In 2023, Instagram will reach a milestone of 1.35 billion monthly active users. Running promotional campaigns like giveaway contests on this platform will reach a large audience. But how to do a giveaway on Instagram? Read on the blog to learn all the essential steps to plan and execute a successful Instagram giveaway.
Table of Contents
Why Run a Giveaway on Instagram?
Knowing why you should run a giveaway on Instagram will help you set your goals and success metrics for the campaign. Here are some reasons why running a giveaway on Instagram is beneficial:
Increase Brand Awareness
Running a giveaway on Instagram is an excellent way to boost your brand visibility. When participants share your giveaway with their followers or tag their friends, it significantly expands your reach. This type of organic sharing can lead to increased brand recognition and recall.
Engagement Boost
Giveaways are interactive and exciting, encouraging users to engage with your brand. This interaction could be in the form of likes, shares, comments, or tags. High engagement rates improve your standing with the Instagram algorithm and foster a sense of community and customer loyalty.
Lead Generation
Instagram giveaways can serve as an effective lead-generation tool. By asking participants to provide their email addresses or complete a form to enter the giveaway, you can build a valuable list of potential customers who have shown interest in your brand or products.
Follower Growth
Holding a giveaway can significantly increase your follower count. Many brands include “follow our account” as a prerequisite for entering the giveaway, attracting many new followers. It’s a simple and quick way to grow your audience on Instagram.
Product Promotion
If you’re launching a new product or service, an Instagram giveaway can help create a buzz. By using the new product as a prize, you can draw attention to it, showcase its benefits, and stimulate interest among your audience.
Can You Run Paid Giveaway Ads on Instagram?
Yes, you can run paid giveaway ads besides free organic promotions. Running paid ads on Instagram can significantly boost your giveaway contest and reach even more people. You can target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors to ensure your ad reaches the right audience.
When running a giveaway promotion, you must be cautious about setting the entry rule. According to Instagram’s promotion guidelines, you can’t ask users to tag themselves in content they aren’t depicted in. Avoid using such rules while running paid giveaways.
Hey, don’t be confused with the tagging and mentioning. You can ask users to mention their friends in the comment section to enter a giveaway, but you can’t ask them to tag themselves on your product photo. There’s a subtle difference between asking someone to tag and mentioning.
Read also: Can You Run a Giveaway Contest on Threads (An Instagram App)?
How to Do a Giveaway on Instagram for Your Brand: 12 Easy Steps
It’s time to dive into the essential steps of running a successful giveaway on Instagram.
Step 1. Define Your Goals and Objectives
Before you begin your Instagram giveaway, it’s crucial to clearly define your goals and objectives. Ask yourself why you’re running the giveaway. Is it to increase brand awareness, boost engagement, generate leads, grow your follower base, or promote a new product?
Having clear objectives will guide your planning process and help measure the success of your campaign.
For example, suppose you’re a fitness apparel brand launching a new line of workout gear. Your primary goal could be to promote the new product line. Secondary objectives might include increasing brand awareness and boosting follower growth. You could run a giveaway where the prize is a complete outfit from your new collection.
Step 2. Giveaway Type Selection
I would say this is the most challenging step for any marketer. Brainstorming giveaway types that align with your brand and goals can be tough, but it’s also the most fun part of planning a giveaway.
Here are some popular Instagram giveaway types to get you started:
- Like, Comment & Mention Giveaway: Ask users to like your post, comment on it, and mention their friends to enter the contest. This promotes engagement and increases brand visibility.
- Hashtag Giveaway: Encourage users to post a photo with your branded hashtag to enter the giveaway. This will help increase brand awareness and user-generated content.
- Follow & Repost Giveaway: Ask users to follow your account, repost your post, and tag you in the caption to enter. This can help in increasing follower count, engagement, and brand visibility.
- User-Generated Content Giveaway: Ask users to post a photo using your product or service and tag your account to enter the contest. This can help generate user-generated content and boost brand awareness.
Read also: 15 Best Instagram Contest Ideas
Step 3. Set the Giveaway Rules
You have to set the rules and regulations according to the types of giveaways. Here are some general rules you should follow while running a giveaway on Instagram:
- Clearly state the entry rule and eligibility criteria in your post caption.
- Specify the giveaway start and end dates.
- Include any necessary hashtags or mentions for tracking purposes.
- Mention how the winner will be chosen, announced, and contacted.
- List any other terms or conditions that participants should be aware of.
Step 4. Select the Prize
The selection of the prize is a crucial part of your Instagram giveaway. It should be something that your target audience will find valuable and enticing. The prize can be one of your products, a gift card, or even a bundle of various items.
The key is to ensure that it aligns with your brand and is relevant to your audience. For example, if you’re a cruelty-free makeup brand, you could offer a bundle of your best-selling products as the prize.
Alternatively, you could collaborate with a complementary brand to create a more valuable prize bundle. For example, a fitness apparel brand could partner with a health food company and a gym to create a ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ package.
Remember, the more attractive and relevant the prize, the more entries you’ll likely get.
Step 5. Create Eye-Catching Visuals
Instagram is a visual platform, and your giveaway posts need to be visually appealing to grab your audience’s attention. Use high-quality images or videos that showcase the prize and incorporate eye-catching graphics or animations.
To create the visuals, you can use graphic design tools like Canva or Adobe Photoshop or hire a professional designer if budget allows.
You can also use Instagram’s features like filters, stickers, and GIFs to make your post more engaging. Remember to keep the design consistent with your brand’s aesthetic.
Step 6. Write Caption for Giveaway Post
Your caption is where you can convey all the essential details about your giveaway, including the entry rules and eligibility criteria. It’s also an opportunity to showcase your brand’s personality and tone.
Make sure your caption is concise, clear, and engaging. You can use emojis, call-to-actions, and hashtags to make it visually appealing. You may check out my detailed blog on how to write the caption of an Instagram giveaway post.
Step 7: Promote the Giveaway
Promoting your giveaway is as essential as planning it. There are two primary methods to promote your giveaway – organic and paid.
Organic Promotion:
Organic promotion utilizes free tools and channels to spread the word about your giveaway. Here are some strategies:
- Leverage your existing follower base: Share your giveaway on your Instagram profile, stories, and reels. Encourage your followers to participate and share the giveaway with their followers.
- Use relevant hashtags: Using popular and relevant hashtags can help your giveaway post reach more people. Make sure to use a mix of generic and specific hashtags.
- Promote on other social media platforms: If you have a presence on other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, use those platforms to promote your giveaway.
- Mention in Newsletters: If you have a subscriber list, mention your giveaway in your newsletter.
- Collaborate with influencers: Working with influencers with a considerable follower base can amplify your giveaway’s reach.
Paid Promotion:
Paid promotion involves investing money to reach a wider audience. Here are some ways to do it:
- Instagram Ads: Instagram offers several ad formats like photo ads, video ads, carousel ads, and story ads. You can target your ads based on demographics, location, interests, and behavior.
- Promoted Posts: This refers to paying Instagram to boost your giveaway post’s visibility. This can be an effective way to reach more people and get more entries.
- Influencer Partnerships: Besides organic collaborations, you can pay influencers to promote your giveaway to their followers.
- Facebook Ads: As Facebook owns Instagram, you can use Facebook Ads Manager to run ads on Instagram.
Remember, a combination of organic and paid promotions will ensure that your giveaway reaches the maximum number of people.
Step 8. Select the Winner
Selecting the winner is the last and crucial part of your Instagram giveaway. You can employ various methods to ensure a fair and transparent process.
Use an Instagram Giveaway Picker:
Several online tools automatically pick a winner for you. Tools such as Pickaw or Comment Picker randomly select a winner from the comments. All you need to do is input the URL of your giveaway post, and the tool will select a winner.
Use a Random Number Generator:
If your giveaway involves participants commenting with a unique number, you can use a random number generator to pick the winner. Websites like Random.org or Google’s inbuilt random number generator can help.
Live Draw:
Holding a live draw on Instagram can be an exciting way to select the winner. You can host the live draw and use Instagram’s Live feature or external apps like StreamYard. This method ensures complete transparency and builds excitement among your followers.
Check out the below video for more practical knowledge of picking up a Instagram giveaway winner.
Step 9. Announce winner Name
Announcing the winner is a significant part of a successful Instagram giveaway. When announcing the winner, it’s crucial to maintain excitement and engagement.
Craft a post congratulating the winner while expressing gratitude for all the participants. Include an image or video of the winner or the prize to keep the post visually engaging. Tag the winner in your post and encourage them to share their winning moment on their profile.
Also, maintain transparency by providing details on how the winner was selected. After the announcement, don’t forget to update your original giveaway post to indicate that the winner has been announced to prevent new entries.
Step 10. Notify the Winner
Once the winner has been selected and announced, it’s crucial to notify them promptly. Reach out to them via a direct message on Instagram, congratulating them and providing details about how they can claim their prize.
Not only DM, you can notify the winner by commenting on their entry comment, tagging them in a story or post, or even sending an email if you have their contact information. If possible, you can also call the winner to personally congratulate them.
Make sure to mention any necessary steps or requirements, such as providing a shipping address for physical prizes. If the winner fails to respond within a certain time frame, you may need to select and notify a new winner.
Always maintain professionalism and enthusiasm in your communication to reinforce a positive image of your brand.
Step 11. Ship the Prize
Now that you’ve notified the winner, it’s time to ship the prize. Pack the prize carefully and choose a reliable shipping carrier with a tracking number to ensure safe delivery. Share the tracking details with the winner so they can keep track of their package.
Also, if your giveaway was open to international participants, research and follow the customs guidelines and fees for shipping internationally.
Step 12. Follow up
After your giveaway is over and the prize has been delivered, following up with the winner is essential. Ask them to share a photo or video of themselves with the prize and tag your brand in their post or story. This will generate more engagement and serve as social proof for future giveaways.
You can also ask the winner for feedback and if they would be comfortable sharing it on your Instagram or other marketing channels. This will help build trust with potential participants for future giveaways.
Lastly, take some time to evaluate the success of your giveaway. Look at the number of entries, engagement, and follower growth during the giveaway period. This will help you understand what worked well and what could be improved for future giveaways.
Don’t forget to thank all your participants for their support and participation in the giveaway. Showing gratitude goes a long way in building positive relationships with your audience.
Conclusion
Now, you should have a good idea of how to run a giveaway on Instagram. Remember, giveaways are a great way to boost brand awareness, engagement, and reach on social media. However, planning and executing them strategically is important for the best results.
Keep your audience in mind when choosing the prize and entry method, and promote your giveaway through different channels. Combining organic and paid promotions can help you reach a larger audience.
Also, selecting a winner fairly and transparently and notifying them are key steps in running a successful giveaway. And don’t forget to follow up with the winner and evaluate the success of your giveaway to improve for future ones.
