Why I’ve Stopped Trying to Gain “Followers” Through Giveaways

Maybe I just can’t bring myself to break up with them.

Every morning my email is flooded with a ton of useless garbage that at one point I subscribed to in order to get some sort of benefit. Whether I signed up to some company newsletter to get a free coupon or to a random blog to have a chance for a free book, these emails have one thing in common; namely, I now loathe the site of them.

The same could be said of my Twitter feed and Facebook wall. Some of those people I only “followed” because they had offered me a chance for something free.

Giveaways work*.

You can gain a good number of followers on social media and even email subscribers by hosting a sweet giveaway. In fact, I imagine there are some folks who get an email from Borrowed Light on a daily basis because a couple years ago they signed up for a random giveaway.

But I’ve stopped doing giveaways for the sake of trying to gain followers. Two principles convinced me of this.

The Proverbs 25:17 Principle

When someone reads your stuff it is like them letting you into their house.

I’ll only stay in your house for a short time. I’ll make a couple of salient points then quickly leave your home, hoping that it was a good enough experience for you that you’ll let me into your house for coffee again.

But what would happen if after our meeting I knocked on your door again…loudly…and then again…and again…and once more. Each time that you let me in I either bring up a point that I forgot to mention OR I essentially say, “Remember that time we had that awesome conversation? How bout you let me back in your home?”  (See more here)

If you signed up for an email only to get something then I’m convinced after a bit of time your stomach will start churning when you see my face on Twitter or my blog on your email. I don’t want to bribe my way into your home—I’d prefer to be invited.

The Proverbs 13:11 Principle

There is a reason why lottery winners and superstar athletes end up in court filing bankruptcy. It is a solid principle that wealth gained hastily quickly dwindles. If you want to actually keep your wealth the best way is to slowly accumulate it and work hard for it.

I’m convinced blogging is the same way. There are methods you can use to gain a quick number of followers and subscribers. Yet, I don’t believe such a thing will have a lasting influence. Your number of followers/subscribers may not dip but I believe your actual influence will.

I don’t have stats to back this up—but I’d wager that for every one committed follower you gain from a giveaway you are actually losing influence with another 3-4. I’m convinced followers/subscribers ≠ actual influence.

Doing giveaways will get  you a steady stream of followers/subscribers and some may even stick around. But I think the better way to actually influence people is to write faithfully and slowly plod. I’d rather have 100 people subscribe because they believe they will benefit from my writing than I would have 1000 people subscribe because they might win something free.

Conclusion

I’m not attempting to say that everyone who does giveaways is a shyster simply trying to gain followers. Nor am I saying that I won’t do a giveaway. But if I do giveaways it won’t be to gain followers—it will be to bless readers. Period.

I’m convinced that free giveaways come with a price…and it’s not a price I’m willing to pay anymore.

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*…if your goal is to simply gain followers/subscribers.