Do you use Instagram in your social media advertising strategy?
Instagram contests: yes or no?
You may instantly increase your social media following by hosting an Instagram contest.
Here I’ll go over the many options, and show you how to set up and manage a winning Instagram contest for your company or brand.
Instagram Competition Varieties
Instagram competitions can take various forms. The top three are as follows.
I’m a Contest Enthusiast
Asking an Instagram user to like an update is all that’s required for a “like to win” contest. All participants who do so will be registered for the giveaway.
Pros
An easy strategy to expand your Instagram audience is to host a “like to win” contest, in which entrants need only follow you and like a photo to be eligible.
They need less effort to install. Simply declare your double-tap (or like) contest on Instagram by posting an image and updating.
Cons
Engagement and customer connection are low in “like to win” contests.
Entrants don’t have to do much effort, but they also aren’t particularly passionate about the brand.
Try it out with a one-time “like to win” competition. Or you might do like Drinkwel did and come up with a weekly theme. To encourage participation, ask users to add tags to their posts.
Contests for User-Created Content with a Hashtag
Hashtag user-generated content (UCG) contests need entrants to post a photo or video with a designated hashtag in order to be considered.
To get their Instagram followers involved, for instance, Esprit holds hashtag contests. A single feed containing all #everydayamazing-tagged photographs is displayed. UGC in this way gives their brand a sense of lifestyle.
Pros
A photo or video contest that actively involves your target audience in creating content can strengthen the brand’s emotional connection with its patrons.
By using a contest-specific hashtag, Instagram users may ensure that their friends and followers will also see their submissions.
The hashtag also serves as a centralised location for perusing posts. Anyone who looks for the hashtag will find the user-generated content competition.
To get actual, authentic marketing photographs made by and for your consumer, use a branded hashtag for your contest.
Cons
Having to solicit user submissions raises the bar to entrance.
It may be even more challenging to attract interested participants if the request is overly specific (take and submit a pic, use the hashtag, AND tag pals).
You can expand the reach of your promotion by including a shareable component, such as a “vote to select a winner.”
Email-Restricted Contests
You can collect email addresses from Instagram users by requiring them to enter a contest by providing their email address. An email-gated contest may also require entrants to follow the host or submit user-generated content.
Pros
Using this method, you can rapidly expand your customer base.
UGC can also be obtained through requests for images or media.
Cons
However, many Instagram users would like a quick and seamless registration method, and asking for an email address is a barrier to access.
An tempting prize (such a trip, product, or shopping spree) is essential for an email-gated contest to be effective.
The primary advantage of an email-gated contest is, once again, the collection of email addresses. This will help you and your company stay in touch with your audience for future marketing efforts.
Tips for Starting an Instagram Competition
An Instagram competition may be organised quickly and easily. However, careful preparation, astute execution, and diligent follow-up are essential for achieving the desired results. Use these guidelines as a starting point for a truly unique Instagram competition.
Prepare for the Competition
Before the competition begins, put in the time and effort to lay out a sound strategy.
Define your goals. Make a plan for your social media marketing endeavours before getting started. Your chances of succeeding increase as their clarity increases. Whether you want to boost your Instagram following by 15%, get at least 200 @mentions of your handle, or fill a hashtag stream with more than 200 UCG photographs, your goal will determine the contest you choose to pursue.
Get your work done. It’s a good idea to scope out the field and look for parallel competitions before settling on a strategy. You can find more active Instagram competitions by searching for frequent contest hashtags on Instagram, such as #contest, #win, and #photocontest, or by using a third-party app like Iconosquare.
Construct Your Competition
Once you have a plan in place, you can turn it into a competition.
Think up a catchy name for it. Be succinct, creative, and relevant to your promotion, target audience, and business goals when naming your contest.
Make something that looks good. Instagram is a visual platform for advertising. The success of a contest depends on the quality of the materials used to promote it and the presentation of the prize. Collect motivating visuals to utilise in advertising.
Get yourself an app. Follow the instructions provided by the platform if you choose to host a contest using a social contest app.
Announce and publicise your competition
When everything for the competition is ready, launch it immediately. Share it on Instagram and your website or blog, then continue your promotion elsewhere. This is the information you need to spread the word about your contest.
It is time to refresh your online presence. Tell your listeners about it. Share information about the competition via the company’s social media channels and/or a blog post. Make entering the contest simple and appealing by providing direct connections to the entry page.
Promote on different social media platforms. Get the Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest followers of your brand involved. Spread the word about the contest and encourage participation across platforms by posting updates and details. For instance, Buffalo Wings & Rings promoted their Instagram contest with a Facebook event.