Blog 101: Create a Giveaway Winner Template

After you post your review, you will want to post your giveaway item. There are different giveaway lengths, depending on how long the company would want to run the campaign. Most giveaway sites will randomly choose a winner for you after the giveaway has ended.


I use Giveawaytools, which chooses a winner for me and then emails me. It makes is a lot easier for me. Then all I have to do is confirm the entries and email the winner. You want to send them something they can get excited about, don’t you?

You can make this process easier by creating a template for your emails, so you aren’t freehanding them every single time. You can create a template in any word processor. Most computers come with Microsoft Word sample, but I usually buy the CD every couple of years through Best Buy. Either way, you’ll need a document creation software.

-------------Document Creation Software-----------------------------

If you don’t NEED Microsoft Office, you can find free downloads to other word document software online. You can use Microsoft Online, but it isn’t the same as having it downloaded.
With other FREE software, you will have limitations that Word doesn’t- like text and image insertion will definitely be different. You can always use Google Docs, which I love.

Here are some to download that resemble Word but are free: OpenOffice, AbiWord. & Jarte
. It does take some creative thought, so it’s better to work with a sample to begin with. Here are some things to include:

• Let your winner know that they won your contest/giveaway/sweepstakes, and let them know how they were chosen.
• Were they randomly selected? Or were they selected manually because you chose them as the winner of your (recipe, photo, or other) contest?

    Ex: You have been randomly selected as a winner in the Softsoap Giveaway on Stylish Southern Mama.
               or Out of all the photo entries, yours was chosen as the winner because it was… (the best. the cutest, most inspiring… etc)

              You can see here: INSERT GIVEAWAY URL

• Explain that you’ll need their address and phone number to send their prize (and that it’s FOR shipping purposes only and you won’t give out their information- that it is strictly confidential.

          (and include whether it’s coming directly from YOU or from the company)

• Also give them a time limit to accept the email and respond. I know stuff happens and people miss emails; I’ve done it a thousand times.. but your company is going to want you to choose a winner pretty quickly. Normally winners have 48-72 hours to respond to the winning email.
• You’ll want to close with a signature and information to your blog + social media, so your winner knows your email isn’t a fake one. There tends to be a lot of spam sent and they need to know you’re legit.

Here I will show you with Google Docs.
Click the blue link above.--------

You will see Documents that you’ve already created. Look to the right, down at the bottom. You’ll see a little + circle

When you hover over that circle it will say… New document. Click it.

Start thinking of what you want to add to your giveaway template. You can always go back and change it if you need to, don’t worry.


Make sure to end the email with a signature and your links to your site/social media.
How to create an email signature
Google Apps Email Signature

After you create your signature, you’ll want to insert it into your Document


Look at the top of your document and click insert.. it will dropdown- then click image


You’ll find your image located in your folders.


I keep mine in a file named “signature”.


Now you can save it… label it “giveaway winner template” so you can easily get to it.
You could also insert an image before the email to grab the email recipient.


I whipped this one up and added it to the top of my Google Docs without a problem.


If you just want to use mine you can see it: Giveaway Winner Template
copy and paste it into your own document-please do NOT edit mine…

Now to create your email.


Copy your google document and paste it into your email. This isn’t going to insert your images, you’ll have to manually do that.

Thanks and good Luck