Aura Euphoria

Aura euphoria was our two week celebration of Aura Candles, with raffles, prize packs and a lot of fun on Facebook, Twitter and in the shop.

Enter for a chance to win 1 of 2 prize packs each featuring the new Aura Bubbly and Muse candles (retail value $48 per prize pack).

To win in our Store/Website Raffle:

• Earn 1 raffle entry for each Aura candle purchase between 10/3 and 10/13/11.
• Earn 1 raffle entry when you stop by the store and tell us your favorite Aura fragrance by 10/13/11.
• Earn 1 raffle entry for every Aura candle review you post on our website between 10/3 and 10/13/11.

To win in our Social Media Raffle (entries valid between 10/3/11 and 10/13/11):

• Subscribe to our YouTube channel and earn 1 raffle entry for every comment you post.
• Follow our blog (if possible) and earn 1 raffle entry for every comment you post.
• ‘Like’ us on Facebook and earn 1 raffle entry for posting your favorite Aura fragrance on our Facebook page.
• Earn 1 raffle entry when you Tweet about an Aura candle and link to that candle on our website. (Include the hashtag #AuraRocks so we can track your tweets.) Limit 1 tweet per day.

We’ll select random 2 winners on Friday, October 14, 2011 and announce the winners on Facebook, Twitter and here. We’ll ship the prize pack to any address in the continental US.

Good luck!

10/14: Congratulations to Kathy Muelker for winning our Website/Store raffle and Debra Roberto-Kelley for winning the Social Media raffle.

What aura euphoria was all about

For two weeks in October 2011 we turned the shop and the blog into an Aura party. Two prize packs, each with the new Bubbly and Muse candles, were up for grabs, and there were two ways to win. One raffle ran in the store and on the website, the other on social media.

I like a themed week like this because it gives customers a reason to try a brand they have not smelled yet. Aura makes creamy soy candles with a slightly edgy look, and they deserve a closer smell.

The shop is in Annapolis, and we ship prizes to any address in the continental US. That meant a reader in another state had the same chance as a neighbor, which was important to me.

Look at how each prize pack paired two new scents. Putting a pair together lets the winner compare them side by side, and that is the best way to learn what you like.

Aura euphoria ran for only two weeks, which kept the excitement high.

How the raffles worked

In the store raffle, you earned an entry for buying an Aura candle, for telling us your favorite Aura fragrance, and for posting a review on our website. In the social media raffle, entries came from YouTube comments, blog comments, Facebook posts and tweets with a hashtag.

We drew two winners at random on the closing day and announced them on Facebook, Twitter and here. Those winners are named at the end of the original post, and congratulations again to both.

We also limited tweets to one a day, so nobody could drown the feed. I think a few simple rules like that keep a raffle fun for everyone. Raffles are an old tradition, and the article on raffle gives a short history of the idea.

Social entries are a good way to meet other candle fans. Reading what others posted as their favorite Aura fragrance gave me ideas I would never have found myself, and some of the comments sent me back to the shelf to smell a candle again.

Looking back, aura euphoria was one of our friendliest events.

Entering blog raffles sensibly

If you have ever entered one of these, you know it is easy to get carried away. My advice is simple. Read the dates and limits, do the entries you would do anyway, and skip anything that feels like spam to your friends.

A good raffle should feel like talking about something you enjoy. If you do not like a brand, do not enter just for the prize. Aura euphoria worked best for people who already had a favorite Aura candle to talk about.

Another thing I have learned from running giveaways is to check the time zone on the deadline. A lot of entries arrive on the last night, and the people who read the rules carefully always sleep better.

Think of aura euphoria as a good model for any small shop that wants to say thank you. It gave customers many easy ways to join in and nothing that felt like homework.

If we run another aura euphoria, I will post the rules here first.

Choosing an Aura candle

If you are new to the line, start with something fresh. Our post on Aura Cosmic will tell you more about a very different scent from the same brand. Another one of our favorites is Aura Luscious Candle.

Because we have not listed the notes of every Aura candle here, check the maker’s page for exact details. Scent notes change from year to year, and the maker’s page is always the most accurate.

A giveaway week like aura euphoria is partly about fun and partly about meeting new scents. If you took part, I hope you found a candle you love.

Most Aura candles are creamy custom blended soy, hand poured in the USA, and designed to burn slowly and cleanly with cotton wicks. That is the brand in a sentence, and it is the reason I was happy to give it a party.

If aura euphoria sounds like the sort of thing you would enjoy next time, follow the shop on social media. We announce giveaways there first, and the rules are posted in plain English.

Thanks to everyone who joined aura euphoria. It was a pleasure to celebrate Aura Candles with you, and aura euphoria will be remembered fondly.

Header photo: Iudexvivorum, Wikimedia Commons (CC0).