When it comes to social media giveaways, there’s usually a pretty straightforward formula to follow: share a post asking your followers to do something to be in with the chance of winning a free product, a discount code or a gift. The winner might be chosen at random, or be selected for their efforts in engaging with the post - smiles all round, right?
But social media giveaways can actually be a lot more complicated than we initially assume and it’s important to lay down some ground rules and processes before you begin posting. Running the perfect social media giveaway might seem impossible, but these tips and tricks might help your next promo to go a little smoother than before!
KEEP THE REQUIREMENTS SIMPLE
No one wants to go on a social giveaway and find out that in order to be in with a chance of winning they have to donate an organ, sell their firstborn and move halfway around the world. The main goal of any social giveaway is to build up engagement, so make sure the requirements of the competition are simple and platform-specific. Perhaps you can ask your followers to share a story or retweet using a certain hashtag, perhaps they need to like the post and tag a friend.
Overcomplicating your giveaway can reduce the amount of engagement you’re likely to receive, and can turn people away from the post if they feel their efforts won’t be met with great rewards.
CONSIDER THE CALENDAR
It’s always a good idea to check ahead of time when planning your giveaway, to make sure that your post won’t clash with another significant day in the industry. Whilst we can’t predict the future, and no one knows what will be trending on social media day to day, it’s important to choose dates and times that are likely to receive a good amount of attention.
For example, sharing a giveaway post on the same day that many people in your industry will be away from their phones - such as Christmas Day, bank holidays, NYE, large industry event days, etc… isn’t a great move. Use your analytics to work on the days and times your followers tend to be on their phones or computers, and on your account, and utilise this to guide your post time.
LAY DOWN SOME TERMS AND CONDITIONS
No one wants a controversial giveaway making headlines this year. Make sure that you’re able to deliver on every gift or promise you make and that the rules of the competition are clearly stated in the post. Highlight the deadline date and the requirements, explain how many times each user is allowed to enter the giveaway, and describe how the winner will be chosen and when.
It’s so important to build up a relationship of trust with your followers and users and so when it comes to those direct one-to-one interactions with them, you need to get it right. Give everyone a fair chance and cover every base before starting your competition.
DON'T POST AND FORGET
From the moment you initially reveal the giveaway post to almost a month after it ends, your socials should be talking about the giveaway. Don’t simply post it once and forget, use this time to build up some engagement and keep the momentum going even after the deadline hits. Reply to submission comments, share countdown stories to the finish date, create reminders on stories and reels, and add a link to your giveaway in your bio.
Once the giveaway has ended, you could even do an interview with the winner and share her story and why she loves your brand. Then you can start hinting at the next giveaway! There is so much potential for great social content surrounding big posts like these and it’s a good opportunity to get creative with your marketing.
CHOOSE A WORTH PRIZE
If you’re going to ask your followers to do something, they need a good reason to do it. Brand loyalty is great but even the most parasocial follower is unlikely to do something for nothing. Choose a prize that is worthy of their time and their effort, and evenly reflects both their support to the brand and their actions in applying to win. It should be something big, something exciting and something original - that can only be won through your account.
A simple box of chocolates or a single free coffee isn’t worth the effort of tagging 50 friends and sharing 20 twenty posts. Not only will this help to impress your followers but it will also help them feel valued and appreciated too.
STICK TO ONE PLATFROM AND ONE ACCOUNT
While many brands and businesses might market across multiple platforms and even multiple accounts, when it comes to giveaways - keep it simple. Stick to one platform and one profile and share the important information on that. Whilst it’s a good idea to promote the giveaway across your other social platforms, it’s important to make it clear that the winner will only be picked from your chosen platform alone.
Avoid confusing people or receiving duplicated entries spread across every possible platform by keeping all of your giveaways on the same channel, every time.
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Giveaways are a fun, exciting and creative way to improve your brand’s awareness and reach, and are a good opportunity to demonstrate some thanks for your loyal followers too. Make sure to keep it simple and keep it straightforward, and enjoy the buzz!
Having thoughts about running a giveaway campaign? We're here to help and have done many time for our clients. Feel free to reach out to us for help here!
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