How to Win Radio Contests

Many talk radio programs feature contests offering free trips, concert tickets, and other prizes to very attentive listeners. The goal is to call in and make it through so you can have your chance at lots of cool prizes. Radio contests happen everyday, and they are available for everyone and anyone to take part in. While these contests are a game of luck, there are simple ways to increase your odds at winning.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Seeking out Radio Contests

1
Listen to various radio stations. Not every station offers the same contests or prizes. In order to take full advantage of what radio contests have to offer, you have to listen to a bunch of different stations to see what kind of contests they're running. One station could have a call-in contest happening at 2:00 PM, and there may be another contest happening on a different station at 5:00 PM. Once the first contest is over, switch over to the next one and try again.
- The more contests you try to enter, the better your odds are of winning.
2
Listen to the radio as much as possible. If you can, listen to the radio at work, at home, in the car, or even the park.This way you can figure out what each stations' pattern is. See which stations offer more opportunities to win, which have better prizes, and what times the contests run during the day. In order to truly maintain a competitive edge, you have to listen to as many stations as possible and get to know them inside and out.
- You don't need to have a radio to be able to listen to radio stations. You can pick up stations on iPods, iPads, mp3 players, and your computer.
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3
Research multiple winning avenues. Every station has a website and they usually have sweepstakes or contests you can sign up for on their websites where you don’t have to be listening live to win. Go to the website and register for them. This way, you can bypass the time restrictions of live giveaways and save effort. You can also sign up for their mailing lists for upcoming contests.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Occasionally, you will get extra clues or times e-mailed to you. Check all the radio stations in your area and see who is giving away what prize; you can switch stations during the day.^{[2]XResearch source}
- There are reportedly less contestants who play contests listed on radio station websites which means your chances of winning are higher. ^{[3]XResearch source}
4
Listen to the rules and clues carefully. Time yourself accordingly to listen for when the call number or song of the day is announced, helping to avoid missing out at the last moment. If you have to call at 9:01 AM, then call at exactly 9:01 AM. You can use your cell phone, computer, cable box, anything that has the exact time.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Usually, if a contest is from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM, they are going to give the signal to call, near the end of the show, to keep you listening as long as possible.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Getting Through to Win

1
Be ready to call and dial in fast. You may want to store the numbers to your favorite radio stations in your phone so you can always be ready to call and not be searching for the number. Don't let the radio become background noise. Pay attention to when the contest happens.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Call exactly when you are told to call. Don't start too early because your call won't go through and you could miss out on the actual calling time.
2
Set up reminders to call. When you hear about a contest that a station is offering, put a reminder in your calendar or phone to alert you to call. You can even set an alarm to go off ten to fifteen minutes before the station comes on to help prepare you.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Digital watches, cell phones, and email accounts usually offer easy-to-use reminders.
3
Seek out ways to call in from multiple sources. Grab your cell phone and house phone and use them simultaneously. Have your family and friends call in for you too. As soon as you hear a busy signal, hang up and re-dial. Don’t just try once and hang up. ^{[7]XResearch source}
- Use the redial button if you can't get through on your first try. Those few seconds spent redialing manually will reduce or likely eliminate your chances of being the correct caller.
Be persistent and keep trying. The people who win a lot of radio contests, play a lot of radio contests. People do get through, and you never know when a phone line will open up, so don’t let the busy signal discourage you.
Don't call into the business office or reception. It is not a sneaky way to get around the busy signal and you may miss your chance at winning. The only phone number you can win a prize at is the one that you hear the radio station give out on the air or the one that is listed on the website.
6
Have the right mentality. Be optimistic and understand your chances are just as good as someone else's chance. If you never try, you will never win. You will not win every time, but with effort it may happen. Just don’t give up and remember to have fun.
- It can be frustrating when you get a busy signal and you’ve tried multiple times, but there are contests everyday so be persistent. You can’t win if you don’t play.^{[8]XResearch source}
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Knowing the Tools to Give You an advantage

1
Learn the tricks. Winning radio contests is mostly a game of luck, but there are things you can do that will help increase your odds of winning. One thing to try is Skype, which is a voice over internet protocol service that allows you to use your computer to call regular phone numbers. Skype only charges for calls that actually go through, so if you get a busy signal, the call is free.
- Skype dials faster than a cell phone, so you increase your chance of getting through before someone who is calling from their cell phone.
If the contest requires you to correctly answer a question, or is looking for some other specific thing from the listeners, sometimes the disc jockey will casually mention it on the air before they announce for callers to call in. You have to pay close attention to everything that is happening on the radio show a good hour before the contest begins.^{[9]XResearch source}
Many people get frustrated and don't feel like their call is going to connect after a couple minutes, but it still might. Radio stations occasionally pickup a dead line from someone getting frustrated and hanging up just a few seconds too early.^{[10]XResearch source}
4
Stay on the line even after you have been told you didn't win. When a radio station has a contest where you need to be caller number nine, and the station answers your call only to tell you that you're not the right caller, don't hang up. Stay on the phone and wait for a minute because sometimes when the station switches to another caller they do not completely hang up on you.^{[11]XResearch source}
- By staying on the line, you give yourself the chance of the station coming back to you again and you could be the winner.
Not all phone lines travel at the same speed. Depending on where you are will influence how fast your call will go through to where you are trying to call. The general speed of phone lines from fastest to slowest is office phone, home phone, Skype, cell phones, and then cable digital phones being the slowest to dial out.
6
Sound happy and show some enthusiasm. Radio hosts prefer excited callers because they are trying to entertain their listeners which is why they have contests to begin with. They want someone interesting who is willing to show their personality on the air. Sometimes, it doesn’t really matter what number caller you were, as long as you sound excited or have a story.
- Tell a personal story about why you are trying to win. Try to be funny and make them laugh.
- The more entertaining you are, the better your chances are of winning the contest. They don’t want calm, boring people on air, so if given the opportunity, be outgoing.
7
Be very careful about where you're calling from. Usually, radio shows announce contests during the morning and afternoon drive-time hours which means a lot of people try to participate from work. Be sure that if your call does go through, you are in a space that allows you to enthusiastically have a conversation with the radio station.
- If you call in from your car, make sure you use a hands-free device. Also, be aware that you may lose a call and become disconnected more easily dialing from your car.
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Tips

Be as ready as possible when calling in by having the number either written down or already stored in your phone just waiting for you to press send.
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Ask a friend or family member to help you call in. If they aren't interested in the prize, their assistance just might help you win it.
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Use more than one phone at a time to call in. If you have a landline and a cell phone, use them both to call into the same contest to double your chances.
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