Good advice is evergreen.
My #1 entry tip is: Always read the rules. I made that my #1 tip because it’s what people do the least, and it’s what could hurt your hobby the most (disqualifying yourself, wasting your time, not entering properly, etc.)
However, my #1 tip should be: Setup an email address just for entering sweepstakes, because it’s the first thing a new contestor should do to save them time and trouble over the course of their hobby.
I figured this one out the hard way by using my business email address when I started. (I owned the company so I wouldn’t get into any trouble with the boss!) I soon realized it was a mistake when my inbox was filled with newsletters, notifications, etc., and I was missing important work emails. That’s when I set up a Yahoo account. (You can use Gmail or any other service you prefer.)
TIP: I prefer to use a virtual email address as it’s easy to access from anywhere, on any device.
Do you have a separate address just for entering?
I do have a separate one. I still would like to hire somebody to sort through them though! At one point today, I had 800 emails!
I’m a rebel, I guess – I do not have a separate email account. I don’t really understand how people can end up with 800 emails? I subscribe to many, but not all, sponsors emails, and I regularly do ‘housecleaning’ and unsubscribe if I don’t find the emails beneficial. If I got that many emails I’d be overwhelmed & feel I couldn’t keep up with my hobby – some days I’m on the edge, anyways LOL!
I tried a separate email, but it didn’t connect to my social accounts. So I went back to just one email that connects with everything. I am very disciplined on checking email on a regular basis throughput the day.
I found it easier to just use one email address and that is my main email address. This way I do not miss anything and I clean it out everyday.
If something is not important, I put it in spam or unsubscribe. As said above too. A separate account did not go to my social media accounts.
I have 4 email addresses but only one for competitions. My competition address is the one that gets the most spam. Usually from Nigerian type emails!