When I started sweepstaking in 2001, I never imagined how different this hobby would look today.

Back then, we had radio call-ins (remember frantically dialing when you heard your cue to call?), in-person giveaways at the mall, those trusty mail-in entries, and a handful of basic online sweepstakes that were basically digital versions of paper forms.

Fast-forward to now, and it’s a completely different game.

Mail-ins? Pretty much extinct. Text-to-win became huge for a while. Then social media exploded onto the scene—Facebook led the charge, followed by Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and now everyone’s trying to figure out TikTok contests.

I get it. Change is hard. I’ve received countless emails from longtime sweepers missing the “good old days” and feeling overwhelmed by all these new platforms.

When Reality Hits Hard

A few years back, I got this brutally honest email from a reader named Ran:

“These emails and information really suck. It used to be better way back… Now it is just fluff and blows ass farts!”

Ouch. But I appreciated the honesty.

My response was straightforward: You can unsubscribe if you want, but here’s the thing—most of the detailed sweepstakes info I used to pack into these newsletters now lives on my blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed, and other platforms. This newsletter has evolved into a teaching tool, not a sweepstakes directory.

Ran fired back: “There are a lot of us out there that signed up expecting to get information through email. We DO NOT Facebook, X/Twitter, Blog… or whatever, nor do we want to! Why do all these people/companies think we should?”

Here’s where I had to deliver some tough love.

The Hard Truth About Business

Companies don’t care if you’re not on social media. Harsh? Maybe. True? Absolutely.

They have marketing goals and sales targets. If you’re not where they can reach you, you’re simply not part of their strategy anymore.

Look, I understand wanting things to stay the way they were. Trust me, producing the old-style newsletter was a labor of love. It cost me $300-450 every month and took an entire business day to create. Now I spend over $200 on Mailchimp alone, but I’ve streamlined everything—one main article plus Q&A, with separate emails for events and live streams.

I used to keep a complete archive of The Winning EDGE going back to 2005 on my website. Then one little contest image I included triggered legal fees that made my wallet cry. Now I only keep the previous two years available.

Why Companies Moved to Social Media

Here’s a stat that’ll make your head spin: According to Business Dasher’s 2024 research, Instagram accounts that run giveaways grow 70% faster than those that don’t.

Seventy percent faster growth.

No wonder every brand is hosting Instagram contests these days. It’s not personal—it’s pure business strategy. Social media and mobile platforms give companies way more bang for their marketing buck than traditional methods ever did.

The Bottom Line

If you choose not to participate on social platforms, that’s absolutely your right. But you need to understand what that choice means—you’ll miss out on the majority of new sweepstakes opportunities.

The hobby will keep evolving whether we like it or not. I’ve moved my Helene Hadsell teachings to Words For Winning, I’ve written about how Windows 11 and ChatGPT affect contesting, and I’ll keep adapting as new changes come.

The Winning EDGE will always reflect where the hobby is heading, not where it’s been.

Here’s my advice: You can either evolve with the sweepstakes world or watch it pass you by. The choice is yours, but the winners will be the ones who adapt.

Thanks for sticking with me through all these changes. I’m here to help you win smarter, not harder.

See you in the winner’s circle!