Perfect giveaway on Instagram - everything you need to know

Perfect giveaway on Instagram - everything you need to know
Photo by Don Agnello / Unsplash

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

Why You Should Host an Instagram Giveaway

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

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.

A Step-by-step Guide

Step #1: Determine Your Marketing Goals

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

It’s essential to consider precisely what you’ll be giving away - an exciting prize that elicits excitement and motivates users to enter is the game's name.

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 an enticing award for your existing and target audience.

Step #3: Set the Entry Criteria

If your top goal is to attract new followers, you'll want to ensure that following your account is part of the entry requirements. You might also 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? Note that your contest is only open to ages 18 and above.

These details may seem tedious, but transparency is critical for a successful giveaway.

Step #4: Promote Your Instagram Giveaway

Announce your contest through a grid post, story, and Reel.

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

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

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

Winning Strategy for Small Businesses
Let’s explore some effective tactics to help you succeed on Instagram!

3 Inspiring Instagram Giveaway Ideas

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

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

#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, but 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.

#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 excellent way to build brand loyalty and broader awareness.

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

Are you ready to host a giveaway?
Not sure? We’re here to help you with your strategy, content, and engagement.
If you need any help or have any questions, send me an email at Joanna@goenge.com.

Enjoy Instagramming!