Beginner’s Guide to Running a Social Media Contest
March 21, 2021
Beginner’s Guide to Running a Social Media Contest
Are you
looking for a simple way to boost your Instagram engagement? It's as easy as
running a contest!
Reasons Why You Should Run a Contest…
2. Increase Your Instagram's
Engagement
All of these people interacting with your profile/post are going to send your engagement through the roof! This, in turn, causes the Instagram algorithm to give your post a little boost by showing the post to more people. This means more contest entries, more followers, and more brand awareness! It will also assist in building stronger relationships with your existing audience. When you give something away, it helps create an emotional connection between you and your followers.
3. Boost
Your Followers
If you're looking to grow that follower count, make sure you select the type of contest that requires those who want to enter to follow you! You can also take it a step further and partner with another brand or company - this opens you up to a new audience! It all goes back to wanting free stuff. People will want to enter and if you set up a contest prize they can't refuse, you'll watch your follower count rise.
Types Of Contests
1.
Like to Win
This the simplest and most basic type of Instagram contest: simply have your followers
"double-tap" on the contest post to enter themselves into the contest. This
method gives all of your followers have a fair shot because it guarantees one
entry per person! This way works best for lower-stakes contests.
2.
Comment to Win
Another simple entry method is having your followers comment on the post to enter your contest! The options are endless with this method - whether it's a photo captioning or commenting on their favorite emoji, you have some creative freedom here! If you want to limit each follower to one comment, make sure to make that clear in the copy!
3.
Tag to Win
A very popular Instagram contest method and probably the best way to increase your engagement — have your existing followers "tag a friend" to enter the contest. From there, it's a domino effect! That tagged friend tags their friends. From there it continues, people keep entering and before you know it, everyone they know is entering into your contest!
4.
Post a Photo to Win
This Instagram contest method involves your followers posting a photo on their personal Instagram account. They enter the contest by tagging your account in the photo they post or using a specific hashtag that you provide. Another example of the Instagram contest domino effect: now the followers of the accounts who post are much more likely to check out the contest, and your account!
5.
Repost-to-Win
Similar to post a photo-to-win contest, the repost-to-win contest requires your followers to share your post on their personal story! Keep this in mind when you create your graphic for your contest - if it's going to reposted and seen by their followers, make sure it's branded well! If it includes all the contest information and is visually pleasing, people are more likely to click and find out more. This is an easy way to spread your content by using your followers!
The Execution
Now that you know the why behind running an Instagram contest and the types of contests that you can run, you need to how to execute it!
1.
Choose
the Best Time to Run Your Contest
This is
where Instagram analytics come into play. In your analytics, you can see when
your followers are most active on the app. Pay attention to what days you see
the most engagement and post then! When it comes to the time of year, you can focus
on major themes. For example, we are currently running a March Madness-themed
contest on our Instagram (@HyperchatSocial). Whether it's a holiday, sports event, or even time for a new product
launch - make sure to plan accordingly.
2. Partner with a Brand/Company
Another way to ensure a successful contest is partnering with a brand,
influencer, or company! Teamwork makes the dream work! Make sure to select a
brand or company that aligns with your values and will represent you well. You
want to take into consideration both your audience and your partner's audience.
If you find a great partner, this doubles your entries and expands your network!
3.
Pick a Prize
We know
that people love winning free stuff, but you still want to pick something
enticing! Think about it this way: what would your
followers be interested in? What could they use in their lives?
What is worth them entering your contest? Choose a prize that has value and decide
what kind of investment you want to make to grow your following and boost
engagement!
4. Create Rules
Time to set some rules! Here are a few things
to take into considerations…
- How should your followers enter the contest (take your pick from the above options)?
- How many times can they enter?
- Any major restrictions?
- When does the contest end?
- When will the winner be announced?
5. Launch it!
Now it's
time to spread the word! Once your contest is up and running, make sure to tell
everyone! Promote it on your Instagram story and then spread it to every other
platform that you are active on. Include it in your newsletter, put it on your
website - any way you can think to promote your contest.
6.
Pick a Winner
When the timeline
of your contest to an end, it's time to select the winner! Depending on the type
of contest you ran, there are a few ways you can pick a winner. If it was a creatively based contest, you can pick your favorite. If it's a comment or
tag-to-enter contest, you can use a randomized online generator to select a
winner for you. Create a post to announce the winner and make sure to thank
everyone for entering!
When it
comes to running an Instagram contest, it isn't as intimidating as it might
seem! Follow these guidelines and watch your followers grow, engagement skyrocket, and brand awareness increase! If you're unsure of how to navigate Instagram
contests or just have questions about social media, we are here and ready to
help. Go ahead and schedule a consultation with us and we'll begin showing you
how to turn your Social into Sales.
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