Are there any good strategies for entering contests?

As for the general, leave a comment ones, I have no idea. I never win anything. I aim for funny in those, but I think they pick random because people with stupid comments always win and my comments are FAR superior.

However, now I look for product contests that I can really win. Here's my longish story with a happy ending.

My girlfriend forwarded a link on a Seventh Generation contest to win new cleaning products. One friend had to submit their friend with a nasty "under the kitchen sink" for an "under the kitchen sink makeover." Fortunately, I am a decent photographer. Also, we had two cabinets filled with every name brand poison you have ever seen. So I did a little organizing to make them look super sloppy. Then, I dragged my big dumb white cat over. As I knew he would, he started to sniff everything in sight. So, I got a picture of him where it looks like he is huffing the stainless steel cleaner. Forwarded that to my friend with some key information. She is an AMAZING writer, so she put it all together. We didn't win the grand prize, but we were one of the four runners up, so I got a green cleaning starter kit and a bunch of spa items.

I gave all of my poison cleaners to my hubby's ex because she likes poison cleaners. (It was three very large boxes.)

So for manufacturer contests, find the ones that are a perfect fit and take a few minutes to craft the perfect entry. I think dumb cats or helpful children are perfect for "candid shots" if photos are needed. (No dog could possibly be as dumb as this cat, so it would simply have to be well trained.)

For me, the contest did what it was supposed to. I will never use anything but a green cleaner again. (Although my husband has a container of Lysol wipes hidden in the house because he doesn't believe that the new stuff kills bacteria. Regardless of what I read to him.)