Instagram Giveaways A Complete Guide
HOW TO RUN SWEEPSTAKES, CONTESTS, AND CHOOSE A WINNER: Sweepstakes are usually a common tool in social media to achieve different objectives: increase in followers, engagement, notoriety, reach. Today, we will see how to run sweepstakes and contests on Instagram and choose the winner of the Instagram sweepstakes. Still, first, we will specify two concepts that are often confused: the differences between a contest and a raffle.
CONTEST VS. SWEEPSTAKES: IT IS NOT THE SAME.
It is essential to clarify the difference between a giveaway and a contest to know what we are really referring to at all times and what may interest us the most depending on what we want to achieve.
WHAT IS A SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST?
A contest is when the winner or winners are chosen after having achieved the goal set (“The photo with the most votes will be the winner” or “Who gets the question right”) or when a jury decides who deserves the award.
From experience, if we propose a contest, we always opt for a jury to choose. Otherwise, the user who has the most calling capacity or who is willing to use all kinds of techniques to obtain votes will win. And when I say “all kinds of techniques,” I mean buying votes by weight. Yes, as you read.
Some pages sell as many votes as you are willing to pay. And they are not expensive! Therefore, if you choose the first option, specify who is in it. In this case, my recommendation is to make it up to influencers to help you promote the contest and encourage participation.
WHAT IS A SOCIAL MEDIA GIVEAWAY?
A draw is when the winner is randomly chosen by a system that offers guarantees to participants who have met the required requirements.
However, when I say “system that offers guarantees,” I do not mean to put the names of all the participants on pieces of paper, put them in a ballot box and record on video or transmit via Facebook Live – which can be very trending – how an innocent hand gets the name of the winner. If 3,000 people participate, we can be doing little pieces of paper until after Easter. And how to avoid this? It is straightforward, using one of the applications programmed to create giveaways that we will comment on in this post.
MAIN OBJECTIVES OF A GIVEAWAY OR PROMOTION ON INSTAGRAM.
As we pointed out at the beginning, you can achieve different Instagram goals with this type of action. Some of them can be:
- Increase the number of followers.
- Make your profile known to new users under the prescription of those who already know you.
- Increase the interaction of your publications.
- Generate content around your brand or company on Instagram and monitor it under a hashtag.
- Enhance your brand.
You don’t have to achieve just one, but you should set one as your main goal.
APPLICATIONS FOR GIVEAWAYS ON INSTAGRAM: EASYPROMOS AND COOL TABS.
Currently, the two best tools to do giveaways on Instagram are Cool Tabs and Easypromos. The latter has recently included the giveaways on Instagram among users who have commented on a publication among its different options.
With Easypromos, the first draw is always free.
TYPES OF SWEEPSTAKES AND CONTESTS FOR INSTAGRAM.
In any draw or sweepstakes contest, the mechanics must be as simple as possible. The more you complicate it, the fewer users will participate. Therefore, make it as easy as possible.
PHOTO OR VIDEO CONTEST WITH HASHTAG
If your goal is for users to generate content around your brand or to promote it, a perfect option is to create a contest where users, as a mechanic, have to post photos or videos on Instagram where a reference to your product or brand appears and add a hashtag related to your brand.
For this, we have two tools: Easypromos and Cool Tabs. If you don’t know how to create a hashtag, here are some recommendations.
- Easy to remember.
- Brief.
- Related to your brand.
- Easy to write.
- Identification with the campaign.
- Only.
GIVEAWAYS AMONG THOSE WHO HAVE INTERACTED WITH A POST (PHOTO OR VIDEO).
For this type of giveaway, you can use both tools: Cool Tabs or Esyrpromos.
If you decide on the first, Cool Tabs, it is necessary to create the giveaway with Instagram Sweepstakes ( Cool Tabs ) immediately after publishing the photo or video on Instagram on which the giveaway will take place so that the app collects all the interactions correctly.
Giveaways with Instagram Sweepstakes can be between users who comment on a post, mention other users, or comment and add a hashtag.
Since the modification of the Instagram API in April 2018, it is no longer possible to run raffles between followers or those who “like.”
If you opt for Easypromos, the mechanics are the same, and also, the first draw is always free.
Here I explain step by step how to do it with Easypromos.
HOW TO CHOOSE A WINNER ON INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAY?
Next, I will explain how to do a giveaway on Instagram step by step and randomly choose the winner.
- Use Easpromos.
Access the Easypromos giveaway applications page. You will find different options: Facebook giveaways, Twitter giveaways, YouTube giveaways, multi-network … Today, we are interested in the Instagram option. - Connection with your Instagram account.
Connect your Instagram account, select the type of action (giveaway between comments), and select the post or posts. If there are several, you must opt for the “Multi red draw” option. - Requirements
We will indicate if there should be any restriction. For example, we have included a minimum of mentions, and we will indicate how many winners and how many substitutes the tool should randomly choose—a minimum of 1 of each. If you request that they be followers of the account as a requirement, you will have to check it manually. - Choose the winner.
We choose the winner and notify you. As simple as that! - Publication of the results.
Publish the winner’s name, the certificate, and, if you want, the video of the winner’s election on your social networks. Easypromos gives you the possibility to create an animated video of the raffle and download it to publish it on RRSS later.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAYS A SUCCESS.
To do this, take into account the following aspects:
- Promote the giveaway. Make use of all the means you have depending on your budget: through social networks, advertising campaigns in online or offline media, e-mail marketing, banners on the corporate website, through influencers …
- The mechanics, the simpler, the better. I already pointed it out before. Forget those mechanics where you demand to share the publication, mention a friend, follow the account, do the bridge handstand while you fry an egg …
- A well defined legal basis unambiguously without loose ends. Otherwise, any point not considered could give rise to a social media crisis.
- An attractive prize. Often, perceived value is more important than economic value. Also, the award must be related to your brand.
- And the more awards, the better. Users will perceive that they have a better chance of winning.
IDEAS TO MAKE A INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAYS
Below I explain 8 ideas that can help you raise a giveaway on Instagram.
WHO GETS THE QUESTION RIGHT?
Publish a post on Instagram, challenging your followers. How? Very easy. Ask them a question about an aspect of your company, brand, or product, and among all those who get it right, choose the winner. I recommend that the question is not particularly complex. If not, when choosing the winner, it will be more complex.
MENTION THAT FRIEND WHO WILL PARTICIPATE IN INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAYS
You have surely seen this mechanic many times. It is usually used to improve engagement, but it can also serve as a mechanic to run a giveaway. Your followers should mention that friend that the image alludes to. For example, “Mention that friend who always sends half an hour audios.” Among all the comments, you choose the winner. In this case, I recommend that the winner is also the friend mentioned.
COMPLETE THE SENTENCE
A formula to reward your followers is by proposing that they complete a sentence that defines your product or the brand claim. In the image, you can put without the last words or remove some letters.
ALPHABET SOUP
Another very fun giveaway that you can do on Instagram is to hide 7 words related to your brand, product, or service in an alphabet soup. And you propose to your followers to find at least three of them. Among all, you will choose the winner. It’s that easy and fun!
Examples of Instagram Giveaways.
VISUAL CHALLENGE
Here you are going to test the visual ability of your Instagram followers. An example might be that they guess how many coins appear in the image, how many marbles,
UPLOAD YOUR PHOTO WITH MENTION AND #HASHTAG
This raffle mechanic for Instagram consists of your followers uploading a post to their Instagram profile (it must be public) where your product is present or the user is physically in your facilities. But not only this. In the description, you have to mention the advertiser account and add your campaign hashtag.
SELFIE CONTEST ( INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAYS)
Like the previous one, the user must publish their selfie photo on their Instagram profile (not as a story) consuming a product, such as a refreshing drink. Among all the selfies, you will choose the winner.
MULTIPOST DRAW
The main difference with the previous ideas for giveaways is that the winner (s) are not chosen from a single post’s comments but several. With this mechanic, you can propose a different challenge each week and at the end of the month, among all the comments on the posts, choose the winner. With this mechanic, you will see how the percentage of engagement of the account improves.
Finally, let me tell you that if you want to know other strategies to get more real followers on Instagram.
I hope this post, “INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAYS A COMPLETE GUIDE,” has been of interest to you. If you want to know more about how to run raffles on social networks, you can consult the article ” How to run raffles on Twitter ” or ” How to run raffles on Facebook. “ They are sure to be of great interest to you.
