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How to host a giveaway on instagram


How to Host an Instagram Giveaway or Contest

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Increase engagement and drive brand awareness by holding a contest or giveaway on Instagram. Plan and execute your promotion in seven steps.

By: Jessica Elliott, Contributor
An Instagram contest can take many forms. You can require contestants to submit photos or videos, caption an image, follow a challenge or theme, or just leave a comment. — Getty Images/simon2579

With more than one billion active users, Instagram is a prime spot for interacting with leads and customers. Indeed, Tailwind found that "an Instagram contest or giveaway can help you grow your followers 70% faster in three months than if you didn't host a contest at all." Ensure your campaign is successful by outlining your goals, theme, and entry guidelines. Here's how to get started.

[Read more: Hosting a Social Media Giveaway? Here's What to Know First]

Define your Instagram contest goals and select a theme

Determine your ideal audience for your Instagram giveaway and what a successful outcome looks like to you. Do you want to increase followers, generate email signups, or get user-generated content (UGC)? Your approach may differ for each objective.

The theme and format for your contest set the stage for what you want participants to do. For instance, entries to a “Think Spring” contest may include outdoor photos, spring-themed makeup videos, or comments with a follower's favorite spring drink.

Ampfluence offers 15 creative examples. You can also consider using one of these formats for your Instagram promotion:

  • Selfie contest.
  • Tag-to-win.
  • Caption contest.
  • Comment-to-win.
  • Hashtag contest.

Choose a giveaway prize

Generic prizes are in demand but don't necessarily help you reach your goals. If you want fast new follower growth, giving away an Amazon gift card or fuel voucher may get the job done. But people may unfollow you after the contest ends. Conversely, a prize tailored to your target audience can weed out people who fall outside your interest categories and demographics. Consider offering your products or creating a bundled gift by partnering with another small business.

[Read more: Top 5 Instagram Features to Help Boost Engagement]

Write your contest guidelines and rules

Follow Instagram’s promotion guidelines and tell people how they can enter your contest. Your rules will depend on your format but may include liking the post, tagging a friend, or following your account. Don't forget to make an official guidelines page and put the link in your Instagram caption. ViralSweep offers a template for official guidelines and has a Google Document template as well. Here are two examples of Instagram giveaway rules from Little Bee Book and Brit + Co.

The theme and format for your contest set the stage for what you want participants to do.

Host your Instagram giveaway or contest

Once you've taken care of the nitty-gritty details, it's time to create your post and promote your giveaway. You can design a few graphics and use them on your landing page and social platforms. Remember to post your giveaway when your audience is online and use hashtags related to your brand.

Take these steps to hold your Instagram contest or giveaway:

  • Create a giveaway post: Develop an image or video and compelling caption. Use emojis and line breaks to make your post easy to scan. Get inspiration with examples from Hendrix Yancey and Spencers. Plus, don't forget to use Instagram hashtags.
  • Develop a landing page: For legal purposes, it's a best practice to offer an alternative method of entry (AMOE) for any giveaway requiring entrants to do or give something. A contact form on a landing page can collect entries and serve as a promotional tool.
  • Outline your promotional strategy: Share details and links to your giveaway on other social media sites and by email. Consider adding a pop-up to your website and a blog post about your Instagram contest.

Track entries and choose a winner

Tailwind suggests tracking entrants in a spreadsheet and "export[ing] the list to a randomizer to select a winner. " Do this by adding the Instagram handle (user tag) to your spreadsheet for each person who follows your steps. You can use an online tool like Woobox to pick a winner, which is helpful if you're counting upvotes and offering bonus entries.

Alternatively, you can assign random numbers to all participants in your spreadsheet using the RAND function and use Google to pick a random number. Do this by searching for “Google random number,” and the tool pops up on your search engine results page (SERP). Random Picker by VeroMotion also offers an Excel template for generating winners.

[Read more: A Quick Guide to Marketing Your Business on Instagram]

End your promotion with a winner announcement

Have a post template ready, including your caption, so you can announce your winners as soon as possible after the contest ends. Pick a random winner or tally votes and share the results on social media, on your website, and by email.

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Published June 20, 2022

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How to Host an Instagram Giveaway: A Step-by-step Guide

If you want to grow your following on Instagram, hosting a giveaway can be one of the most effective tactics.

With the right strategy, you can reach thousands of potential new followers -- all while building a stronger sense of community around your brand.

Ready to get started? We're sharing everything you need to know to plan the perfect Instagram giveaway in this guide.

Table of Contents:

  1. Why You Should Host an Instagram Giveaway

  2. How to Do a Giveaway on Instagram

  3. How to Pick a Winner on Instagram

  4. 3 Instagram Giveaway Ideas

Why You Should Host an Instagram Giveaway

Instagram giveaways are a powerful tactic for encouraging engagement from your community and reaching new audiences.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)

Accounts that host giveaways hold the potential to attract hundreds, if not thousands, of entries and followers.  

In fact, a study conducted by Tailwind found that Instagram giveaways can help grow your followers 70% faster in three months than if you didn’t host a contest at all. 

Source: Tailwind

But brands and businesses can often see drop-offs once the giveaway is closed.

So it’s all about hosting intentional, well-planned giveaways that attract your target audience -- so you can reach  people who actually want to stick around and engage with your content. 

Find out how in our step-by-step guide below.

Plan and schedule your Instagram posts in advance with Later — get started today for free! 

 

How to Do a Giveaway on Instagram: A Step-by-step Guide

Instagram giveaways may seem straightforward, but there's a huge difference between a good giveaway and a great one.

A great Instagram giveaway will support your overarching marketing goals, tap into your target audience, and support your brand values.

Step #1: Determine Your Marketing Goals 

The first step towards running a successful Instagram contest is to understand what you want to achieve.

The best and most successful Instagram contests are intentional and well thought out, with a clear underlying goal.

Do you want to grow your following? Give back to your community? Promote a product? Boost brand awareness? Raise awareness of a social issue? Increase engagement? Show affinity with another brand?

Having a crystal clear vision of your goals will help fine-tune your strategy and keep your campaign on track.

Step #2: Decide on an Instagram Giveaway Prize 

Next up, it’s important to consider exactly what you’ll be giving away --  a compelling prize that elicits excitement and motivates users to enter is the name of the game. 

Make sure the prize is relevant and fits your audience’s needs. Whether it’s a ​​product, service, or experience, you’ll want to choose a prize that’s enticing to both your existing and target audience.  

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)

You can get super creative here. if you were to partner with another brand, what brand does your audience really love? What products or experiences would make your community feel great right now?

And it doesn't have to be something directly within your industry. For example, beauty retailer SpaceNK partnered with a luxury retreat destination to offer their community the opportunity to win an exclusive getaway.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)

When you have a few ideas lined up, test them out! Ask a few of your community members if they'd be excited by the opportunity to win the prize, and whether they'd be motivated enough to like, tag friends in, or share the post.

Step #3: Set the Entry Criteria 

Once you've got your eye on the prize, you'll need to define how someone can enter your giveaway. This will all depend on your goals (see Step #1).

For example, if your top goal is to attract new followers, you'll want to make sure that following your account is part of the entry requirements. You might also want to specify that entrants must tag 3-5 friends to be eligible.

You’ll also need to cover some of the admin details, such as:

  • How long will the contest run for? Specify closing dates and don’t forget to include timezones.

  • Will your contest be open to certain countries?

  • Is there an age limit? If your contest is only open to ages 18 and above, note that.

  • Include  Instagram’s

    regarding promotions on the app.

These details may seem a little boring, but transparency is key for a successful giveaway.

Step #4: Promote Your Instagram Giveaway 

Now it’s time to launch your giveaway.  

For example, if you’re on Instagram, announce your contest through a grid post, story, and Reel -- take advantage of all avenues. 

​​Be sure to use a strong image for the post itself and include a clear call-to-action in your caption to encourage as many entries as possible.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)

For the best results, don't forget to share your announcement post at your best time to post. 

If your brand lives on multiple platforms (aka Twitter, TikTok, Facebook) consider cross-promoting for additional reach. 

TIP: Re-promote your Instagram giveaway on stories before the contest ends!

Ready to find your best days and times to post on Instagram? The feature is available on all paid plans. Upgrade now!

How to Pick a Winner on Instagram 

If you want to host an Instagram giveaway, it's important to have a fair and objective process in place to select a winner.

To do this, you can manually add all entries to a spreadsheet and use the random function to generate a winner. However, this can be quite a time-consuming process.

Alternatively, you can use an automated system to speed things up, such as:

  • Easypromos Easypromos uses the official Instagram API to import all the comments from your giveaway post to help determine if users entered the contest correctly and help you randomly select a winner.

  • Instagram Comment Picker This free and trusted tool does all the heavy lifting for you by selecting a random name from any contest ran through an Instagram Business or Creator account.

  • Wishpond Wishpond allows you to easily manage and monitor your Instagram giveaway by ​​keeping track of all entries -- their tools will help you determine a randomized winner.

Whichever option you choose, always make sure your process is fair and (if required) transparent. Trust is important on Instagram -- and a sketchy giveaway can do more harm to a brand's reputation than good.

3 Inspiring Instagram Giveaway Ideas

As we've already covered, there are tons of ways you can approach an Instagram giveaway. 

To provide some context, here are three different tactics you can take inspiration from:

#1: Introduce the Triple Threat: Tag, Follow, and Share to Enter

One of the most popular strategies to gain social traction is through a tag, follow, and share entry requirement. This format is a super straightforward and clear way to gain tons of engagement from various lanes on a single post.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)

F. Miller used this tactic like a pro by asking users to tag a friend for a chance to win their fifth-anniversary Necessity Kit.

#2: Partner with a Brand that Taps into Your Target Audience

Not only is teaming up with a like-minded brand an easy way to leverage their audience, it's also a great way to ensure you're attracting the right followers.

Think about it: double the traction, double the engagement. It's a win-win. 

For example, Fresh Restaurants collaborated with their health enthusiast neighbor, Spinco to launch the ultimate workout package giveaway. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)

In a combination of various social requirements, users had to follow both accounts, like the post, tag their favorite workout buddy, and share on their Instagram Story for five additional entries -- generating a lot of engagement.  

#3: Generate a Social Buzz With a Task-based Entry 

For a creative spin on an entry, you can ask your followers to whip up a caption, answer a question, or create a piece of content to enter your giveaway.  

This type of entry requires a little more effort from users, but it's an awesome way to build brand loyalty and wider awareness. 

For example, documentary maker Louis Theroux encouraged his audience to redesign the cover of his new book, Gotta Get Theroux This, for the chance to win a signed copy.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)

This creative concept amassed over 13K likes and 585 comments, while the contributions were shared widely on social.

With a slew of audience-building advantages, Instagram contests are a treasure-trove for driving engagement.

Brands both large and small are taking advantage of Instagram giveaways to increase visibility, drive social shares, and boost brand awareness.

Turn Instagram into a traffic-driver for your content with Later’s Linkin.bio feature — available for free!

How to run a giveaway on Instagram in 2022

After creating an online store on Instagram, the page needs to be promoted to attract customers. One of the best ways to do this is by giving away prizes. In this article, we will tell you how to conduct draws, about their varieties and the goals that they solve.

What is the purpose of Instagram giveaways and contests? But contests have their own special benefits, which are especially useful on Instagram. By using this promotion method, you will increase user engagement. They will start mentioning you, liking, commenting on your posts and sharing posts more often. Profile engagement and mentions are important success factors in the social network, without which page promotion is impossible.

By making your profile more recognizable, you will attract subscribers and new customers. You can read more about this in the article about Instagram algorithms in 2022.

How to run an Instagram raffle based on comments

Before the raffle, it is important to decide on the prize that the winner will receive. This approach will be correct for any type of draw. In the case of an online store, the best gift will be a product or a discount on purchases. After you choose a prize, you can think through the rest of the details of the draw.

The mechanics of the draw based on comments is extremely simple - the user needs to leave a comment under the post with the action. What kind of comment it will be depends on the conditions of the competition. If you want to add interactivity, then, for example, invite users to tell why they subscribed to you. It is not necessary to complicate the competition too much, so as not to discourage people from participating.

It's best to allow any comments, but with the condition that subscribers like the post and tag their friends. Clarify that you can leave an unlimited number of comments and this will increase the chances of winning. You will solve two problems at once - increase engagement and attract new users to your page. Thanks to active commenting, the post will be promoted on Instagram and attract additional attention.

MasterZoo giveaway collected 1292 comments with 9 friends tagged0006 There is no need to delay the drawing by comments. The optimal duration is one to two weeks. After that, you can choose the winner. To do this, use randomizers that will give out a random number and this comment will be the winner. Also, there are specialized services for choosing winners, such as YouToGift or LIZONAIR.

The store posted a video with the process of choosing the winner in stories

The draw through stories

The draw through stories is in many ways similar to the draw by comments. You need to make a post with a contest, and users need to write under it. The main condition is that they must repost the contest to their stories and mark your profile. The point is that regular reposts to the feed are less effective. Firstly, users make them reluctantly so as not to clog their page, and secondly, stories are viewed more often than regular posts.

Comfy combined the mechanics of drawing through stories and comments

The choice of the winner is carried out according to the already familiar scheme, with the help of a randomizer. Stories are stored for 24 hours, so it is advisable to hold the draw in a short time. But even if the history disappears, you can still check if the user has fulfilled the condition. By going to direct, you will see a notification about the mark.

Despite the relative complexity of the organization of the draw, it allows you to reach a large audience. Thanks to the repost, the subscribers of your subscribers will see the post and, possibly, go to your profile. The raffle through stories will give impetus to the development of new pages with a small number of readers. This effect can be enhanced by enlisting the help of popular bloggers. We wrote earlier about how to order advertising from bloggers.

Draw through hashtags

The essence of the draw through hashtags is that users make thematic posts on their pages, according to your conditions. For example, you will announce a competition for the best photo with your products and come up with a special hashtag for it. To participate in the contest, the user must post a post, tag you and write a hashtag. The winner will be the one who gets the most likes or who you choose yourself.

The hashtag draw is suitable for profiles that already have an impressive audience of subscribers. The competition will further promote the brand. Pay attention to the prize - make it valuable so that users have an incentive to complete your task and be original. Here are some contest ideas you can use:

  • a story about his acquaintance with the store;

  • product display in action;

  • unpacking of goods;

  • short video review of the product;

  • holiday themed photo.

A jewelry store came up with a draw through hashtags with difficult conditions, but valuable prizes

Conclusion

Instagram pranks cost you little but promote your profile well. Start with a simple comment raffle that works for profiles with any number of followers. And then try all kinds of pranks and see which one will be the most successful. But remember that all efforts to promote the store on Instagram can be multiplied by zero if the account is blocked. To accumulate your success, we recommend opening an online store with a separate website where users from Instagram will go.

how to conduct and what are — LiveDune Blog

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How to run a contest or giveaway on Instagram

Contests and giveaways on Instagram provide an opportunity to increase the engagement of subscribers, reach new audiences and increase brand awareness. But before you start the first activity, you need to familiarize yourself with some important rules.

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How to run a contest or giveaway on Instagram

How to draw on Instagram comments

How to draw on stories

Creative contest ideas

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Difference between a giveaway and an Instagram contest

between two terms. These are not interchangeable words at all, but completely different activities, with their own rules.

Draw is a free game of chance. Participants perform simple actions, for example, write comments, mark / repost in stories, subscribe, put likes. Among them, the one who will receive the prize is randomly selected.

Competition is a prize promotion where participants complete activities or tasks that can be scored. Here you need to show your skills and show your skills. Unlike free giveaways, there can be different conditions for participating in a contest: paid entry, purchase of a product, a review about you or your service, a photo of a participant with a product, some kind of creative task, etc.

How to run a contest or draw on Instagram

In order for the contest/draw to go smoothly, you need to indicate all the conditions and organizational points so that you are not bombarded with questions in Direct, and users do not have questions about the honesty of the results.

Timing

Clearly define the date and time when you will start and finish accepting applications, taking into account the time zone.

Restrictions for participation

Announce the restrictions for participation, if any: age, location, type of account (for example, to keep it open during the contest/draw).

Conditions of entry

Describe all the steps to enter a contest or sweepstakes. For example, write a funny caption for a photo in a comment and follow your account. Like and tag friends in the comments, etc.

The winner and his prize

Specify how many winners are planned, how and when they will be chosen, randomly or according to some criteria. Will there be a recording of the summing up or a live broadcast will be organized. Explain how the winner will receive the prize and who pays for shipping.

Explain how the winner finds out about the prize. Maybe it will be a separate post dedicated to the results and you will mark the winner. Or just send the winner a private message in Direct.

It is worth considering that the more actions you ask participants to perform, the higher the value of the prize should be - people need an incentive. To have as many participants in the contest/draw as possible, you can run ads or use free promotion methods.

Before starting the draw/competition, we recommend creating response templates in LiveDune, they will allow you to quickly answer the same type of questions in Direct.

Prize options for contests and sweepstakes

The key to a successful contest is a good valuable prize for your audience, otherwise users simply won't want to participate. For extra stimulation, multiple winners can be made (depending on budget), as the more chances users see to win, the more likely they are to participate.

Gift options:

  • Brands can give away some of their products. For example, a women's clothing store can donate a dress from a new collection. If the company offers services - a certificate for a certain amount or access to the service.
  • Bloggers can also win a certificate for a store or their information product. It can be anything: a place on a course, a personal consultation, an individual training program, a recipe book, etc.

You can also get ideas from competitors. Analyze which contest posts got the most comments and likes, most likely, it was the prize that helped to get such a reaction.

How to draw on Instagram comments

The purpose of the giveaway: increase engagement, reach and attract new subscribers.

Variations of conditions:

  • participation from a real and non-commercial, open page;
  • following an account and liking posts;
  • repost in stories;
  • tag friends in comments;
  • in addition, you can ask in the comments to tell about yourself or share your opinion.

How to sum up the draw: connect your account to LiveDune and use the "Monitoring" module to upload comments from the desired post to Excel. This is a quick and convenient way, even if there are several thousand comments under the post with the draw.

    Next, turn on screen recording or broadcast live. In the randomizer of numbers, enter a range of numbers - the number of participants in the drawing, in this case, the number of uploaded comments. For example, if you uploaded 2500 comments, specify the range from 1 to 2500. Click on the "Generate" button.

    The resulting number is your winner. Go to the Excel file with comments and find the participant with the winning number (in our case 73). Check the participant for fulfillment of all conditions of the draw , announce the winner and write him the good news. You can duplicate the total in stories and post by adding a mention of the winner.

      How to draw in stories

      The rules for drawing stories are built on the same principles as those for comments. The difference is that there are only 24 hours to fulfill all the conditions. Also, drawing on stories is completely convenient, since you manually need to look at each mark and give the participant a serial number.

      According to the standard conditions, the participant must repost the post with the draw or a screenshot, post it in his stories, adding a mention of the organizer. After that, the organizer receives a notification in Direct, where he awards the participant a serial number and sends it back in a message. The winner is then chosen using a randomizer.

        Ideas for creative contests on Instagram

        People willingly participate in contests where they need to show their skills. The main thing is not to complicate the conditions and make participation as simple as possible.

        1. Selfie Contest

        Ask participants to post a photo of themselves using your product, or with the product somewhere in the background. Create a unique hashtag that, according to the conditions of the contest, participants must use when posting a photo. At the end of the contest, choose the photo you like the most.