How to Host an Awesome Giveaway on Your Fashion Blog

Original image by Roberto Trm

Don't you hate it when you click on someone's giveaway link and the contest sucks? Or they ask you for too much information? Or the product doesn't make any sense with the blog content? I know I do.

Here are some steps in simplifying your blog giveaway and getting more people to enter:

1. GIVE AWAY A PRODUCT WITH HIGH VALUE.

People don't want to come to your blog and enter 5 pieces of information on 5 different websites for a bracelet worth 10 bucks. 

Here's a perfect example: I hosted a giveaway on another blog that had 2 products under 8$. It was a stationary item and a nail file. Doesn't make much sense on a fashion blog does it? Nobody entered. Two weeks later I hosted a Topshop giveaway for a leather backpack worth $50-60. Approximately 10-15 people entered.

2. ADVERTISE PROPERLY.

Don't advertise your fashion giveaway on different lifestyle blogs being hopeful people will want to enter anyways. People MIGHT, but usually it's a waste of your promotion time. 

Promote to your fellow Heartifb.com friends (not crazily, just with a sweet message), promote on http://www.freegrechen.com/submit-a-giveaway/, promote on fashion blogs you follow and social media sites linked to your blog. A big tip that I discovered is to create a great photo of the product with the words "FREE GIVEAWAY" and share the photo on Pinterest making sure it links back to your blog. In my Topshop giveaway, it worked very well. People shared the photo and it translated into traffic and more people entering.

See example below (created using Serif Drawplus):

3. MAKE IT SIMPLE TO ENTER BY USING ONLINE TOOLS.

Don't make people jump through hoops to enter your contest. People don't have time for that. Some sites simplify the process for you, making it easier to navigate for your users, check out: http://www.rafflecopter.com/ and https://www.punchtab.com/giveaway-page. \

4. BECOME AN AMBASSADOR FOR GUMBALL.

Gumball approached me and said they'd love if I signed up as a co-host for their giveaways. I checked it out and discovered it was a great way to promote my blog and givea away high value merchandise to my readers. Although your reader's won't have as high of a chance to win, the products are awesome. Apply here to become an ambassador: http://www.getgumball.com/fashion/22-Fashion-blogger-#.UXbJ7LXyL4c or email Kelly@getgumball.com.

To close off, just remember that blog giveaways should not just be about increasing traffic. Giveaways are a great way to give back to your readers and show them you appreciate them.

-Tara

How To Create an Outfit Post if You Don't Know How to Use Photoshop

If you're interesting in doing an outfit post but you don't have any experience with Photoshop or Illustrator there is a really great program you can use and it's free to download.

It's called Serif DrawPlus (the starter version). I'm going to walk you through the very basics of using this program to create outfit posts. Once you learn the basics, you will have the knowledge to use Illustrator as these programs are very similar.

STEP 1: Download Serif Drawplus at http://www.serif.com/free-graphic-design-software/

STEP 2: Once the program is downloaded, find the picture you want to use. Bookmark the page to use when you are ready. (Be mindful of copyright).

STEP 3: Open Serif DrawPlus and start new drawing. Select portrait. Select snapping and make sure pixels are displayed. Make a rectangle to suit your blog post width settings (usually 400px-500px width works).

Step 4: Create a title. Copy and paste the image into the picture.

STEP 5: Crop your image using the pen tool. Enlarge image and zoom in very close to get a good trace. The closer you zoom and the shorter the distance between the dots, the better your trace will be. You may have to practice with this pen tool for quite a bit before you get the hang of it. When you want to create curves you must click and keep your finger down on the mouse and drag before clicking again to make another dot. (PLEASE VISIT THIS LINK TO SEE A TUTORIAL ON TRACING USING THE PEN TOOL).

Once the image is fully traced via the crop tool, use the black arrow tool and select the trace. Do not move it's position. Then put your finger on the SHIFT button and make sure you select the original image. Once both are selected at the same time, right click and choose "crop" then select "crop to top image".

STEP 6: Keep pasting images and cropping as needed (or, use images with white backgrounds so you don't always have to crop them). Add text and shapes if you desire.

EXPORT IMAGE by following these steps:

Using your mouse, create an invisible box around the completed image, selecting the entire rectangle and everything inside. While everything is highlighted, click file->export->export as image. In the next screen, export it as a .png. file. 

STEP 7: Import your final image into blogger. Select 'original size' and make sure you enter information into the properties tags so Google indexes the photo!

Creative derivative work of original image by Eva Rinaldi

STEP 8: Email me if you have any questions!

Question - If you already know how to make an outfit post, which image program are you using? Have you used Serif Drawplus before? Would love to hear your thoughts.

-Tara