Nearly every major influencer or business hosts an Instagram giveaway. Why? Because it’s an effective strategy that also gives back to the community.
If you’re looking to boost your follower count, the idea of organizing a giveaway might seem appealing yet somewhat challenging. You might feel the pressure to come up with something exciting that not only draws attention but also encourages new followers to engage with your profile.
Finding the right balance between offering something valuable and ensuring your giveaway stands out can be a tricky endeavor.
Thankfully, we’re here to give you creative Instagram giveaway ideas to inspire and guide you in attracting new followers through thoughtful, engaging campaigns.
10 Instagram Giveaways Ideas to Get New Followers
Each of these giveaways below taps into different aspects of social media engagement, from using personal networks and community involvement to encouraging content creation and brand interaction.
By keeping the rules clear, the entry barrier low, and the prizes enticing, you can effectively use these giveaways to grow your Instagram account and engage with a broader audience.
Here are 10 of the best Instagram giveaway contests you can host.
1. Like and Tag to Win
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This simple yet effective giveaway involves participants liking your giveaway post and tagging their friends in the comments. It works because it leverages the power of social connections to increase the reach of your post exponentially.
How to Do It:
- Post an appealing image of the prize.
- Ask participants to like the post and tag one or more friends in the comments.
- Consider asking participants to follow your account for an additional entry.
2. Follow and Share to Win
Encourage participants to follow your account and share the giveaway post on their Instagram story. This type of giveaway boosts your follower count and spreads word about your giveaway beyond your existing audience.
How to Do It:
- Clearly state that sharing the post on their story is part of the entry criteria.
- Ask them to tag your account in their story so you can track entries.
3. Photo Contest with a Hashtag
Ask your followers to post a photo related to a theme you choose and use a specific hashtag. This giveaway is engaging and can require a bit of creativity, making your brand memorable.
How to Start:
- Decide on a theme and hashtag related to your brand.
- Participants must post a photo with the hashtag and follow your account.
- Pick the most creative or appealing photo as the winner.
4. Trivia or Question Contest
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Post a trivia question or a thought-provoking question related to your brand. Participants answer in the comments, and a winner is randomly selected from the correct answers. This engages your audience and encourages them to learn about your brand.
How to Do It:
- Prepare an interesting question that’s not too easy or hard.
- Ask followers to answer in the comments and follow your account to be eligible.
5. Repost with a Custom Hashtag
Encourage participants to repost one of your posts (or any post you specify) on their account with a custom hashtag. This giveaway type extends your reach and introduces your content to diverse audiences.
How to Do It:
- Choose a post for participants to repost.
- Create a unique hashtag for the giveaway.
- Entries must include the hashtag and a tag to your account.
6. Comment Your Favorite
Invite your audience to comment with their favorite product, service, or experience related to your brand. This type of giveaway encourages personal stories and preferences, making your community feel valued and heard.
How to Launch:
- Post a question asking followers to share their favorite thing about your brand or products.
- Participants should follow your account and tag a friend for better reach.
- This encourages engagement and provides valuable feedback.
7. Save and Send
This giveaway asks followers to save your post and send it to a friend via Instagram’s direct message. It’s effective because it utilizes Instagram’s save feature, which signals to the algorithm that your content is valuable, increasing its reach and visibility.
Steps to Start:
- Instruct participants to save the giveaway post and send it to at least one friend through direct message.
- They should comment “Done” after completing the tasks.
- Make sure the giveaway post is visually appealing to encourage saves.
8. Creative Caption Contest
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Challenge your followers to come up with a creative or funny caption for a photo you post. This encourages creativity and engagement, as participants will be keen to read through other captions, thereby increasing time spent on your post.
How to Do It:
- Post an interesting or funny photo or meme related to your brand.
- Ask followers to submit their best captions in the comments.
- The most creative or liked caption wins.
9. Polls and Predictions
Use Instagram’s poll feature in your stories to engage users. You can ask followers to predict an outcome related to your brand or industry. Later, reveal the answer and select a winner among those who guessed correctly.
This method keeps your audience engaged over a period, building anticipation. Plus, it’s very easy to have multiple winners for this.
How to Start:
- Create a series of poll questions leading up to a big reveal or product launch.
- Followers who participate in all polls or predict correctly enter the giveaway.
10. User-Generated Content (UGC) Challenge
Encourage your followers to create content that features your product or embodies your brand values. This not only generates authentic content for your brand but also deeply engages your community by showcasing their creativity.
How to Start:
- Announce a theme and guidelines for the content creation (e.g., must feature your product).
- Ask participants to use a specific hashtag and tag your account in their posts.
- Offer a prize for the most creative or impactful content.
Why Host An Instagram Giveaway?
An Instagram giveaway is a promotional activity where businesses or influencers offer their followers a chance to win a prize by fulfilling certain requirements, such as liking a post, tagging friends, or following the account.
This type of contest is adopted by a wide range of Instagram users, from emerging influencers to established brands, aiming to increase engagement and reach on the platform.
Hosting an Instagram giveaway can be advantageous for several reasons:
- Boosts Engagement: Giveaways encourage participants to interact with your content, significantly increasing likes, comments, and shares. This heightened activity improves your visibility on the platform, thanks to Instagram’s algorithm favoring engaging content.
- Increases Followers: By making “following your account” a condition for entry, giveaways directly contribute to growing your follower base. This is a simple method to attract new followers who are interested in your content or prizes.
- Enhances Brand Awareness: As participants share your giveaway with friends or on their stories, your brand reaches a wider audience. This exposure introduces your profile to potential followers who might have otherwise remained unaware of your brand.
- Encourages Community Building: Giveaways can build a positive community among your followers because by engaging in a shared activity, followers feel more connected to your brand and each other.
- Provides Audience Insights: Monitoring the performance and participation in your giveaway can offer valuable insights into your audience’s preferences and behavior. This will in turn aid in tailoring future content and promotions.
- Rewards Loyal Followers: Hosting a giveaway is a tangible way to give back and show appreciation to your existing followers, reinforcing their loyalty and encouraging long-term engagement.
How To Start An Instagram Giveaway?
Launching an Instagram giveaway can significantly boost your profile’s visibility and engagement.
Whether you’re a burgeoning influencer or a brand seeking to expand your digital footprint, a well-orchestrated giveaway can be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal.
Here’s an easy-to-follow guide on how to kickstart your Instagram giveaway:
- Set Clear Objectives: Before anything else, pinpoint what you aim to achieve with your giveaway. Whether it’s increasing your followers, boosting engagement, or promoting a new product, having a clear goal will shape your giveaway’s design.
- Choose an Appealing Prize: Your prize should relate to your brand (for the most part) and be something your target audience will love. It could be your products, exclusive services, or anything else that would entice your followers to participate.
- Define the Entry Criteria: Decide on how users can enter your giveaway. Common methods include liking the post, following your account, tagging friends, or sharing the post on their stories. Ensure the rules are simple and straightforward. (Keep reading for some great ideas!)
- Determine the Giveaway Duration: Set a start and end date for your giveaway. A typical duration might range from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on your objectives.
- Promote Your Giveaway: Use all available channels to promote your giveaway. Besides your Instagram feed, consider using stories, reels, and even other social media platforms to spread the word.
- Select and Announce the Winner(s): After the giveaway concludes, choose the winner(s) fairly, possibly using a random selection tool to maintain transparency. Announce the winner(s) on your Instagram account and direct message them to coordinate the prize delivery.
- Analyze and Reflect: After the giveaway, review its performance. Analyze metrics such as engagement rate, follower increase, and overall reach to understand what worked and what could be improved for future giveaways.
Following these steps will help you organize an Instagram giveaway that not only captivates your current followers but also attracts new ones, growing and increasing engagement on your profile.
How To Choose The Winner of Instagram Giveaway?
Selecting a winner for your Instagram giveaway can be done in various ways, tailored to the type of contest you’re running. The most common method is through a random selection of a comment.
Choosing a comment is popular because it allows for fairness and transparency, showing that every participant has an equal chance of winning.
For this purpose, Viralyft has a simple and easy to use tool that is available to you to simplify the process. So go ahead and check out our Instagram Giveaway Picker Tool.
How To Announce The Giveaway Winner?
Now that you know HOW to pick the winner, it’s time to make the big reveal and share the exciting news with the world! To do this either:
- Record the Winner Selection: Use a giveaway picker tool and capture the moment it selects a winner. Enhance the video with effects, like virtual fireworks, and share it on your feed with the winner’s username highlighted.
- Go Live for the Draw: Host a live session on Instagram to reveal the winner in real time. This can possibly help you build a closer connection with your audience and allows you to celebrate together instantly.
- Share a Screenshot: If you prefer a simpler method, take a screenshot of the giveaway tool’s winning result and post it as an image. Don’t forget to tag the winning user.
