and phone number on the site are still current. If you do not do this, the site will have no way to tell you to claim the prize.
After Competition Fox contacts you to tell you to claim the prize, you have 28 days to do so, or we can offer up the prize in a new competition.
28 days is more than enough time to claim the prize, and as of yet, every winner has claimed their prize on Competition Fox.
Also, remember that you cannot get someone to claim the prize on your behalf.
You can be the next Competition Fox winner
With this knowledge, you could be the next Competition Fox winner.
Remember that once you win one competition, you must keep it up, so keep the following key points in mind:
- Enter as many competitions and buy as many tickets as you can (even if you don’t like the prize)
- Don’t give up.
- Set reminders and add bookmarks.
- Read the rules.
- Invite family and friends to enter.
- Check if you won and claim your prize.
FAQs about winning competitions online
Can you make a living entering online competitions?
You can earn a decent living from comping.
However, you must enter a massive number of competitions and commit several hours a day to get close to making a living from it.
However, do not rely on comping to earn a living, as it relies heavily on luck.
What are the odds of winning an online competition?
If you enter a competition for the first time, your odds of winning will be low.
However, your odds will improve dramatically if you commit to comping and enter lots of competitions. It could be the difference between 1000 to 1 and 100 to 1.