6 Steps on How to Start a Review & Giveaway Blog!
I have been working as a giveaway blogger now for just shy of two years! I thought I would share my tips and tricks for starting a giveaway blog. If you have ever wondered HOW do you start or WHAT is involved read on! If you are already a giveaway blogger, check out my tips as well as there may be something that can help you take your blog to another level! So, let’s get started:
How to Start a Review & Giveaway Blog!
- A niche and a name! First, think of your favorite things, hobbies, characteristics, and what might make you unique or have a special ability to be able to share with your future readers in a way that would be interesting to them.
Do you love to craft, eat only vegan foods, passionate about teddy bears? I mean really, what is it that makes you, well, YOU! Having a niche will help followers find you that are interested in your topic and can really relate.
Your title of your blog will become what your readers know “you” by and will also be your first impression to visitors so try to come up with something that fits what you plan to write about and also gives a bit to represent your uniqueness to the title.
- Post regularly! Use your niche for inspiration on topics you know your readers will be interested in. Share your recipes, crafts, reading list, tutorials, or whatever fits your topic!
Figure out a pace that will be easy to keep up and not overly demanding and stick with it. Whether that is once a week or once a day won’t matter too much as long as you keep with it.
If you post a couple times a day for a week and then don’t post again for another month your readers won’t be able to predict your posting frequency and when to check back.
- Build friendships! Get to know several other bloggers from your niche and build friendships. These other bloggers will be able to help inspire content, share your posts, direct you to representatives that can be helpful, and give general blogging advice as you build your blog and brand!
- Pitch companies that you already own and love! When you have a few posts under your belt and a small following, start emailing companies of products that you already own, love, and rave about to all your personal friends and family members!
Offer to post a review of the product you own for free and ask if they would be willing to offer a giveaway prize to draw traffic to the review. This will give you the chance to build a bit of a “portfolio” to show how your reviews look, feel and the response received as you work your way up the pitching ladder to higher product values and established brands.
- Join Blogging Networks! These networks can be a great source of support, friendship, review opportunities and sometimes even paid opportunities! There are a lot of blogging networks out there some which have a fee and others which are free. You don’t have to pay money for most of the quality groups that will give you a great feet first start in the giveaway blogging world. You can see the blog networks I am a part of here: https://www.amomstake.com/blognetworks/
- Link Up and Share! Finally, once you have some content, some reviews, and maybe even a giveaway or two, be sure to get talking about your website! Share your blog on social media outlets including facebook, twitter, instagam, and others. When you do run a giveaway, link up your giveaway through blog hosted giveaway linkies, and major giveaway link sites including online-sweepstakes.com and sweeps advantage.
I hope these starting tips have helped and I thrilled for you as your start your blogging journey! It is often a lot of hard work but can also be really fun and rewarding as well! Have questions about starting a giveaway blog? Please leave your questions in the comments of this post so I can answer your questions in an upcoming post!
I keep wanting to do a blog, and even signed on to WordPress to start one, but I really can’t seem to find the time/energy to keep it up. I guess I’d rather read one than write one.
More blogger blogs please! 馃檪
Answered quite a few of my questions! I just started reading blogs a few weeks ago and my hubby has mentioned to me that I should start blogging and do things like this, never knew where to start or even if anyone would be interested, but I guess so !
Great suggestions, Jane! Thanks.
Thank you so much! I have wondered how all this works. I have considered starting a blog. I really appreciate the info.
what is this ranking buisness? and what is alexa? i don’t really get it! Thanks for the help/tips in advance!
Thanks for the tips! One question…
If you offer a giveaway on your blog, is it a good idea or is it bad etiquette to mention it in the “Comments” section on other people’s blogs?
@4ba953e024d540022231a9641d392b1e:disqus聽 – In general, it is considered bad etiquette. Some blogs have a tool installed that lets you pull one of your last 5 posts and included it below your comment, I’m thinking it’s called CommetLuv. If you’re looking for traffic for your giveaways, some great places to link up is online-sweepstakes and cashnetsweeps
Great advice but I am so lost in the world of twitter, google ++. 聽Any advice there?
@fa7e89e2065c1b892d8f779240b3ec23:disqus聽 – Even though I’ve been blogging for just shy of 2 years, I still don’t get all the social media ropes! This is a great topic to cover though, I’ll work towards a post. 馃檪
I really want to start having giveaways in my blog so these are helpful tips.
What helpful tips. Thanks much!
Thank you for this very helpful article! I am new to the giveaway blogging, and I appreciate your tips.聽
I started a review/giveaway blog in Nov. 2010. I was all gung-ho and was having fun. My husband saw that I was enjoying something in life and set out to take the wind out of my sails. The short story…he succeeded.聽
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聽@google-19ce64dcd009038666ab4fa89c2b93d8:disqus — Boo!! I hope it can be something you can get back into and love doing if you’d like to.
I am also in the process of starting my own blog. I am really at the beginning. Thank you for the information.
What platform is best? I had a blog on Blogger, which was easy to use but I know it can be unstable.
聽@bcbc14729b3609659834c0b529a937c0:disqus if you are serious about blogging and it’s something you hope to do to earn an income, it is best to start with a self-hosted wordpress.org blog from day one. Then, you will never risk losing your PR ranking, one of the biggest indicators for income in sponsored posts. Hosting isn’t extremely expensive, about $50/month for hosting and another $10 for your domain name. $60 invested up front will be worth it if you are serious about blogging. Even if you go with blogger — Definitely purchase your domain name from day 1!
Thanks for writing this! I’m in the process of starting my own blog so these tips are definitely helpful!聽
So exciting!!! Congrats and good luck! I’d love to see a link to stop by and visit your site!
Thanks for this, I found it very interesting.聽 I’ve toyed with the idea of doing this for sometime, maybe this will be the year.
Great tips, Janel! Thanks for sharing them.
These are great tips for bloggers, even if not a giveaway blog! I think the best advice is writing what you know.