Why are Instagram Giveaways so buzz-worthy, and how can you run an Instagram giveaway to get your social media to the next level?
In the economy, there’s a term called “the zero price effect.” In plain English, that simply means – people love free stuff. Most of us tend to get excited about getting a product completely for free, whether we need it or not.
And that’s where Instagram giveaways hit the social media scene:
You’re giving away products in exchange for likes, follows, comments, and shares? So, you essentially receive free promotion from your followers? No wonder giveaways have become one of the best promotional strategies on this social platform!
80% of all users on Instagram follow at least one business profile; that’s reason enough to consider hosting one yourself.
Is it worth it? The benefits? Engagement? We’ll answer all of these questions right here – right now – and show you how to run an Instagram giveaway.
So, let’s put Instagram giveaways to the test and see if they’re worth it.
Newsflash… They definitely are!
Get ready to unlock the secrets behind these limited-time promotions that can make your brand shine on social media, attract a fresh flock of fans, and help you achieve your marketing goals.
What Is An Instagram Giveaway?
As mentioned, hosting a giveaway on Instagram is the perfect strategy to increase your follower count, boost brand awareness, and drive organic traffic to your website. That’s why today, we’re diving headfirst into the exhilarating world of Instagram giveaways.
Looking for more Followers?
So, What’s The Deal With Instagram Giveaways?
If you’ve been cruising through your Instagram feed, chances are you’ve stumbled upon an Instagram giveaway or two.
These tempting contests are the go-to strategy for big and small businesses, aiming to captivate their audience, generate major excitement around their latest products or services, and skyrocket their social media followings.
In a nutshell, an Instagram giveaway is like a ticking time bomb of awesomeness.
Picture this:
A brand or creator offers a fabulous product or service as a prize, and participants – their followers – have the chance to enter the contest based on specific requirements set by the giveaway organizer.
So, in essence, they’ll promote your product and brand by liking, sharing, or commenting on the giveaway post, hoping to win a prize in return.
Are Instagram Giveaways Legal?
Before you go full steam ahead, let’s go over the legal nitty-gritty of Instagram giveaway rules and see if Instagram giveaways are, indeed, legal.
You don’t want any legal drama raining on your parade, do you?
Drumroll, please…
Yes, Instagram giveaways are completely legal! You can spread the giveaway contest joy without breaking laws or causing a stir.
Of course, you’ll have to stick to Instagram’s terms and guidelines – with some common sense sprinkled on top. On that note, before running an Instagram giveaway, be sure to get familiar with Instagram promotion guidelines and keep the following in mind:
You’re responsible for the lawful operation of an Instagram contest, including the contest rules, compliance with rules and regulations, and age- or location-based participation restrictions.
You must include a statement to release Instagram of any associations with the contest and declare that it’s not sponsored or endorsed by the social media platform.
9 Reasons To Run An Instagram Contest
By now, you’re probably full of Instagram giveaway ideas and itching to launch your first Instagram contest. But before you do, we’d like to add a cherry on top – and share the most notable benefits of running an Instagram giveaway.
Sure, we’ve already hinted at some of these benefits – but let’s go over them in more detail. So, if you’re still looking for reasons to host an Instagram giveaway in the first place, here’s how it can benefit your Instagram account – besides promoting your business on social media:
1. Supercharge Your Follower Growth
If you want to skyrocket your Instagram followers count, a successful giveaway is the secret sauce you need. Research shows that Instagram profiles running giveaways experience a 70% faster follower growth rate within three months.
When you host giveaways, you offer something valuable for free, which can help you attract new followers, make them feel appreciated, build strong relationships – and get potential customers, even after the contest ends.
2. Boost Brand Awareness & Post Engagement
Giveaways are an excellent tool for boosting brand awareness among new audiences. With exciting prizes and engaging Instagram contests, you’ll capture the attention of IG users who may have yet to discover your brand.
As Instagram users engage with your giveaway post, they spread the word, amplifying your brand’s visibility on social media. And higher engagement on your contest posts can mean two things:
Instagram will show your posts on your followers’ feeds more regularly
The more engagement the Instagram posts receive, the higher the chance of them being featured on the Explore Page
It’s a win-win situation. You get the needed exposure – while also giving participants a chance to win cool prizes.
3. Diversity In Your Audience
Instagram giveaways will help you attract new faces of all kinds of profiles and backgrounds on social media. That equals an even broader audience for your brand.
And diversity in your audience is always a good idea!
4. Drive Website Traffic
If you need a boost in website traffic – look no further than an Instagram giveaway.
Incorporating your website into the giveaway entry criteria can drive traffic and encourage participants to explore your products and services further. It’s like a virtual open house where you showcase what you offer and entice potential customers to check out more of your website.
5. Engaging, Fun, & Easy
Now, let’s talk about the fun part:
Instagram giveaways are not only highly effective; they’re also enjoyable for your audience. People love the excitement of winning something – and by hosting a giveaway, you’re creating a positive and memorable experience.
Plus, giveaways are easy to set up, run, and replicate, making them a hassle-free marketing strategy for businesses of all sizes.
6. Strengthen Relationships With Existing & Loyal Followers
Don’t forget about your loyal followers!
Giveaways are a fantastic way to engage and reward your existing followers, fostering a deeper emotional connection with them. You’ll keep them excited and eager to interact with your future social media content by showing appreciation for their support.
7. Collab With Influencers
Giveaways can also open doors to influencer collaborations.
As you may know, partnering with well-established influencers in your niche could help you reach new audiences, increase brand exposure, and drive traffic to your website. That is to say:
The power of influencer marketing combined with a well-executed Instagram giveaway can work wonders for your brand.
8. Generate User-Generated Content
One of the hidden gems of giveaways is the user-generated content they generate.
Encourage participants to create Instagram posts featuring your product (or service) as part of the entry criteria, and you’ll gather a treasure trove of authentic content that boosts brand trust and acts as social proof for potential customers.
Basically, it’s like having an army of brand ambassadors spreading the word about your awesomeness. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
9. Increase Brand Trustworthiness
Last but not least, successful Instagram giveaways can significantly improve your brand’s trustworthiness and help you build a rock-solid reputation that stands the test of time.
You’ll create a positive image that resonates with your target audience by offering valuable prizes, engaging with participants, and delivering on your promises – which could help them perceive your brand as reliable, trustworthy, and worth following.
How To Run An Instagram Giveaway?
Now that you’ve learned what an Instagram giveaway is – and what benefits you’ll get by hosting one – it’s time to take action and start planning a perfect Instagram giveaway post. To help you out, we’ve prepared a six-step process on how to do an Instagram giveaway:
Come up with giveaway prize ideas
Curate the theme
Set the contest rules
Watch the time and target audience
Promote your giveaway post
Monitor the results
Voila! You’ll be able to host your first giveaway on Instagram in no time; just follow these six simple steps:
1. The More You Give To Your IG Followers, The More You Get In Return
You can pretty much run a giveaway on Instagram as often as you would like – as long as you keep it fun and engaging, know what works for your business, and remember to use your audience’s feedback.
It’s important to give the people what they want every now and then – and you know that your followers are always excited about the chance to win something.
As for you… Well, it’s always nice to welcome new faces.
We weren’t joking when we said it earlier, “The more you give to your followers on Instagram – the more you’ll get in return.“
2. Choose A Great Giveaway Prize For Your Audience
Okay, let’s talk about choosing the giveaway prize. There’s one golden rule you should keep in mind here:
Always choose a prize that’s directly related to your brand.
If you’re a business that already sells physical products and you want to run a giveaway on Instagram, the prize is right under your nose.
You can use your products as the prize!
On the other hand, let’s say you don’t sell physical products and don’t have your own products to give away. That’s fine, too.
Here’s what you’ll do – or, more specifically, not do:
Try giving away some products from brands you’ve worked with – or wish to collaborate with in the near future. And if you don’t have any in mind, a gift card will do the trick too. Most importantly, though, try to find a relevant prize that is related to your niche.
Here’s how ME to WE has partnered up with The Giving Keys to host this Instagram giveaway:
Bonus Tip
If you’d like to give away your own product, consider including multiple products as prizes. It makes the Instagram contest more intriguing. On a related note, be sure to state the correct retail value of the products you’re giving away.
3. Theme It Up To Create The Perfect Giveaway Instagram Post
All Instagram account Giveaways should have their own theme.
What kind of theme?
Well, that’s entirely up to you and your creativity – but we do have some useful pointers:
Most businesses do thematic giveaways on Instagram for a big holiday. It’s not uncommon to see a Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter-themed Instagram giveaway, for example.
You don’t need to wait all year round for one of those, though. You can “celebrate” virtually anything – a new launch, a big milestone, or even your brand’s birthday. Whatever the case, center the whole giveaway around your brand and theme.
Look at how Creeksideclocks hosted this Christmas-themed Instagram giveaway:
Getting really creative with your Instagram giveaway doesn’t stop there. You might want to consider spicing things up and adding a branded giveaway hashtag.
Not only will it spread the word about your brand on IG, but it can also be used as one of Instagram’s rules or requirements to enter the giveaway. Speaking of Instagram rules, let’s move on to our next step…
4. I Got New Rules, I Count ‘Em
Let’s talk about priorities for a moment:
What would you like to accomplish? In other words, what are your Instagram giveaway goals?
Do you need more followers? Require the contestants to follow you.
Do you want more engagement? Require them to comment and tag one to three friends.
Do you want to improve your reach? Require them to share your giveaway post on their Instagram Stories or with other users.
You get the idea.
Make sure that the requirements are neatly written, either in the Instagram contest post or in the caption. And, of course, remember to wish them good luck!
Here’s an example of some commonly used entry criteria:
Like the photo
Follow your Instagram profile
Share the photo
Leave a comment
Use your branded campaign hashtag
Tag friends in the Instagram comments section
Be sure not to make your list of rules too long, though. Many people won’t participate because of that.
5. Time Is Of The Essence
It’s crucial to choose an appropriate deadline for your Instagram giveaway. If it’s too long, people may forget about it. But if you make it too short, you won’t reach your giveaway’s full potential.
Decide how many participants you’d like to get first – and based on that number, you can determine how much time it may take for the word about your giveaway to spread.
To create the best estimate, think about your Instagram giveaway goals:
What are you trying to accomplish? How much time do you need?
Remember that most Instagram giveaways last from 24 hours to a week, depending on the size of your prize and the number of contestants.
It depends on what you’re hoping to accomplish, so, in that sense, it ultimately comes down to you.
Oh, and while you’re at it, take a moment to figure out when’s the best time to post your giveaway on Instagram. You know your audience best, after all.
6. Evaluate Your Instagram Giveaway Results
Achieving the results you want in the future is only possible by monitoring previous attempts. We’ve listed things you can do to evaluate the giveaway results. That way, you can always backtrack and see what you can improve in the future.
Since these Instagram contests can benefit both you and your audience, improvement in both engagement and participation levels is at stake.
Here’s what data you should track during – and after – giveaways on Instagram:
Number of social media followers
Likes, shares, and comments
Clicks from your Instagram page to your website
Number of emails received from the participants
Total number of participants
The most active participants during the contest
Properly evaluating each piece of information available will help you find structure and, more specifically, identify the weaker and stronger points of each Instagram contest.
Follower feedback is probably the most important part of it, though:
Their experience will directly influence the current and future number of participants – and the level of exposure, too.
Bonus Tip: How To Promote Your Instagram Giveaway?
There are two things you’ll rely on when it comes to promotion – your creativity and your budget. That is to say, promoting your Instagram contest is probably going to involve some paid ads on platforms like Meta, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Facebook is arguably the best option for advertising; their targeting is based on interest, meaning you can specifically target people who will most likely participate in your Instagram giveaway.
That’s a jackpot for newer businesses that haven’t gathered a huge following yet.
It can take time to generate a ton of organic traffic on your own, especially considering that Instagram changes its algorithm quite often.
If you’d like to go down the “free” route, you can simply announce it in a blog post or on your Facebook page. And sometimes, even reaching out to your audience can be enough – especially if you already have a large and loyal following.
Of course, it’s best to explore all available options.
Instagram Giveaway FAQ
Q: How do you pick a random winner on Instagram giveaway?
Choosing a winner for your Instagram giveaway doesn’t have to be a headache-inducing task. You can keep things fair – and simple – by using Instagram giveaway picker tools. There are lots of dedicated platforms that essentially serve as a random generator tool and do the heavy lifting for you.
Q: Do Instagram giveaways increase followers?
Yes! Running Instagram giveaways can be a total game-changer in terms of boosting your number of followers. It can actually help you get your brand in the spotlight, grabbing the attention of potential followers who might not have even known you existed. Moreover, it’s a way to raise awareness and improve exposure – and it does wonders for engagement, too. Most people can’t resist participating, which means more likes, comments, and shares for your content.
Q: How do you write a killer Instagram giveaway post?
Crafting an Instagram giveaway post that grabs attention and has people scrambling to enter is an art form in and of itself. Here are key tips to help you create a successful Instagram contest post that will attract the right audience:
Make participation a piece of cake: Lay the entry steps crystal clear so anyone can join in without feeling like they need a degree in rocket science.
Let visuals do the talking: Your post’s image should be a tantalizing taste of the goodies. Visual appeal is half the battle when it comes to attracting more participants.
Use the call-to-action wisely: Start your Instagram contest post with an attention-grabbing call-to-action that stirs up excitement and motivates people to jump on board.
Shout out that prize: Don’t bury the lead. Highlight the fantastic award right at the beginning of your post, ensuring it steals the show and hooks your audience’s attention from the get-go.
Rules are cool: Keep things fair and transparent to ensure everyone’s on the same page.
Sound the deadline alarm: Declare the end date of your giveaway loud and clear. Create that FOMO (fear of missing out) by instilling a sense of urgency.
Ready To Run Your First Successful Instagram Giveaway?
At this point, you know how to run an Instagram giveaway and probably have a contest ready and waiting in your drafts. These tips and tricks aside, a huge portion of the project relies on your creativity and input – and as “cliché” as it may sound, it’s true:
The secret to a killer Instagram giveaway is to – well, put your heart and soul into it. So, get those creative gears turning, think outside the box, and let your brand’s true colors shine. Putting a lot of thought, originality, and time into your Instagram giveaway – that’s the real trick right there.
Oh, and before you go, we’d like to suggest something:
If you’re ready to level up your Instagram game and have fun while achieving remarkable results, why not give Flock Social a whirl?
We have the tools and expert guidance needed to help you gain more Instagram followers and achieve all your Instagram marketing goals.
Start your journey with Flock Social today – and watch your brand soar to new heights!
