1. Create an email account just for sweepstakes. Avoid using a personal account which can get flooded with spam emails.
2. Set your email rules! This will help you sort winning notifications. Use word searches such as "congrats", "Congratulations", "you won", winner, etc. You are less likely to miss a winning notification this way.  I sort out companies who send coupons to a shopping folder, newsletters to a newsletter folder, etc.  This helps me find emails that will give me a discount when I go shopping.
3. Save links for bloggers, giveaway sites, etc that you love! You can bookmark or you can drag and drag links into a desktop folder. I create folders for blogger links, folder for sweepstakes, etc.
4. Turn on notifications! There is notification settings in your email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. that you can turn on when new posts are made. They can get overwhelming so turn them on sparingly but they will help prevent you missing that big giveaway!
5. Read the rules! In a Twitter Party you may be asked to RSVP, providing your name and email. You need to use the # hashtag and follow any required Twitter accounts. On other forms of social media you may be asked to tag a person, use a hashtag, follow an account, etc.
6. Always thank the blogger/company for the prize you won! Thank them as soon as you learn you won and always post a picture on social media with the prize when it comes in. This gives them more PR and helps continue the cycle of giveaways. Also, some bloggers and companies are more likely to pick you to be a winner when they see you regularly post pictures on social media! Double pay off!
7. Be polite! So often people can get angry that they didn't win and get rude to the winner and to the blogger/company.  It is not good karma and you are just less likely to win future giveaways from them. Remember that hundreds if not thousands of other people entered the same giveaway and did not win. Congratulate the winner!
8. Did not get your prize? Always reach out privately to the blogger or company first. Usually it is just an oversight and they were busy and forgot to mail it. If there is no response then reach out on social media in a polite request for assistance.  If there is no response from the blogger or rep you can try to reach out to the company. Share any links or emails with notifications of your win.
9. Have fun! Don't let Twitter Parties, Giveaways, Sweepstakes, etc. stress you out! It can get addictive but it is meant to be fun and reward people.

Have any other great tips? Need help with your email rules or have questions? Tweet/DM me on Twitter at @SeymaShabbir