It's been a few days since I added tips on entering contests. My mind flits from this to that so I gave it a rest for a period of time. One thing you need to do is to make sure you get your notifications if you win a prize. Sponsors use various ways of contacting you and you certainly want to be sure that you can be reached. One way is by postal mail. If you gave the correct address, you won't have to worry about not getting this notification. Another way you could be contacted by a sponsor if you win one of their contests is by phone notification. Answer the phone no matter if you don't recognize the number because it could be that winning notification giving you a reason to keep entering contests.
Another way some sponsors notify the winner of their contests is through their website or their newsletter. This is my least favorite way to be notified and I generally don't enter the contests that have this type of notification. I don't have time to keep checking their website and I certainly don't have time to open every newsletter that I get. I suppose the best way to be notified that you've won one of the many contests you've entered is to get that surprise delivery. I've read numerous comments in our Winner's Circle about members getting prizes they didn't even know they had won.
My favorite type of notification is an instant win one. I really don't have a lot of patience so I'd rather not wait six months until a contest is over to find out who won. Those instant win contests just pop up right on the screen. I'll never forget the first instant win that I won. I had looked away from the computer only to look back and see that I had won a twenty-five dollar gift card! I was hooked on instant win contests from that moment on. The point in all of these tips are to make sure when you enter contests that you know how you will be notified.