Winning a free flight to the Maldives and all you have to do is post a cool photo of your sunnies – what could be better?
That’s the enticing play of an Instagram contest, one of the most effective tactics to quickly increase engagement and grow your audience. From selfie competitions to superb giveaways, there are endless ways to plan the perfect Instagram contest.
Not sure where to start? Keep scrolling.
Visually plan your social content. Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn + Pinterest
1. Create an entry method
It is important to define what it will take for your audience to enter the Instagram contest, therefore clearly outlining the entry requirements in your post. Choose between different contest types and feel free to get creative!
Like-to-win / Comment-to-win / Tag-to-win contests
Very simple. A like-to-win contest is one that asks users to like a photo you have posted (and your page) for a chance to win a prize; a comment-to-win contest will also want them to reply to your post; and a tag-to-win contest will incentivise your followers to lead their friends to your page by tagging them in your picture.
Photo Challenge contests – User-Generated Content (UGC)
To enter a photo challenge contest, fans must share a photo on their personal account via feed or Story based on a theme that you selected (and a specific hashtag which we’ll help you choose later). This is ideal to boost an engaged Instagram community and get your name out there!
2. Define a clear theme
If you’re feeling creative and opted for a UGC-based Instagram contest, it’s now time to pick a theme! You might want to choose something that aligns with your market and your niche interests, but don’t hesitate to step on upcoming holidays, current seasons or any other popular trend.
💡 Want the weekly social media trends sent straight to your inbox? 💡
Let us inspire you with some examples!
⭐ Selfies are always a good idea
Jump on the selfie bandwagon and give your audience the opportunity to share their favourite self-portrait! Whether you ask them to feature your brand or just strike a crazy pose in the mirror, this is a great way to generate a successful buzz competition.
@schwarzkopf invited fans to show off their freshest hairstyle for a chance to be the face of the next campaign and win free products! Needless to say, the Instagram contest went VIRAL.
⭐ Introduce your products
If dirty mirrors and kissy faces are not your thing, skip the selfie game and try a different way. Just encourage people to pick their favourite product from your catalogue as a prize they would like to receive, and ask them to reply with a comment to your post and/or share the picture on their own channels.
Swim and fitness wear brand @Albionfit are king in this type of Instagram contest. Here they asked entrants to follow their account, choose one of these four swimsuits as their prize, and tag a friend on the picture. What better way to grow your followers than getting them all so close to the point of purchase?
⭐ Take inspiration from Weekend Hashtag Projects
We mentioned it already in our Ultimate Guide To Grow Your Fashion Instagram, the Weekend Hashtag Project is a series of designated themes and hashtags chosen by the Instagram Community. Packed with tons of creative contest themes, the weekly challenge is sure to give you great ideas!
#Magic, #EyeTricks, #LightAndShadows, #ThisIsHome, take the subject you feel will most likely boost users’ imagination, and turn it into a massive photography competition. But remember to make up your OWN hashtag, so that only people actually intentioned to enter the contest will use it (and here we get to the next point).
3. Find the perfect hashtag
A sea of hashtags is being created every day, coming up with a unique one can sometimes be tricky. Keep calm and bear in mind the following rules if you don’t want to commit any hashtag faux pas!
- Short and catchy – long hashtags can be tough to remember and won’t grab much attention. Keep it simple, and create something that sticks in people’s minds.
- Relevant to your brand/theme – whether you want to associate the contest to your brand or a general theme, make sure to incorporate the right keyword in your hashtag!
- Rare and original – how many Instagrammers are already using your tag for other purposes? If more than 3, head back to the drawing board. An Instagram contest named #suncream is not specific enough; make your hashtag special, so that pictures unrelated to the contest won’t be included.
💡 Check out our All-In-One Guide To Instagram Hashtags for more tips 💡
4. Choose an appropriate prize
Rewarding people with a prize matching the entry action is essential. But don’t forget that the main point of the Instagram contest is attracting more followers: you must offer something relevant to your business and your target audience’s interests.
If you own a music shop, don’t give away a hand mixer; people will just be entering to win the award and not because they would ever be concerned with your channel!
Little hint: it might be worth to feature the award in your picture, just to make everything more tempting.
5. Spread the word like crazy
Once the plan is done, you must think of a promotion strategy. No one will enter your Instagram contest unless they know about it!
When sharing the promotion photo on your channel, try to use a high-quality and catchy picture. Adding the word “Giveaway” or the actual contest hashtag into your image may also help to capture followers and generate more submissions; just like the American fashion brand @Nastygal have done for their cracking #TruthOrDare competition!
Also check that your post includes all of the following:
- The entry rules to the contest
- The hashtag to use in the post
- The timeframe to enter the contest
- The date of the winner announcement
If your Instagram contest lasts for a long time, it’s important to keep it active and remind your followers what they could win. Unless you’re Ben & Jerry’s and give away free ice-cream, not every user will scroll through your past posts in search of a contest; so make sure to post reminders and keep participants informed throughout the period!
And finally, just because it’s happening on Instagram, doesn’t mean it has to stay on Instagram. Post your contest on Facebook, blog about it, tweet the link, or use a Hello Bar on your website! In short, share it EVERYWHERE.
Ready to run your own contest?
Then don’t waste any more time; put our tips into practice and let us know how it goes!
> Video, gallery & image posts
> Calendar, feed & grid preview
> Instagram, Facebook & Twitter
