Giveaway 101: Hosting Your Own Facebook Giveaway

Having hosted my first Facebook giveaway in late May, I've recently been contacted by a number of others interested in hosting their own giveaway but unsure of where to begin. So I thought I would take some time to share what I learned both as a recent giveaway host and as a giveaway sponsor. That said, I am not an expert nor a lawyer. Instead, I'm sharing what I learned from my personal experiences. And here's what I learned...

First, read and follow Facebook guidelines. Here's a good breakdown of the guidelines and what you can and cannot do:

bloggingbasics101 on livestream.com.

Basics to Keep in Mind:

• You cannot require participants to "like" a sponsor's page if you are giving away other's items. However, you can "Like-Gate." Like fan-gating, like-gating makes it so that the participant has to "like" the host's Facebook page in order to access the giveaway application or form.


• Use a third party app to host your giveaway on Facebook. There are a number of them available through developers like Wildfire or ShortStack. But the easiest way I found to do it (and free!) was to create an entry form for each prize using Google Forms. It made it easy to keep track of who entered to win each item and easy to use Random.org to select a winner.


• You also cannot post winners via Facebook. You need to notify winners through your blog or through email. It is important to think about how you will notify winners prior to posting your giveaway. You likely will need to ask participants to share their email addresses. Using a Google Form, like I suggested above, insures that participants don't have to publicly share their email.


• Use Bitly to share a link to your giveaway. Bitly not only allows you to shorten your giveaway link, but signing up for a free account also allows you to track who clicked on your link with its built in analytics.


• PROMOTE! Promote to your current Facebook fans before your giveaway begins. Research giveaway sites and blogs. Use other social media sites - blogs, sweepstakes sites, Twitter, Pinterest (my new favorite) - to share your giveaway information. Some great places to share your giveaway are the Blog Giveaway Directory, Etsy Giveaways (great for Etsy shop owners), and this Squidoo list.

I jumped almost 150 fans in 1 week during my giveaway and had a few more sales than usual in my Etsy shop. Not sure if the sales were a result of the giveaway, but I'm sure it didn't hurt.

Good Luck!

Giveaway Time!

Yup, you read that correctly - another giveaway! There are now two opportunities to win gift certificates to Babee Crafts!

Babee Crafts is one of the featured artists in Liliglow Boutique's Summer Giveaway. This giveaway features Liliglow's new Traveler Bag that is sturdy, stylish, and functional for the eclectic fashionista. It has super versatility that makes this bag easy for over-night stays, weekend getaways, a stylish diaper bag, and much more! And packed inside the bag are more fabulous prizes, including a $20 gift certificate to Babee Crafts! The giveaway will run from June 22 - 29, 2011. And there's a coupon code for 15% off anything in my shop for all who enter!

Check out Liliglow's fabulous bag!

Now I must confess that in helping Liliglow get ready for her big giveaway, I couldn't help myself and bought one of her bags. I have her Mini Sweetheart Traveler and LOVE it! It is so well made, so durable, and is the perfect (and pretty) purse/diaper bag. So believe me when I say, you'd be a fool not to enter this giveaway!
Make sure you mark your calendar to enter on Wednesday!

I Need Help, So It's Time For A Contest!

The tagline for my shop - handcrafted sweet things for your little busy bees - is cute, but it doesn't really say a whole lot about my shop. I'd love a tagline that has something to do with my focus on organic and eco-friendly baby and new parent gifts. Something succinct, catchy, and cute.

So here's the deal - come up with my tagline, and you'll win a $15 gift certificate to my shop. Spread the word! I need all the help I can get!

Submit your suggestions below. Contest closes on Friday, July 1st at 5pm. I'll post the winning tagline shortly after the contest closes. And yes, you can enter more than once!

Freebie for Fans!

Not long ago I offered up a free download to my Facebook fans, and following my recent giveaway, I'd love to offer it up again to all my fans, new and old.

I have not one, but two cool subway art printables just for you. Need a quick baby shower gift, card design, or baby shower decoration, please feel free to download the two files below to use for your personal use - Baby Girl Subway Art and Baby Boy Subway Art. These files will be available until June 6, 2011.

These files can easily be printed out on a home printer, or for a higher quality image, uploaded to a commercial printer (like Shutterfly or your local drug store's photo printer). Be sure to set your image size as 8 x 10.

This is free for your personal use. The images are copyrighted and cannot be sold without explicit permission from the me. Thanks to Cupcake Cutiees on MyGrafico for the animal images.




Enjoy!

And The Winners Are...

Thank you to the sponsors and fans who helped make the Great Gift, Good Giveaway a success. I am indebted to the kindness and generosity of a great group of sponsors. I hope that over the course of the last two weeks readers enjoyed learning about all the wonderful talent and great work our sponsors are doing. I know I did. I am humbled by the contributions our sponsors are making each day. If you missed any of my posts about our sponsors, click here to learn more.

Thank you so much to Happy Tree Press, Hooks N' Loops, J.C. Spock, Blinky Muffin, Green Market Girl, Shelby Ryan Boutique, Home with Harvey, Peter's Place, Elisa Ann, Green Eyed Monster, Ideation Station, Paper Pleasers, Lit Knits, Trash N2 Tees, A Joey Named Roo Too, Burgundy Baby, and Sophia Pip!

And so without further ado, here they are - the winners!

• Winner of the Happy Tree Press Autumn Sun Print is ...Brittany Rebello
• Winner of Hooks N' Loops' Washcloth Set is ...Melissa Moss
• Winner of J.C. Spock's Brave Girl Collection is ...Francine Egner
• Winner of a $20 Gift Certificate to Blinky Muffin is ...Jenelle Montilone
• Winner of Green Market Girl's Eco Cuff is ...Linda Meyers-Gabbard
• Winner of Shelby Ryan Boutique's Crocheted Cookie Set is ...Stephanie Galbraith
• Winner of a $20 Gift Certificate to Home with Harvey is ...Heather Smith
• Winner of Peter's Place Awesome Sea Turtle Night Light is ...Paula Brown
• Winner of a $15 Gift Certificate to Elisa Ann is ...Brenda Andrews
• Winner of Green Eyed Monster's Ponder Monster tote is ...April Yedinak
• Winner of Ideation Station's Japanese Oragami Crane Onesie is ...Dani Lee
• Winner of Babee Crafts' Custom Designed Nursing Reminder Bracelet is ...Amy Delong
Winner of a $15 Gift Certificate to Paper Pleasers is ...Darlene Arnold
• Winner of Lit Knits Kate Chopin Tidbit Bowl is ...Melissa Marty
• Winner of Trash N2 Tees Set of 2 Reusable Produce Bags is ...Lisa Sarmiento
• Winner of A Joey Named Roo Too's Crocheted Headband is ...Melissa Marty
• Winner of a 40% off coupon to Burgundy Baby is ...Valerie Sandel-Stayton
• Winner of Sophia Pip's poppy earrings is ...Sandra Christine Lopez

Thanks again to all the wonderful fans who participated! I'm looking forward to passing along more free goodies and discount codes to my fans - old and new - very soon! And here's a special offer for all you fans: sign up on the Babee Crafts' mailing list and you'll receive a coupon code for FREE SHIPPING on all your Babee Craft purchases. You'll receive email newsletters about 8 times a year, chuck full of free printable goodies, coupon codes, new product information, and giveaway details!

Thanks for helping spread the word about all the great work my fellow Etsy artists are doing!

Get to Know: Trash N2 Tees

I aspire to be Jenelle, owner of TrashN2Tees. Not only is her shop filled with awesome upcycled items, but she's doing so much good for the environment! "We all know to recycle our cans, bottles, and plastic bags- but a lot of people don't realize that your unwanted, unworn, outgrown, threadbare and stained clothing can also be recycled! There are companies and recycling facilities that will gladly take your old clothes (and some might even pay you for them!) Some of these items get turned into new clothing while some of them will get turned into playground equipment. No matter what they get turned into though, recycling them into something else is always better than filling up a landfill with more stuff."

TrashN2Tees offers a TrashN2Cash Clothing Recycling Program. "Because some of the items we collect are not always ready for retirement- we openly support and contribute to some of these fabulous organizations Dress For Success, The Goodwill Industries of KY, as well as local shelters."

Inspired by quote from Camus (as a high school English teacher, you know I love this!), Jenelle hopes that she can encourage and inspire others to consume less and recycle more. The French novelist once wrote, "Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.” And this is the basis of TrashN2Tees.

Through her creative work, Jenelle has had the privilege to support Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation as well as the March of Dimes. Recently, she sent bracelets to orphans in Russia in honor of her Facebook fans through Craft Hope. You just have to love such creativity and commitment to helping others and the environment!

You can get to know TrashN2Tees a bit more, too. Find her on...

You can win her Set of 2 Reusable Produce Bags by entering the Great Gift, Good Cause Giveaway! But hurry - it ends today at 5pm EST!

Get to Know: Paper Pleasers

You're gonna love Jessica at Paper Pleasers. Having just opened her Etsy shop a few months ago, Jessica specializes in "cards and crafts for a cause." Not only are her handmade cards adorable, they also do a lot of good. Jessica gives 25% of every sale to Medical Teams International.

Medical Teams International is a nonprofit organization helping people affected by disaster, conflict and poverty around the world. "They operate in over 50 countries with over 2000 volunteers annually. They work with grassroots organizations, local churches and ministries of health and provide support for community health, dental programs, disaster response, emergency medical services, and more."

You can get to know Jessica at Paper Pleasers a bit more, too. Find her on...

Jessica has offered up a $15 Gift Certificate to Paper Pleasers for the Great Gift, Good Cause Giveaway!

Get to Know: Ideation Station

I feel a kindred spirit with Lisa of Ideation Station. Opening an online business was not something she set out to do when she went to college. Instead, her background is in marine science and management, but she's enjoying the opportunity to take some time and engage in her creative side through her Etsy shop. "Let's see if those career tests are on to something when they say I should be a craft artist."

Why such a leap from marine science to baby clothing and accessories? "I am drawn to fabrics for their color, texture, and design. Finding the right combination is like putting a puzzle together (and I do love to win at puzzles). My products reflect my appreciation and awe of the natural world, commitment to detail, aesthetic consideration, and a touch of cute." And it's her appreciation of the natural world that comes through her designs. Her adorable animal appliqués are just too cute to pass up. "Ideation Station inspires me to think creatively everyday and follow through on my ideas no matter how big or small."

And she uses her shop to help those in need. "I currently have select items for sale in which I donate 50% of the profits from the sales to UNICEF to help children affected by the disasters in Japan. In my personal life I donate to WWF, Ocean Conservancy, and other nature and wildlife organizations. I have plans to extend this to my shop as well."

You can get to know Lisa at Ideation Station a bit more, too. Find her on...

You can win her Japanese Oragami Crane Onesie by entering the Great Gift, Good Cause Giveaway!

Get to Know: Green Eyed Monster

I must confess. I'm a Green Eyed Monster addict! I love their blog, their shop (their free goodies and giveaways!), their commitment to environmentally-friendly, sustainably-produced goods.

Ash and Kimmy are the sisters behind Green Eyed Monster totes, an arty little biz bringing you the most unique grocery bags on the block. Each Green Eyed Monster tote is made of 100% post-consumer recycled cotton fabric and recycled plastic bottles by a hip woman-owned company in New Hampshire.

"Given how much we enjoyed connecting with independent artists and designers through Green Eyed Monster, we thought we’d share the monster love and bring these amazingly talented individuals together in one unique, handmade nook of the Interwebs!" And thus began the Green Eyed Monster shop, a collection of environmentally-friendly, independent, handmade artists. And what a collective! Their shop brings together some of my favorite Etsy shops (and a great collection of DIY projects!).

You can get to know the artists at Green Eyed Monster a bit more, too. Find them on...

You can win their Ponder Monster Bag by entering the Great Gift, Good Cause Giveaway!

Get to Know: A Joey Named Roo TOO

Sarah and Rachel McClure are two crafty sisters...literally. Sarah just finished undergrad and her sister Rachel recently received her masters in teaching English (woo hoo!) and is teaching high school sophomores (double woo hoo! I teach sophomores!). And although they live four hours apart from each other, their crafting adventures connect online through their Etsy shops (yes, plural). "It keeps us connected. We see what the other is creating and collaborate across long distances!"

Together they collaborate through two Etsy shops - A Joey Named Roo and A Joey Named Roo TOO. Their first shop, A Joey Named Roo, specializes in handmade, vegan bath and body items. "We make vegan lip balm in tons of flavors, vegan body butter, vegan scrubs, and many other products to care for your skin. We use organic ingredients whenever possible, and none of our bath and body treats contain animal products of any kind." Their second shop, A Joey Name Roo TOO, is full of pretty things, including handcrafted jewelry and knits. "The polymer clay jewelry is made by hand from start to finish; each bead is carefully sculpted then shaped into the finished piece. All creations are made with the utmost care and concern for detail."

Sarah is my fearless leader. No, really, she is. In fact, she was one of the founders and now captain of the Kiva Team on Etsy, a group of Etsy artists that lend through Kiva. And through her shop, A Joey Named Roo Too, Sarah supports the work of Kiva entrepeneurs. "With each sale, we loan out 15% of the cost to Kiva, a microlending site where I loan to individual entrepreneurs around the world so that they can bring money to their families and communities."

You can get to know A Joey Named Roo TOO a bit more, too. Find them on...

You can win their Blue Stretch Crocheted Headband by entering the Great Gift, Good Cause Giveaway!

Get to Know: Elisa Ann

Elisa Ann has a big heart and a generous spirit. I've never met her, but I know she does. How do I know? Because I know two important...wait, three important things about her: She is an artist. She is a social worker. She is a mom.

I've met a number of social workers during my time as a high school teacher. And perhaps I shouldn't be surprised by this, but many of the social workers I know are also artists in someway. Whether they are painters, weekend knitters, or refinish vintage finds, many of my acquaintances in the counseling profession are creative in some way or form. I suppose it makes sense. The way I see it, social workers have tremendous hearts, tremendous hope. They open themselves up every day in an effort to understand what motivates a person, all in an effort to help a wounded soul heal. They listen patiently, watch hopefully, support continuously. That takes an incredible amount of love for one person to want to do that over and over again, an incredibly amount of faith in humanity, and a belief that people can change. It would make sense that someone with that much heart and hope and faith would need to find a way to share themselves as well, a way to be personally creative.

That's Elisa Ann. You can see her heart in her work. Some of her prints are whimsical, hopefully. Her paintings are warm, inviting. You are drawn into her work. And in addition to being beautiful art, they are also giving. Elisa Ann gives a portion of her profits to charity. "I am an artist and a social worker. So it is very important to me that my art gives back in more ways than one. That is why most of my paintings and drawings have a portion of their profits going to charities." She regularly contributes to Project A.L.S., American Forests, UN World Food Programme, LitWorld, Harlem Village Academies, World Vision, and Habitat For Humanity.

You can get to know Elisa Ann Lindstrom a bit more, too. Find her on...

You can win a $15 Gift Certificate to Elisaann.etsy.com by entering the Great Gift, Good Cause Giveaway!