I might as well get this out of the way now: Compers drive me mad.
For those of you not familiar with comping and Compers, it basically involves entering masses of competitions and almost turning winning into another source of income. Beating the competition system, entering prize draw after prize draw and retweeting every single competition on Twitter whether you want the prize or not.
Earlier this year, ASOS offered a wonderful competition to win the contents of your shopping bag up to a certain value (a genius idea on their part – I know many people who then bought the contents of their bags). The winner didn’t use the whole value they were allowed to, instead just choosing a few pieces. People on Facebook got savage. Like she didn’t ‘deserve’ to win. Like they were better entrants to a prize draw. It was actually horrible to watch.
I’ve seen Domestic Sluttery competition winners eBay their prizes. I’ve seen our popular Christmas competitions on comping forums and I get really sad. Our competitions are a great way of attracting new readers, sure. But they’re also a way of us rewarding regular readers and offering something back to our community. I don’t want to see those prizes go to someone who couldn’t care less. I know I shouldn’t care and it’s a draw at random. But I do care. It’s not fair on readers who really want to win something that we’re offering. A group of Compers on Twitter tried to convince me to give one of them a prize because she really liked rabbits. I ignored the conversation and got on with my job. None of them won a thing.
The internet has meant that comping is huge for everyone involved. Brands see a great avenue for their products, individuals can win some really brilliant prizes (I’ve found myself both sides of the fence). But I think it’s getting out of hand. No one wants to follow someone on Twitter when they retweet every single competition in their timeline. It’s addictive – after all it’s a numbers game. Once you’ve entered ten comps and won three, it’s easy to see how that number can double, triple even if you enter more prize draws. Before you know it, you’ve entered to win a baby car seat when you don’t even have kids. That’s a step too far. If you’ve got a spreadsheet on the go, it might be time to step back.
I’m not suggesting that people shouldn’t enter competitions online, and I think brands are making competitions too easy for a quick result on social media platforms. But do bear in mind that editors often have the last word on who wins a competition and if you’ve previously eBayed one of their prizes, you’re really unlikely to win again.
How do you feel about the rise of the comper?
Nice post – and the best part is it’ll get picked up when compers search for competitions to enter.
The truth is, prizes probably still are undervalued. ‘Comping’ (if that’s the right word) makes sense if there are huge prizes on blogs with small readerships - the EV of each of 500 posts on a $500 tablet is $500… There is a point where people will stop entering (is your time worth $1? $.10? $.01? $.001?), but on a lot of giveaways it still makes sense to enter if each entry is still worth a fair amount.
As a site that promotes competitions and has a comping community this kind of commentary is quite interesting – sad too -… and yet also understandable.
Our role at Loquax is a mixed one – on one hand we want our users to find competitions, on the other we want to make sure promoters are happy. We don’t supply answers, we don’t allow vote requests and hopefully we provide information to assist those who run competitions – as without them we have nothing to tell our users about.
However, the “blame” (if we want to point fingers) in some ways has to lie in many ways with the promoter and the way they set up competitions. E.g. many ignore Facebook guidelines, a lot don’t look for automated entries etc.
Social media has opened up things in comping which perhaps a few years back weren’t a problem – one issue that regularly crops up on our forum is the “sob story” – when a promoter asks “why should you win”. We’d hate to think what judges of the competitions think in those cases!
In Twitter’s case – we’ve blogged about wanting it to be a more interactive, social media – not just RT to enter countless times. It’s really tedious – but brands will persist in this methodology until they get over “we must have more followers”.
Selling prizes is always a bugbear – it’s not something that will ever be settled. However, if you want prizes to reward readers then you have to be clever and more thought needs to be put into how you run a competition.
We’re always happy to talk to sites/promoters and offer advice. Compers aren’t all bad!
I enter competitions – but would just like to add that I DON’T enter for the hell of it and enter absolutely everything I see, I enter for little treats and things I cannot afford. Companies should market these competitions better and I for one would like to see these stupid “Most likes wins” competitions booted from facebook, it attracts cheating and mass entering. Obviously a lot of companies disagree with your “I Hate Compers” attitude because there are many many thousands of competitions running. How can you determine who is a “Genuine reader”? I would really like to know that one. I hardly use twitter and don’t retweet everything just to win a badge or pair of socks. Thanks to Loquax last year I won about £22,000 in prizes and I won’t stop entering because you HATE compers. P.S I don’t enter your competitions and think this is just a way of getting more traffic to your blog.
Oh of course it is, Fluffywhite! Competitions go both ways as I say in the post. I didn’t say I hated anyone (I don’t). I’m not suggesting that everyone who enters a competition does it for the hell of it, but people make a second job out of it, brands make it easy to do that (so do websites). I’m just suggesting that sometimes it goes a step too far. If you enter a competition, winning something that you really want is a big part of the fun.
I think social media has a lot to do with how big comping has got – it’s so easy to retweet something. I think you’re right about brands wanting more followers. All of the points you mention are stuff I’ve considered recently when running new competitions.
As for selling prizes, I think that will always upset me.Â
I’m not suggesting that all compers are bad, I just wonder if the boom is going a bit too far – the thing with ASOS highlighted a not nice side of it to me.
I’m glad you posted this, as I’ve seen many Twitter conversations between bloggers I follow along exactly the same lines and it’s good to have a public debate about it!
I’m a comper, and proud of it. Because of my hobby I’ve travelled the world for free, met some wonderful people and had some money-can’t-buy experiences. I blog about my hobby and offer advice to people on how to make it fun – one of my most popular posts is about concentrating on the prizes you really want to win rather than entering every comp going. Sure, I’ve sold prizes on eBay but they’ve been extra mobile phones, digital cameras and other gadgets – often runner-up prizes. Many of my prizes go to friends, family and charity raffles.
However, there are more and more compers jumping on the bandwagon who will literally enter a competition to win a paperclip. And yes, most of the time it’s the promoter who’s to blame. ‘Share this photo’, ‘RT our tweet’ – for both of these, multiple entries are likely to give you a higher chance of winning. They’re recruiting naive compers to spam on their behalf, and it’s infuriating. And yes, many greedy compers drive ME mad too. The Facebook prize swap forums full of unwanted size 10 dresses, kids toys and (would you believe) dildos are evidence that people are entering to win stuff that they really don’t need or want!
On my blog and Facebook page I only share competitions that require some form of effort – be that a slogan, photo, video or recipe. If someone can be bothered to take the time to enter then I believe they’re deserving of that prize. What I don’t like is a voting competition where someone can win it by putting zero effort into the entry, then spamming friends, vote forums and Facebook with their vote requests. The good news is that more big brands are realising the value of User Generated Content, and are asking for more from the entrant than a simple click of the Roboform button to enter a prize draw.
In this post you’re tarring all compers with the same brush, which offends me – many of us will find blog competitions through Twitter, then follow the blog and actually enjoy reading it. We’re not all greedy and lazy. Many of us are Mums and we’re just trying to add a bit of magic to our family’s lives through winning prizes that we could never justify buying. Don’t hate us for it.
Another maddening comper here. Your descripton of ‘a comper’ is incorrect. A comper is someone who enters competitions as a hobby. This idea of anyone making a second income is a bit of a stretch for most of ‘us’ because of course you have no control over if or what you win. Majority of ‘proper’ compers are very anti the type of twitter/FB comps that have been mentioned. We actually do this hobby not as a way to win loads of nonsense we can flog on Ebay but in fact because we enjoy the fun of it, to be able to dream that we may win the big one, the car, the holiday etc.Â
In my opinion the people you speak of are not true compers, they are the flash in the pan types that will enter everything in sight for a while then stop completely when they realise how much effort is involved. The true comper is like the tortoise compared to the hare, they will keep trying for the big prizes…but enjoy the little ones along the way. If you were to hear stories from compers about our best prizes you might hear from me about Florida (twice) but also I will tell you about when I was skint & couldn’t afford to do anything with my daughter for her birthday – then won cinema tickets. Or the Christmas I was made redundant without pay at the end of November and was saved by winning Woolworths vouchers that bought my kids’ presents that year. Or, and here is answer to selling prizes, when I won a beautiful laptop, I was practically in love with, then my family were evicted and I had to sell it to pay for a deposit. Saved again but oh how I think of that perfect machine…Â
I’ve not done much comping this year. My only prize? Tickets to my beloved Elton John. We had no chance of going.
The bottom line not to forget is that promotions (which is what they are) are run for that reason – to promote the site! The purpose in the main is to attract more potential customers – or as you state to reward those who are already consumers. It may be worth thinking about the fact that compers are also customers themselves! We use our hobby to find out about websites & products we would have no knowledge of otherwise. Don’t win something you like? It’s bookmarked for when the competition ends! Lots of my friends ask me for recommendations because of my knowledge.
I would imagine your description of a comper hurts most of us like comparing a professional gambler to someone who mindlessly sticks money into a fruit machine.
Still, I never like to make comment on something I have no knowledge of. Dare I suggest that you take up the challenge of visiting Loquax & finding out more for yourself. I am certain you will be welcomed by Jason and the many friendly guys & gals on the site.
Interesting post. I enter loads of competitions for things I really want, and a couple of times a year I might win one of them. I dread to think how much time you would need to spend on comping to make a living out of it – I suspect those compers must be few and far between.
Your point about ‘genuine readers’ bugged me slightly as competitions have often attracted me to a site or product, and I have later come back to read the site again or make a purchase – in exactly the same way as a ‘genuine reader’ would. In fact comping is the only way I know what films and books are coming out, and has given me loads of ideas for Christmas gifts this year already. Compers are consumers too and if your blog, or product, is any good then they will increase your market in the same way as anyone else who stops by.
mmmm im a comper and i love my hobby so much, iv got the latest gadgets, been to nice places & met celebs but sometimes i win things as a runner up prize which i cant use, or i already have it isnt done intentionally but i will if i can swap it for something else that i can use, i dont understand why this would upset anyone if the prize is getting used, i dont sell just swap for something id use. iv made my children very happy this way. Please dont think bad of me im a full time working mum of 3 who stays up to silly oclock to try & win the best things for my children, i am in no way greedy, i donate to my sons school for the christmas raffle and my mums hospital too. It doesnt come cheap either as a comper will know and i put a damn lot of efffort into entering and as the saying goes you got to be in it to win it.Â
I’ve been a maddening comper since the early 80s and it has changed tremendously since then but that’s life – the only sure thing is change. As a second income – no way! In all those years I have only had a few years where what it brought in actually exceeded my own income, but it is a lovely way of spending spare time with the thought of bringing in wanted prizes. Selling prizes? Well don’t forget (a) we are in a recession, (b) sometimes we only want the first prize, not the runner up prize! (c) if it is sold on ebay it is a win win because the seller gets some income and the buyer usually gets a bargain! Selling prizes is not going to go away. I agree that companies need to give more thought to the type of competition, especially the voting comps when there are sites blatantly arranged to bump up voting scores, the game comps that can be hacked. Yes I have come across a few professional compers who drive me mad, but for the most part compers are genuine hard working people who actually like to share! So please don’t tar us all with the same brush. I love giving prizes to good friends who have been kind to me – it’s great for both of us!
so editors don’t fairly give out prizes eh? discrimination of compers and picking winners by personal feelings rather than follow guidelines etc ! Â what next answerphone tapping?
Your comments above about people getting nasty is a regular feature on the likes of Loquax and other forums, despite the fact that they like to brand themselves  “friendly” forums!!.The arguments,backstabbing and bitchiness that goes on is very sad indeed, indeed,quite recently a particular poster was bragging to all and sundry about the fact they were going to sit their all day and night entering, in their very own words, “anything and everything” Its really,really sad to see the desperation of some of these so called compers and the lengths they will go to. I firmly believe a database should be drawn up to seed these “professional” entrants who have NO genuine interest in the relevant promoters products and simply sell on what they win,therefore depriving a genuine customer/reader of  the prize. This can be easily achieved my data collection via mail in promotions and sms campaigns
The promotional verification company PromoVeritas put out a fantastic press release earlier this year along similar lines to you story, and they already are aware of these professional entrants and who they are(wink,wink:-), they were absolutely bang on about the rise of the professional comper and brand managers and marketers need to all engage more together to stop these so called “professionals”.
All forums have issues with users not getting on or disagreeing – we could brand our forum “friendly for the most part, but occasionally there’s a bun fight” but it just doesn’t have the same ring to it!!
The fact is in comping there’s no defined rules to what a person can/can’t enter. If they wish to enter everything then (as long as they follow the competition rules) they can. Some compers have their own “ethical view” of comping – others will look to bend the rules or enter anything/everything with a different objective to me/you/a.n.other.
The fact we have differing views on “how to comp” is actually the reason for the arguments that arise (e.g. entering kids comps, entering a holiday comp for 4 when there’s only 2 of you etc). Who can solve those issues? Compers? No – it’s the promoters by tightening their rules.
The PromoVeritas PR was interesting, albeit nothing new and tbh a little out of touch with bigger online issues. In fact the release mentioned “Professional compers make on average at least 100 entries a week and will often have 10- 20 mobile SIM cards to make it easier to enter multiple times for ‘Text To Win’ type promotions.” – not something those people tweeting/liking (as in the article) are doing.Your “wink wink” is intriguing. Are you suggesting that entrants are being disqualified for being compers? If that was true then wouldn’t that be in breach of rules? I’d be interested in more information on that score – one hopes promoters/editors run their competitions fairly.Your database idea essentially puts every person who enters competitions as a hobby into it… imo.
I’m a comper and I agree with all that you have said. What used to be a great hobby has now turned into a farce. I once was happy seeing compers win and I have congratulated 100′s if not 1000′s before today. But the transparency of FB and Twitter exposes the greedy entrants and those who will stop at nothing in order to add another win to their ever growing score sheets, and then openly declare that the prize is heading towards Ebay or is put on one of the growing number of FB prize selling pages. I know many use this method of raising funds and say they need the extra income. But there’s just as many who, imho, don’t need the extra income. It’s no conincedence that most comping meetings have a swap table, heaving with prizes that people have won and then try and off-load them to others. Its also no coincidence that most comping forums have a sell or swap prize section and yes the same names appear time and time again.
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As others have said promoters have to take some responsibility also. Many don’t seem to care who wins or how they win – all they want is fans to their page, and they get them – but for the wrong reason in many cases. I see that Di and Loquax have both commented and I applaud their contributions, and I also  agree it’s not fair to tar all with the same brush - because I can assure you for every greedy comper there’s many others who feel ashamed at times to admit to being a comper for all the reasons given here.
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Those people who bleat that comping is a fun filled hobby with numerous fluffy friendly people are mistaken. It’s become a cut-throat, at times vicious, past time for SOME – not ALL –  who will go to any lengths to try and justify their greed and will shout down anyone who disagrees with them, and FB now exposes that side of it. For some, winning a prize, any prize, is everything and woe betide anyone who dares to question their methods and motives!
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Wow, thanks you your comments everyone! As I’ve said, I don’t ‘hate compers’, and perhaps I should have clarified that it’s the extreme comping that gets to me – for the very reasons I’ve stated above. And they’re the experiences that I have of this – a young woman being bullied because she apparently didn’t deserve to win a prize, and a small company I work with being genuinely upset that their prize was eBayed. Those of you who have said I should tar all compers with the same brush are absolutely right, but the experiences still stand. An afternoon of being tweeted at incessantly by a group of compers was exhausting (I’m quoting here – “maybe if we pester her enough she’ll just give you the prize”). As I say, they’re just my experiences. Extreme they may be but they happened.
This week, a huge competition starts on my website (it’s Christmas, we do this every year) and I really want the competitions to be fun. We choose the brands carefully and want people to really enjoy entering them. But these experiences tarnish this. As Loquax has said, perhaps the debate about selling prizes won’t ever be solved (I was informed by the small brand I was working with, I didn’t hunt around eBay myself). It’s also worth bearing in mind that an editor having final say in who wins competitions means that my best friend never wins, no matter how many times she enters.
All of your comments are really interesting and I think a lot of you are right when you say I’m talking about a more extreme side of comping. Social media has certainly made that side of comping a lot easier, I think that’s something also that needs careful consideration from brands and publications – the ‘RT this to win’ competition doesn’t do anyone any good.
“Those of you who have said I should tar all compers with the same brush” – sorry – that should have read ‘shouldn’t’.
Er, so are you the same Sian that incessantly spammed Twitter a year or so back to win a phone competition? http://www.mykindofphone.com/snap-competition
I am a comper and find that I buy and support so many more brands now as a result! For example if company A wanted to bring attention to their new product and offered a prize in the box type comp I am likely to go out and buy 20 boxes of this new product because I LOVE entering competitions! I am also 100% more likely to talk to my friends about the product and the prize associated with it thus giving the company more sales and free advertising in the process. The result may result in my winning but often times doesnt. Still I spent 20 times more than a normal customer and the brand was promoted from me in a positive way. Why should I then feel bad for being a comper and deciding to sell the prize if I do win it? I put the time and effort in and ultimately gave company A what they wanted in the process? If it wasnt for ‘compers’ many competitions wouldnt be successful!
The “compers” that annoy me are the ones who win tickets for all sorts of events then try to flog them on the various comping forums….and yes they really do think they are doing US a favour selling them at a slightly reduced rate.The SAME old names spring up as the sellers too.Try giving them away you might get some comping karma.:}
Of course here we go,same old stories time after time from the same old professional compers who simply dont like it when anyone challenges their obsession,sob stories a plenty,not just below but also on the many facebook competitions etc,etc. The day will come when the whole comping arena will be a lot more “policed” so to speak and will put an end to these alleged professionals. That time cant come quick enough for some of us!!!!!!!!!!!!,
Can you define the term ‘professional comper’ please? I comp as a hobby and certainly don’t know anyone who makes a living from it. To me and many others its a fun hobby with benefits. Yes there are a few ‘bad eggs’ around and also a few competitions (usually voting ones) which bring out the worst in people. As for ‘challenging their obsession’ wouldn’t anyone try and defend their hobby after reading an article like this?
Competitions are a great way for a brand or product to get known, as long as the organiser of the competition thinks about what they want out of the competition then the competition will go ok.
What, and you think your website (and others) would get half as many views if people stopped “comping” and sharing the competition links on forums huh? You say how much you hate them, but they send a LOT of traffic to websites. Especially small, new ones.
Also, what’s wrong with people earning an extra income if they comp & decide to sell the prizes they don’t want/need. (Not all “compers” do this by the way).