If sweepstakes law had Ten Commandments, the first would be “thou shall not require anyone to make a purchase in order to enter a sweepstakes.” Doing so could violate the gambling laws in virtually every state in the country. READ MORE

When someone wins a trip in a sweepstakes or contest, they usually expect that the prize will be for two people so they can bring a travel companion along on their journey. If your promotion requires winners to fly solo, you need to make that very clear in the rules and any accompanying advertisements or other promotions. READ MORE

“Win a trip to Tahiti.” “Travel to a NASCAR Race.” “You May Win a Fishing Trip to Canada.” “Win a Trip to Outer Space on the Virgin Galactic.” All of these titles are guaranteed to attract attention, particularly that last option, which could send your contest entrants over the moon with excitement. READ MORE

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a picture of your customers using your product may be worth thousands of new buyers. In the past, photo contests usually cropped up as “cutest baby” or “best picture of the year” competitions. READ MORE

How much does the type of prize affect the popularity of a sweepstakes? I believe it can make a huge difference, even if the alternative prizes have the same value. READ MORE