Running Successful Social Media Contests and Giveaways

A social media contest or giveaway can be one of the fastest and most effective ways to generate a surge of excitement and engagement for your brand. When done well, a contest can help you to rapidly grow your following, to increase your brand awareness, and to reward your loyal community.

However, a poorly planned contest can be ineffective or, even worse, can attract the wrong kind of audience. A successful contest requires a clear strategy and a well-managed execution.

Here's a guide to running a successful social media contest or giveaway.

Step 1: Define Your Goal

Before you do anything, you need to know what you are trying to achieve. What is the primary goal of your contest?

• Is it to increase your follower count?
• Is it to increase engagement on your profile?
• Is it to generate user-generated content (UGC)?
• Is it to grow your email list?

Your goal will determine the type of contest you run and the rules you set.

Step 2: Choose an Amazing (and Relevant) Prize

The prize you offer is the most important factor in motivating people to enter.

• It Must Be Valuable: The prize should be exciting enough to be worth the effort of entering.
• It Must Be Relevant to Your Brand: This is crucial. If you just give away a generic prize like an iPad, you will attract a lot of people who have no interest in your actual business. Your prize should be one of your own products, a gift card for your services, or something that is closely related to your brand. This ensures that the people who enter are your actual target audience.

Step 3: Decide on the Type of Contest and the Entry Method

The entry method should be simple, and it should be aligned with your goal.

• If your goal is to increase followers and engagement (most common):
  • The "Like, Follow, and Tag" Contest: This is the classic social media giveaway. The rules are simple:
    1. Like this post.
    2. Follow our account.
    3. Tag a friend in the comments (each tag is an extra entry).
• If your goal is to generate user-generated content:
  • The Photo or Video Contest: Ask your followers to post a photo or a video of themselves with your product and to use a specific branded hashtag. You then choose the best submission as the winner.
• If your goal is to grow your email list:
  • The "Link in Bio" Contest: The call-to-action in your post is to click the link in your bio, which leads to a landing page where the user has to enter their email address to be entered to win.

Step 4: Create Clear Rules and Guidelines

You must have a clear set of rules for your contest. This protects you legally and prevents any confusion. Your rules should include:

• The dates of the contest (start and end).
• Who is eligible to enter (e.g., age or location restrictions).
• How to enter.
• How the winner will be chosen (e.g., randomly, by a judge).
• When and how the winner will be announced.
• A disclaimer that the promotion is not sponsored or endorsed by the social media platform itself (this is required by platforms like Instagram).

Step 5: Promote Your Contest

• Create a Compelling Visual: Your contest announcement post needs a high-quality, eye-catching image or video.
• Use a Clear Headline: Make it obvious that it's a "GIVEAWAY" or a "CONTEST."
• Promote it Everywhere: Announce the contest on all of your social media channels, to your email list, and on your website.
• Use Countdown Timers: In the last 24 hours of the contest, use Instagram Stories with a countdown sticker to create a sense of urgency.

Step 6: Announce the Winner and Follow Through

• Announce the winner publicly when you said you would. You can do this in a new post or in your Stories.
• Contact the winner privately to get their shipping information.
• Follow through on delivering the prize promptly.

Conclusion

A well-planned social media contest can be a fantastic way to inject a burst of energy and growth into your social media presence. By setting a clear goal, by choosing a relevant prize, and by making it easy and fun to enter, you can create an exciting event that will engage your existing community and attract a whole new audience of potential followers and customers.