Comping is an incredibly varied hobby. And no matter what kind of person you are, no matter what you're into, you're almost certain to find a way that entering competitions can enhance your life!
Here are just a few 'types' of people we can think of, and some of the ways they could fall in love with competitions.
The fan
Sports and comping might not seem to have a lot in common - other than the fact that there's a winner at the end of most sporting events and every competition, of course!
But if you have a passion for sport it could well be a wonderful way into developing a passion for competitions. For example, have you seen the number of World Cup themed comps there are out there at the moment?
In an age where so many of us are looking to keep fit, sport gear is a popular competition prize, as are sports tickets, sporty holidays and more!
And people who are fans of many other things can also enter competitions linked to their passion.
When it comes to booklovers, for example, publishers, authors and bookshops love to give away copies of new titles on a regular basis.
Film comps to win things like DVDs, TV and cinema tickets are also really common, as are comps offering tickets to see famous pop stars!
Kids
When you have kids, competitions can be a good pastime to let them do sometimes. Youngsters often have a natural desire to enter competitions, and they'll often see them advertised in their favourite magazines and websites, for example - although much of the time they'll need an adult to enter for them.
Creative comps are a particularly good type of comp for kids to try if they want to. These have an educational value much of the time - for example, if your child has to draw a picture or write something for a comp, they'll be honing skills they get taught in school, but perhaps not even realising that the comp could be seen as extra homework!
One thing that it can be a good idea to keep in mind with kids and comping though, is that young children often won't have a very good idea of how likely they really are to win.
We all remember entering our first competition and thinking that, because we knew we'd answered a question correctly, we were bound to get the prize, for example.
As grown up compers we all know that the question in a comp is almost always just the first hurdle and that after you get the right answer, you still have to be lucky in a prize draw before being a winner.
It's a good idea to let kids know about the fact that they may well not win. But if you think they'll be upset, you can always become your own prize giver and reward them for putting in the effort to enter a comp by drawing a picture, say, by providing your own little prize.
The holiday lover
Win a holiday, scream the headlines of comps all over the net, in our favourite mags and newspapers and even on TV shows.
Yes, if you enjoy a trip away (and who doesn't?) or want to travel the world, you won't be able to guarantee that you'll be able to do so off the back of comping, but you certainly will be able to dream about travel every time you enter! And think about how great it would be if, after you put in the effort to comp, you come out with an extra holiday one year because of your efforts!
The organiser
Organisers, who like to be methodical about things, will get a buzz out of using this part of themselves for comping.
For example, there's plenty of opportunity to go through lists of comps and enter methodically, one at a time. You can do this with The Listings File in Compers News, for example, which is a glorious long list of comps. Or you can do it by entering all the comps that catch your eye in a certain section of The Prize Finder website from Compers News publisher Accolade.
