Running a Facebook contest or giveaway is a great way to promote your Facebook business page and possibly garner more Likes for your page. However, I’ve seen enough businesses and bloggers running Facebook promotions incorrectly, that I thought it may be time to discuss how to run one the right way. What I’ve found is that many times, these businesses and bloggers don’t know that Facebook has specific guidelines regarding how you can (and can’t) administer giveaways and contests.

Understanding the Facebook Promotions Guidelines

For the most part, the guidelines are pretty self-explanatory, but there are a few parts that can be confusing. The result is that even if you think you understand the guidelines, you may not. To help clarify the guidelines and ensure your Facebook promotions are on the up-and-up, I’m going to go through the rules line by line and explain what you need to know. If you’d like to bookmark the Facebook Promotions Guidelines, you can do so at http://fb.com/promotions_guidelines.php.

1. Promotions on Facebook must be administered within Apps on Facebook.com, either on a Canvas Page or an app on a Page Tab.

What it means: You can’t run a giveaway or contest on your Wall. You must use a third-party application to build and administer your promotion. Not sure where to start? Check out Shortstack or Wildfire. Or, if you’re comfortable with iFrames, you can build your own app.

2. Promotions on Facebook must include the following:
a. A complete release of Facebook by each entrant or participant.
b. Acknowledgment that the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
c. Disclosure that the participant is providing information to [disclose recipient(s) of information] and not to Facebook.

What it means: Facebook wants it to be clear to you and your entrants that they are in no way part of your promotion. If you use Shortstack to create your promotion, they have some nice verbiage you can include in your giveaway that adheres to this rule.

3. You must not use Facebook features or functionality as a promotion’s registration or entry mechanism.  For example, the act of liking a Page or checking in to a Place cannot automatically register or enter a promotion participant.

What it means: Just because someone Likes your page or uses Facebook Places to check in to your venue, doesn’t mean that you can use their information automatically. You must use the third-party application to provide an entry form. This ensures that the entrant actually wants to enter your promotion. It also means you cannot ask people to Like your page, comment on your Wall, write a status update, or check-in to a Place as an entry to your promotion. These can’t be primary or additional entries. I’ve had some people ask if it’s OK to host a giveaway on their blog and ask people to Like a Facebook page as an additional entry. The logic is that if the giveaway isn’t hosted on Facebook, they should be able to do as they please. Unfortunately, the minute you bring Facebook into the equation, Facebook’s rules apply. It may not be the popular answer, but that’s the answer.

4. You must not condition registration or entry upon the user taking any action using any Facebook features or functionality other than liking a Page, checking in to a Place, or connecting to your app.  For example, you must not condition registration or entry upon the user liking a Wall post, or commenting or uploading a photo on a Wall.

What it means: This is where some people get confused. This rule is referring to the act of Like-gating content. When you create a custom Facebook tab, it’s possible to “hide” specific content from non-fans until they click Like. Upon clicking Like, the new fan can then access the hidden content. For promotions, this means that you can hide your entry form until a user clicks Like. After they click Like, they can then complete the entry form to be part of the promotion. It’s important to note that the initial Like of the page did not enter them into your promotion. They only entered the promotion when they completed your form. Rule #4 is stating that this Like-gating of your promotional content is completely acceptable as long as you don’t make the Like an entry.

5. You must not use Facebook features or functionality, such as the Like button, as a voting mechanism for a promotion.

What it means: If you want to invite people to post images or video or ideas, then have people vote on them, you have to do it via a third-party app (see rule #1). You can’t ask people to Like a comment or status update in order to win a promotion or help decide who will win a promotion. Many of the third-party apps have options for voting promotions and they are fairly easy to implement.

6. You must not notify winners through Facebook, such as through Facebook messages, chat, or posts on profiles or Pages.

What it means: You must notify your winners via private e-mail (not Facebook messsaging) or via your blog or Twitter or however you want, so long as it’s not on Facebook.

7. You may not use Facebook’s name, trademarks, trade names, copyrights, or any other intellectual property in connection with a promotion or mention Facebook in the rules or materials relating to the promotion, except as needed to fulfill your obligations under Section 2.

What it means: Make it clear that this is your promotion and yours alone. Don’t imply that Facebook has anything whatsoever to do with your promotion.

8. Definitions:
a. By “administration” we mean the operation of any element of the promotion, such as collecting entries, conducting a drawing, judging entries, or notifying winners.
b. By “communication” we mean promoting, advertising or referencing a promotion in any way on Facebook, e.g., in ads, on a Page, or in a Wall post.
c. By “contest” or “competition” we mean a promotion that includes a prize of monetary value and a winner determined on the basis of skill (i.e., through judging based on specific criteria).
d. By “sweepstakes” we mean a promotion that includes a prize of monetary value and a winner selected on the basis of chance.

What it means: These definitions are self-explanatory, but it’s important to note them. The first, administration, is particularly important. See how it refers to “collecting entries”? When you host a giveaway on your blog and ask people to Like your Facebook giveaway as an additional entry, you’re essentially collecting entries via Facebook and you can’t do that unless you’re using a third-party app on Facebook.

What Happens If I Don’t Follow the Facebook Promotions Guidelines?

So what happens if you don’t follow the rules? You could lose your page. Think about that. You lose your content (images, video, notes, status updates…everything), your community (how many fans do you have? Are you willing to rebuild that?), and your credibility (trust is what social media is built on). It doesn’t make sense to risk losing your hard-earned Facebook community when it’s so easy to create a promotion that adheres to the Facebook Promotions Guidelines. If you do lose your page, you can head over to My Facebook Page was Disabled and complete that form to try to reinstate your page.

Update with Information Directly from Facebook

As you can see from the comments to this post, there is still some debate about whether I’m interpreting the Facebook Promotions Guidelines correctly. I decided to contact Facebook directly and see if they could help clarify the guidelines. I wrote in part:

“I’ve written a post outlining my own interpretation of the guidelines (http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2011/07/running-a-successful-facebook-giveaway-or-contest/). In a nutshell, my understanding is that you cannot ask people to Like a fan page as an entry into a promotion — not as a main entry, nor as an extra entry. I understand, though, that you can Like-gate your entry form on Facebook via a third-party app (but that Like isn’t an entry, it’s a means to get to the entry form).

I’m receiving questions from those who suggest that a blog or blog application like rafflecopter (http://www.rafflecopter.com/) are basically third-party apps and, because they are asking for Likes via those options (blog or rafflecopter), the Likes are legitimate entries. That’s not how I read the guidelines, but I’d like to be sure rather than give inaccurate advice.”

I received a reply from Trace Przybylowicz, an account manager at Facebook, that said simply:
“Hi Melanie – You are correct….”

There you go. Confirmation from Facebook that this article is interpreting the Facebook Promotions Guidelines correctly. I appreciate the lively discussion and questions. And I appreciate that Facebook was able to respond to my query since I know their entire team must be incredibly busy.

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This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Robin E. who won the book! Thank you, everyone, for entering.

Win a copy of iPad All-In-One for Dummies by Nancy Muir from Blogging Basics 101 on Facebook!

One of the things my friends and I have discussed before buying our iPads was whether we could justify the purchase and hit the ground running with our productivity. With this full-color book you’ll be able to get up and running with your iPad in not time and use it as efficiently as possible. Even if you are pretty familiar with your iPad, I think you’ll likely find some tips and advice in this book.

The All-In-One books are about twice as large as a regular Dummies book and are like having six to eight resource books at your fingertips instead of just one. This particular book includes

• iPad Basics
• Just for Fun
• iPad on the Go
• Getting Productive with iWork
• Using iPad to Get Organized
• Must-Have iPad Aps

I’m trying out something different with this giveaway. I’m not holding here, I’m holding it at the Blogging Basics 101 Facebook page. If you’re already a fan, you’ll go right to the entry form. If you’re not, you’ll be asked to Like the page before you can complete the entry form. To be clear, though, the Like is not an entry and you aren’t automatically entered if you already Like the Blogging Basics 101 Facebook page. So head over to Blogging Basics 101 on Facebook and enter win a copy of iPad All-In-One for Dummies! Good luck!

I didn’t buy this book. Wiley Publishing accidentally sent me two copies of several books for another project I’m working on. Rather than send them back, they agreed to let me give them away to you.

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Congratulations to Sarah B & Shana! I’ve sent you both e-mail and will need you to respond by Tuesday at 10:00am CST or I’ll have to choose another winner.

One of the fun things about attending Blissdom is the quality of swag. Even though I keep very little swag for myself, I love to see what’s in the bag. Attendees this year received $20 to Red Lobster (which I gave to one of my roommates) and some other coupons (which I also gave to my roommates). I brought home my Lands End bag and a water bottle and some Jockey undies (it would have been weird to give those away, I think). And I brought home two necklaces: one from The Vintage Pearl and one from Lisa Leonard. They are extremely nice necklaces, but frankly, I won’t wear them because I don’t wear a lot of jewelry. Rather than keep them in their boxes and let them tarnish, I’d like to pass them to one of you who couldn’t attend Blissdom to be gifted with such amazing swag.

Lisa Leonard Necklace		The Vintage Pearl Necklace

What do you have to do to win one of these amazing necklaces from Blissdom 2011? It’s simple, really.

First, I ask that you only enter if you weren’t able to go to Blissdom. If you were at Blissdom, you already have these beautiful necklaces. I’m trying to spread some love to the gals who couldn’t go. It’s hard to be at home following that Twitter stream, missing out on the action.

There are two ways to enter. You can do one or both, your choice! But you can only do them once. So if you’re entered more than twice, you’ll be disqualified.

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me what type of panel you’d attend when you go to your next blog conference. What would give you goosebumps? Learning how to use your dSLR? Or making your own Facebook fan page? Or upping your SEO game? Or learning how to market yourself on etsy? Tell me! I really want to know.
2. Go over and Like the Blogging Basics 101 Facebook fan page, then leave me a separate comment here telling me you’re a fan. If you’re already a fan, excellent! Thank you! Just leave a separate comment here telling me.

This giveaway is open to US residents, ages 18 and above.

The giveaway starts Thursday, February 3 and ends Friday, February 4 at midnight.

On Saturday morning, I’ll use random.org to choose 2 winners.

I’ll contact the winners and they’ll have three days to respond.

If I don’t hear from them, I’ll choose new winners.

GOOD LUCK!

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Now, on to the winners! Congratulations to

• #24: Lisa@BlessedwithGrace
• #49: Melanie @ Mel, A Dramatic Mommy
• #63: Dawn Farias
• #55: Diana
• #1: Linda

I’ve sent you each an e-mail requesting your contact info so I can pass it along to the publisher (they’ll send you your book). You have three days to get back to me. If I don’t hear from you by noon on April 29 (CST), then I’ll draw a new winner. Congratulations!

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This giveaway is closed.

A few months ago, Pearson Education contacted me to see if I would accept a copy of WordPress In Depth by Bud Smith and Michael McCallister to do a review and a giveaway. I don’t usually have time to do book reviews, but I was interested in how this book presented WordPress to the new user and whether it would be something I can recommend to you. I accepted the copy and agreed to do the giveaway. (Insert happy, “YAY!” from the gallery.)

I’ll be giving away five copies of WordPress In Depth
and the instructions for entry will be at the end of this post. But first let me tell you why you’ll want to win this book.

I really liked that this book tackles both WordPress.com (the hosted version) and WordPress.org (the self-hosted version). Bud and Michael explain the differences between the two options, then proceed to explain how to use both, including links to WordPress resources for beginner questions, set up for askismet spam filter, and frequently asked WordPress questions.

My favorite thing about this book, though, is that, even if you’ve never blogged, you can pick up this book, follow its instructions, and have  working WordPress.com or WordPress.org blog very quickly. If you’re using WordPress.com (hosted), the book walks you through everything from changing your blog settings (e.g., general, privacy, and discussion) — including those settings you won’t find in your dashboard (e.g., rating posts, pages, and comments) to choosing a theme (the book actually lists and describes many themes and why they may fit your needs). If you’re using WordPress.org (self-hosted), the authors walk you through how to choose a server and FTP files, then help you set up your blog with themes and settings. Instructions that could easily confuse a novice are clearly written using easy-to-understand language.

Other topics in the book include:

• choosing and using a custom domain name
• understanding, choosing, and installing plug-ins and widgets
• PHP basics (PHP is the scripting language for WordPress)
• including graphics in your posts
• tracking your stats
• using XML, XHTML, and CSS to build your own theme

In short, this book is useful to beginners and intermediate users of WordPress. That’s quite a feat in my estimation because it’s hard to cover enough information for a beginner and still offer useful tips to those who are already familiar with the software. This book does it, though, and I recommend you either win one of the five copies I’m giving away or go buy a copy for yourself (or a friend who’s using WordPress).

To win a copy of WordPress In Depth, please leave me a comment below telling me why you’d like to win this book. Are you a newbie trying to figure out where to start your blog? Or have you been at this a while and are interested in installing WordPress.org?

You can also tweet about this giveaway. If you do, just leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet. Not sure what to tweet? You can come up with your own Tweet, click on the ReTweet button after this post (it’s down there by the Share and Enjoy links), or cut and paste this into your Twitter stream:

Blogging Basics 101 is giving away 5 copies of WordPress In Depth. Great for beginner & intermediate bloggers! http://bit.ly/cyDYvv

You can find the permalink to your tweet by going to your Twitter profile page (twitter.com/username), finding your tweet, then clicking on the timestamp.

The URL of the resulting page is what you need to leave in the comment.

***Only one tweet per day, please; we don’t want to spam the Twittersphere, we just want them to know the giveaway is here.

I’ll choose a winner on Friday, April 23 using Random.org. Good luck!

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Thank you to everyone who left a comment to enter to win a copy of TypePad for Dummies (and possibly a year of free TypePad)! Here are the random numbers chosen at Random.org:

I will contact each of the winners via e-mail today. Winners must respond within three days or I’ll choose a new winner for that prize.

The winner of the year of TypePad and the TypePad for Dummies book is #22, Sarah at For the Love of Naps! Pack up your Blogger blog, Sarah, because you’re moving to TypePad!

Winners who will receive a copy of TypePad for Dummies:

Comment Number		Winner’s Name
21		Dominique
7		Angie
36		Carol
18		Scottitude
16		Moagie
28		Jennifer
10		Ricardo
30		Steff
6		Headless Mom

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• A basic explanation of blogging technologies, geared toward newbies to get them up to speed. We explain RSS feeds, Rich Text, SEO, and more.
• We explain why TypePad might be a good fit for you (and why it might not), breaking down its features in comparison with other blogging platforms. We show you how to set up your TypePad account and determine the pricing level you need, and we tell you how to import your existing blog to your TypePad account.
• We explain every single element on your TypePad dashboard, walking you through left-to-right, top-to-bottom. You’ll be navigating the newly redesigned dashboard easily before you know it.
• We explain setting up your blog (and what all those optional settings mean), writing your posts, and how you can read your stats on your dashboard.
• We give you some solid ideas on what makes a good blog post and we show you how to maximize your use of your Compose Editor — you can format your font, insert files and images, and change how and when you schedule your posts to publish.
• Social butterflies will appreciate two chapters devoted entirely to interactive aspects of blogging: comments and other social media (such as Twitter). We tell you how to integrate all of this with your TypePad blog.
• Want to customize your blog design? TypePad’s design module recently went through an overhaul, but we walk you through the new module step by step. We show you how to make the most basic design changes (such as applying existing themes) to the much more complex (tweaking your own CSS). We explain how to put an image, text, or list in your sidebar.
• Want to earn some money via your blog? We explain some of your options for monetizing and show you the tools you need to make it happen.
• Lastly, our “Parts of Ten” section lists our top ten blogging tricks, our ten favorite TypePad resources, ten Typepad bloggers we think you should watch (and learn from!), and ten blogging etiquette tips to help you make your (positive) mark in the blogosphere.

This is just a sampling, of course; the book covers a huge range of TypePad-related issues (400 pages’ worth!). If you’re a beginning-to-moderate TypePad user, we feel confident you’ll find plenty in this book to help you make your TypePad experience even better.

The TypePad Giveaway

Now, a giveaway!

• One lucky winner will win a free copy of the book plus a free year of TypePad service which is good for any level of TypePad except Business Class (approximately a $145 value).
• Nine winners will receive a copy of just the book.

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post. I’ll close down comments Friday night and draw ten random winners. I’ll announce the winners on Monday and contact them via e-mail. At that point, winners will have three days to contact me or I’ll have to choose another winner.

Thanks so much for your support! Shannon and I do what we do because of readers like you and we appreciate you.

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The first thing you’ll most likely reach for as you prepare your 2009 taxes are tax forms. You need your W-2 forms from any employers and 1099s from any companies you worked with that paid you. If the company does not send you a 1099 by the end of January, you should contact them to see when you can expect that information from them (note that if they didn’t pay you $600 or more, they are not required to send a 1099, but you are still required to report the income). Keep in mind that if you went on any marketing trips this year, those companies should provide you with a 1099. Even though you may not have been paid monetarily for those trips, the flight, hotel, food, etc. is all considered income and you have to pay taxes on it. In her article Taxes for Bloggers, Mrs. Micah provides a list of items (in addition to your W-2s and 1099s) you’ll want to gather before going to your tax professional. She also provides links to handy spreadsheets that help you track your income over the year and a deductions spreadsheet that lists possible tax deductions as they relate to your blogging business.

If you have questions about bloggging and taxes, the most complete resource I’ve found is Tax Girl written and maintained by Kelly Phillips Erb. Here are a few of the articles that specifically address how your blogging career affects your taxes:

• Ask the taxgirl: When is it income?
• Ask the taxgirl: Deductions
• Problogger guest post: 7 Things that Every Blogger Should Know About Tax
• Problogger guest post: 46 Tax Deductions that Bloggers Often Overlook

In 3 Ways to Reduce Your Freelance Writing Taxes and Help Yourself, Thursday Bram explains why freelancers (and bloggers) may want to consider funding your own retirement and health insurance options. She writes, “One of the reasons employers can afford to offer benefits like health insurance and retirement plans to their employees is because there are tax benefits available when they do so. They’ll have to spend money either way — the question is whether they spend that money on benefits for employees or on taxes. The same is true for freelancers.”

Mom in the City’s article Mrs. CPA Answers Your Questions Regarding Blogging and Taxes tackles issues like

• whether you’re conducting a business or a hobby (and why it matters to the IRS)
• whether you need to pay taxes on goods or services you receive
• what to do if a company doesn’t send a 1099
• whether you need to report giveaways
• how to handle donations

Taxes, as they say, are inevitable. Knowing what you are and aren’t responsible for or what you can and can’t deduct can be confusing. Do your research and consult a tax professional to avoid any problems down the road.

Additional articles on bloggers and taxes:

• 7 Year-End Tax Tips by Karin Mueller via Entrepreneur.
• June Walker: Tax & Financial Advisor to the Self-Employed
• Top Tips on How to Avoid an IRS Audit by Cody via Your Frugality Advice
• Year-End Tax Tips for Freelance Writing Businesses by Bob Younce via Business Tips for Writers

A version of this article was cross-posted at BlogHer.com.

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What do the new FTC guidelines expect from bloggers?

The newest FTC guidelines require bloggers to disclose any relationship with an advertiser and to make “verifiable” claims. Relationships with advertisers include any compensation received in exchange for a review–including receiving a free product. As BlogHer.com’s own Liz Gumbinner has said, “The intent of the FTC guidelines is to protect consumers from deceptive marketing practices.”

Richard Cleland is Assistant Director of Advertising Practices at the FTC. He’s been providing interviews around the country and clarifying the FTC’s expectations for bloggers and disclosure. In a phone interview with Ed Champion of Reluctant Habits, Cleland told Champion that “the FTC’s main criteria is the degree of relationship between the advertiser and the blogger. . .If there’s an expectation that you’re going to write a positive review, then there should be a disclosure.”

However, the FTC does acknowledge that some cases are different from others. In an interview with Virginia Prescott at New Hampshire Public Radio, Cleland had this to say about receiving sample products versus being paid for a review:

“That’s going to depend on the circumstances. If we’re talking about getting one free product or something sent to you and you happen to write about it on your blog, that’s not the type of relationship that has to be disclosed. But if you’re part of a network and you’re consistently receiving products to test and blog about, then that raises the implication that these gifts are quid pro quo and that’s why you’re writing the positive reviews.”

In answer to Ms. Prescott’s question about how the FTC will hold bloggers accountable for false claims, Cleland said, “It’s going to be on a case-by-case basis. It’s going to have to be a situation where it’s actually justified, the extent of the injury is such that it justifies using our resources to look at the possibility of an enforcement action.”

It’s worth noting that those of us with Amazon Affiliate links are expected to disclose those as well. Champion says Cleland “didn’t see any particular problem with a book review appearing on a blog, but only if there wasn’t a corresponding Amazon Affiliates link or an advertisement for the book.” Though that example is specific to books, it could apply to any product linked to an affiliate.

Do the new guidelines include Facebook and Twitter?

Yes. Many bloggers type paid tweets and/or become Facebook fans of certain products, then share those tweets and fan pages with their friends. Just because the advertising relationship is outside a blog, it’s still a relationship and the blogger is still compensated–the rule for disclosure and true testimonials applies. Caroline McCarthy at Cnet gives this example of how the FTC guidelines apply to a blogger (or, in this example, a celebrity) on Facebook:

“[A] celebrity or other prominent figure with loads of friends on Facebook receives free hotel stays from Hotel Chain X in exchange for running Hotel Chain X ads on his or her blog. If that person then signs up as a Facebook fan of Hotel Chain X–which, remember, could mean that the person’s name can show up for his or her Facebook friends alongside Hotel Chain X display ads on the social network–he or she could be held liable by the FTC.”

As for Twitter, the FTC expects you to fit in a disclosure regardless of the 140 character limit. Cleland told McCarthy, “There are ways to abbreviate a disclosure that fit within 140 characters. You may have to say a little bit of something else, but if you can’t make the disclosure, you can’t make the ad.”

How can the FTC monitor every blog out there?

As Richard Cleland made the rounds of interviews, this question often came up. Cleland’s answer was that the FTC’s goal right now is to educate people on what is expected of them. He also indicated that the FTC would be “looking primarily at the advertisers to determine how the relationships exist” (from Ed Champion’s interview).

In an article on CNN, Eric Kuhn reports that “Richard Cleland . . . admits there will be no new team to monitor all the blogs, and that enforcing these guidelines would be a ‘game of whack-a-mole’ given the numbers involved.” Kuhn goes on to say that, “The new guidelines are viewed as more of an educational tool than any kind of requirement, and geared at advertisers more than bloggers. If numerous complaints are filed regarding a blog, the FTC is likely to investigate that the advertiser has properly advised the blogger of these guidelines.”

In his interview with Caroline McCarthy at Cnet, Cleland said, “…in the bigger picture, we think that we have a reason to believe that if bloggers understand the circumstances under which a disclosure should be made, that they’ll be able to make the disclosure. Right now we’re trying to focus on education.”

What about the $11,000 fine for bloggers who don’t disclose payment?

Mashable.com, TechCrunch, CNN, and several other trusted news sources were reporting early Monday that bloggers who don’t disclose payment will be fined $11,000 per violation. In fact, the updated FTC regulations (link downloads a pdf) don’t mention an $11,000 fine at all. Eric Kuhn of CNN tweeted Monday night, “I just spoke with an FTC spokeswoman. She said there is NOT a $11,000 fine for breaking the new guidelines re endorsements.” Unfortunately, none of the original articles with erroneous information have been updated to reflect that there is not currently a fine for violations.

Do I need to go back to my old posts and disclose for previous gifts or payments?

Lisa Stone, one of BlogHer.com’s founders, gave this advice:

“Since we started this network in 2006, BlogHer’s editorial guidelines have prohibited putting advertising in editorial space on blogs. So if you’re talking about posts you’ve made on BlogHer.com or in your blog IF it’s in the BlogHer publishing network, this question should not apply — it’s against the rules!

If you’re not in the BlogHer Network, we recommend that you update your “About” page with your blog policy about payments and review your blog for the current year and disclose any gifts or payments. For previous years, I think you can disclose on your “About” page the date on which you began your disclosure practices. We are not your lawyer, but as a a general practice we recommend that bloggers disclose any kind of payment at the top of every post written because of a payment of cash, goods, or services.”

Most of us are already doing the right thing and we’re not who the FTC is after. To be sure you’re in the know, download the current FTC guidelines. Then write up a disclosure policy and post it clearly on your blog. Not sure exactly how to write your policy? DisclosurePolicy.org can generate one for you.

This post was cross-posted at BlogHer.com.

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This giveaway is closed. Congratulations to Grace (comment #12 as chosen by Random.org). I’ll be contacting you with details about how to claim your prize. You have four days to respond. If you don’t respond, I’ll have to choose a new winner.

Today’s featured company:

A little more about them:

UPrinting.com is a leading online printing company that provides high quality printing at the most affordable prices. For over 25 years, U-Printing has been a trusted leader in online printing, featuring its signature easy-to-use website and the famous Free File Review, a complimentary proofing service which requires no upfront payment. U-Printing offers convenient marketing support services such as design, lists, and direct mailing to help grow small and medium-size businesses nationwide. They can print everything from postcards and business cards to canvases and custom stickers.

Powered by brand new fully automated in-house Komori presses and CREO direct-to-plate, UPrinting.com offer faster turnaround with minimal human error and lower overhead cost. This allows us to provide customers with consistently high-quality printing at the lowest possible prices.

What they’re giving away:

Two Blogging Basics 101 readers will each win 250 custom stickers! These custom stickers are an extraordinary way to promote your business (whether it’s online or not). Now’s the time to try out that new marketing campaign! I know several of you will be attending blogging conferences this summer and fall. These custom stickers would be a great alternative to the usual business card!

How you can win:

Just leave me ONE comment letting me know how you would use your 250 custom stickers. (Please don’t leave more than one comment, you’ll be disqualified.)

Who is eligible:

You must have a US or Canadian mailing address and you will pay shipping.

Things you need to know:

• Shipping of prizes is not included and must be paid by winner. UPrinting.com reserves the right not to print obscene or offensive materials.

• All designs submitted in the form of a giveaway may be used by UPrinting.com for online marketing and promotional uses. The designs will be used solely as examples and not be printed or commercially distributed.

When the giveaway ends:

Friday, July 17. I’ll e-mail the winner(s) and post the results at the top of this post. If the winner doesn’t respond within four business days, a new winner will be drawn.

(Please note that UPrinting.com is one of my sponsors and I will also be receiving 250 printed stickers for hosting this giveaway.)

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