First of all, a big fat THANK YOU for every one that left me a comment, a Facebook message or a tweet wishing me a happy birthday. I had a wonderful weekend — my parents flew in and spoiled me rotten, my basketball team won another game and to wrap it up, my boss took the whole office out for birthday frozen yogurt on Monday!
It was a memorable 32nd, and I know it’s going to be a great year.
On to today’s topic: my favorite new tool for running giveaways…RAFFLECOPTER!
I started seeing the Rafflecopter widget pop up on blogs and Facebook pages a few months ago, and when it was time for me to run a giveaway at work, I pleaded for the chance to try it ourselves. We did, and two giveaways later, I couldn’t be more happy.
What makes Rafflecopter awesome:
- Super easy to use — you pick everything from the title of the giveaway to the options for entry, etc.
- Totally legit with Facebook’s rules because it’s a third party app.
- You can make all options mandatory — or none of them! So you can require a blog post comment for one entry, and offer additional but optional bonus entries, and they’re all included on the same widget. That means that your readers aren’t jumping through a ton of hoops — they can like, follow, etc., right from the same little box.
- You can assign various points to entries, so if you really want someone to follow you on Twitter, that entry can count for ten times as many entries as something else.
- It’s FREE.
- If you make changes to the widget after creating it — say, leaving it open for longer or adding an entry option — there’s no need to update the widget code. It’s automatic!
- Incredibly easy to drop into a Facebook tab/app.
I’m sure there are lots of questions that you have, so I’m sending you to their FAQ page.
But in the meantime, I wanted to let you try it out yourself…so, I have a giveaway! Using the widget below, choose your preferred mode of entry or entries, and I’ll pick one winner to receive a gift pack including some Aquaphor Healing Ointment and Aquaphor Lip Repair PLUS a $50 gift card! Aquaphor generously sent me a few samples, and I was very impressed. So I’m paying it forward.
*Note: thanks to some early commenters, it’s clear that you can’t comment directly through the widget…but if you leave a comment, come back to the widget and click “enter” on that entry and it will count! Thanks for the help.
About Katy
Strangly, I can’t edit the blog “comment” from the app box when using my iPad. Cool little app though.
My favorite frozen yogurt topping is gummy bears. So good!
Sprinkles are always the best topping!
I’ve seen this little thing popping up on giveaways and think it is SO cool. Haven’t had the chance to use it yet, though.
I wish that when you make it so the person has to answer a question, it would post those answers (on facebook) if that makes any sense. I tweeted them and asked about it and they said it wasn’t a feature.
Same as Aliz, I couldn’t edit the comment from the widget, but I’m writing one here! My favorite fro yo toppings are both good and bad for me: strawberries, kiwi, graham cracker crumbles, brownie bites and little cheesecake bites. Did I mention my fro yo bowls usually turn into complete meals? lol.
Is it bad that I don’t eat frozen yogurt? I’m still an ice cream girl
I’m an oreo crumbles kind of gal
I could not add my comment from the widget but I can see using it and really like it. Thank you for sharing this.
As to yogurt it is my favorite thing and I am so traditional I like banana and strawberries in it
Pretzels, peanuts and oreos on peanut butter yogurt!
Fro Yo…mmm, I could go for some of that right about now. Yes, at 9am.
I’m not a huge toppings girl. I like it plain and simple!
Love Rafflecopter! Used it to enter tons of contests on http://carriewithchildren.com.
It said I left a comment, even though I didn’t…but, I like the name Rafflecopter and my favorite fro-yo topping is Oreos!
My favorite toppings are gummy bears and chocolate chips!
Oh this widget seems pretty cool! Thanks for sharing!
My favorite yogurt topping is rainbow sprinkles!!
Strawberries, bananas and reeses are awesome! I’ve seen others use this widget and I love it!
I think I’ve seen this widget before, a long time ago, and while it’s a neat idea, I don’t like having to comment something first before seeing all of its options.
Like that! I clicked on what I thought was the “did it” button, only to find out it prompted me with the question after I clicked on it. I had wondered why everyone was talking about ice cream toppings. Score -1 for Amber, lol.
Oh and peanut butter cups!
What a great idea for a birthday treat!
Time for my yogurt now ….. I will have some blueberries + strawberries on mine. A few times I tried peanut butter! Not bad at all.
Glad you had a wonderful birthday Katy!
Neat application! Unfortunately I don’t have any giveaways yet :/. My favorite topping is gummy bears!
Crushed Oreos is my favorite frozen yogurt topping.
peanut butter chips! followed closely by yogurt chips!
Hmm this seems like a very useful giveaway tool. I don’t do many giveaways but maybe it will be useful in the future!
I looooooooooooove fruity pebbles on my fro-yo!
I’ve noticed the plugin popping up and love it as a commenter – oddly enough just now it didn’t let me “edit” my comment even though it “submitted.” Otherwise it’s easy to use, clear & straightforward.
Favorite topping: when I’m indulging – brownie bites! (usually go for more fro-yo than toppings)
toppings on froyo? gotta go with strawberries, some chocolate syrup, some graham cracker crumbs, maybe some marshmallow topping?
Thank you so much for all of your helpful information! I just wish I could lay my head on the keyboard and melt all of your knowledge into my brain!
my favorite fro-yo topping is definitely fresh fruit!
Crushed Heath bar, sprinkles, caramel, and whipped cream!
Caramel
I don’t know If I like Rafflecopter. It is neat. But some blogs that have giveaways, wow, now you have to like all these diff pages and fan on faccebook. I like simple entries. If ya keep it simple, great, if ya ask too much, I can’t be bothered. But for what it does it is a good little widget.
Favorite topping is strawberries
oh, my fave yog topping is chocolate and strawberries!!
Lots of Chocolate!!!
I love a combination of sliced fresh strawberries and banana
Fresh strawberries!
Heathbar crunchies and some sort of chocolate in coffee flavored yogurt.
Thanks! Angela
Oh I love me some white chocolate chips
strawberries and roasted almonds….
My favorite toppings on my frozen yogurt are..!!! Marshmallows, flakes and dorayaki bread!!
Delicious!!!
Sounds good!
Favorite topping is peanut butter sauce and any other peanut butter related things.
I love sprinkles! Chocolate or multi-colored but just plain and simple sprinkles! They are just so much fun!
Chocolate chips!
Strawberries!!
cant beat a free 50$
this is cool!
Not much into toppings but I am into good apps! Tell us how it works out for you !
Favorite yogurt topping… Chocolate chips, sprinkles, fudge… Oh n Nuts!
Favorite topping? M&M’s
I love strawberries and mochi! I work at Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt here in Texas and that’s what I always get with Taro yogurt!
Katy you find the coolest stuff (and I have a hair pic for you – and it’s inspiration picture, they do NOT look the same)
Oreo cookies!
very excited.about this giveaway hoping i can win!
I always add granola to any type of yogurt.frozen or non frozen all taste good with granola.
Very cool widget!
fave topping: mochi!! imnotarunner@gmail.com
My favorite frozen yogurt topping is Chocolate