Social media giveaways have become an incredibly popular marketing tactic for brands and influencers to grow their following and increase engagement. But how exactly do you go about picking a winner fairly? There are a few key steps to follow.
Set Clear Rules and Eligibility
The first step is to establish clear rules and eligibility requirements for your giveaway. This includes things like:
- Who is eligible to enter (location, age, etc)
- How to enter (follow, like, comment, etc)
- Number of entries allowed per person
- Giveaway end date and time
Make sure to state all the rules upfront wherever you announce the giveaway. Setting clear expectations from the beginning will prevent confusion down the line.
Use a Giveaway Platform
While it’s possible to collect entries and pick a winner manually, using a dedicated giveaway platform streamlines the process. Popular options like Rafflecopter, Gleam, Wishpond, and Vyper allow you to easily create giveaways across multiple social platforms.
Benefits of giveaway platforms include:
- Collecting entries in one place
- Automated winner selection
- Reducing fraudulent entries
- Gathering entrants’ contact info
- Customizable entry options
- Giveaway widgets to embed
Most platforms offer some type of free plan or trial to get started. Just connect your social accounts, set the giveaway settings and eligibility rules, then activate the giveaway.
Promote the Giveaway
Once your giveaway is set up, it’s time to spread the word. Some ways to promote your giveaway include:
- Posting on all your social channels leading up to and during the giveaway
- Emailing your subscriber list about the giveaway
- Having influencers or brand ambassadors help promote the giveaway to their audiences
- Paid social media promotions to boost giveaway reach and entries
- Integrating the giveaway into other marketing content like blogs, videos, ads
The more you promote your giveaway and hype it up, the more entries you’ll garner. Offer an exciting prize and use enticing visuals in your promotional posts.
Verify Eligibility of the Winner
Once the giveaway period ends, it’s time to draw the lucky winner(s)! First, you’ll want to verify they meet all the eligibility requirements you outlined. Double check:
- Location is eligible
- Entrant followed all entry rules properly
- Age/demographic meets criteria
- Entry is not fraudulent or duplicated
Some giveaway platforms automatically filter our ineligible entrants. You may also need to personally review the winner’s social accounts or contact them to confirm eligibility.
Announce and Contact the Winner
Once verified, it’s time to publicly announce the giveaway winner on social media and in any other giveaway promotions. Tag and congratulate the winner.
Also reach out to the winner directly via email or social messaging to collect any additional info needed to deliver the prize. Some questions to ask:
- Confirm contact details like mailing address
- Get sizing or other preferences for the prize
- Ask if they are comfortable having their social handles or name publicly associated with winning
Set a timeframe for the winner to respond after you contact them. If they don’t respond in time, you can select an alternate winner.
Distribute the Prize
The final step is sending out the prize! For physical items, ask for the winner’s shipping address and send via mail/courier. For digital prizes or gift cards, send redemption info/codes electronically.
Make sure to get any legal waivers or disclosures signed if applicable. Also have the winner take photos/video receiving or using the prize. This user-generated content is great for promoting on your social media!
Best Practices
To ensure your giveaway goes smoothly, keep these best practices in mind:
- Test your chosen giveaway platform thoroughly before launching
- Draft clear rules covering all aspects of eligibility and entry
- Offer an exciting prize that resonates with your target audience
- Promote the giveaway through multiple channels over an extended timeframe
- Verify winner eligibility thoroughly before distributing any prizes
- Make prize redemption simple for the winner
- Promptly announce and contact the winner once selected
Following these steps will help your giveaway achieve maximum engagement and create a fair, rewarding experience for participants!
Giveaway Ideas
Not sure what to give away? Here are some popular prize ideas for social media giveaways:
- Cash/gift cards – versatile and appeals to everyone
- Your product/service – great for brands
- Experiential prizes like trips or events
- Hot trending products – tech, beauty, apparel
- Celeb merchandise or memorabilia
- Food gifts or restaurant gift cards
- Online subscriptions – streaming, boxes, services
Tailor your prize to your audience’s interests. The hotter the prize, the more buzz and engagement your giveaway will generate. Offering multiple prizes can also allow more winners.
Giveaway Mistakes to Avoid
While giveaways are powerful marketing tools, there are some key mistakes to avoid:
- Not establishing clear rules and guidelines
- Making entry requirements too complex or difficult
- Failing to properly vet and verify winner eligibility
- Offering lackluster prizes that don’t excite entrants
- Announcing winners too late or not at all
- Neglecting to follow laws and regulations around contests/sweepstakes
By keeping your giveaway straightforward, promoting enticing prizes, and properly administering the contest, you can avoid these common pitfalls.
Legal Considerations
There are some legal and regulatory aspects to keep in mind when running social media giveaways:
- Official rules must be made available before promoting the giveaway
- Properly display terms like “No Purchase Necessary”
- Ensure giveaway complies with FTC guidelines for endorsements
- Don’t require participants to tag friends or follow specific accounts to enter
- Follow state and country laws around contests, sweepstakes, and promotions
Consult legal counsel if needed to make sure your giveaway abides by any laws and platform policies. This protects you while creating a fair promotion.
Giveaway Promotion Examples
Here are some real brand examples of successful social media giveaways:
Starbucks
Starbucks has run popular giveaways for high-demand prizes like limited edition reusable red cups. They promote the giveaways across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook leading up to the holidays to generate buzz.
Glossier
Beauty brand Glossier selected fans who created unique Instagram content about their products and gifted them limited edition merch and prizes. This rewarded their loyal followers with exclusives.
GoPro
GoPro’s #GoProOfTheDay contest highlights cool user-generated content from customers on Instagram and other platforms. Select daily winners get featured and receive GoPro gear.
Jimmy Fallon
The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon often runs giveaways on his social accounts. Followers who tweet/comment specific hashtags are entered to win things like tickets to his show.
Tools to Pick Giveaway Winners
Choosing a giveaway winner randomly can be tricky without the right tools. Here are some options:
Online Random Picker Tools
Sites like Random Result Generator and Giveaway Sweepers allow you to input a list of entrant names/entries and pick randomized winners. Easy and free.
Spreadsheets
For smaller giveaways, use the RANDBETWEEN formula in Excel or Google Sheets to randomly select a row number from your entry list.
Number Picker Apps
Apps like WinIt can pick a random number from an entry range. First assign each entry a number, then use the app to select the winning number.
Giveaway Platform Tools
Most dedicated giveaway platforms like Rafflecopter have automated randomized winner selection built-in when collecting entries.
Third-Party Draw Services
Sites like ePrize and Woobox can draw legally compliant random winners once you upload your entry list. Some charge a fee.
Giveaway Entry Collection Tips
To simplify gathering entries, use these tips:
- Use entry- collecting apps to compile entries from all platforms
- Ask entrants to include a specific hashtag or phrase
- Have entrants tag friends, but don’t require it for fairness
- Turn off tagging restrictions so all entries are visible
- Use a widget to embed giveaway entry on your website
- Funnel all entries to one platform like a landing page
Streamlining entry collection makes vetting and selecting a winner much easier compared to combing through platforms separately.
Conclusion
Social media giveaways are an excellent tactic for increasing awareness and engagement when done right. Follow the tips outlined here for running a smooth, successful giveaway from start to finish. With strategic planning and promotion, your giveaway can help grow your brand and connect with new audiences.