What is an Instagram Giveaway?
An Instagram giveaway is similar to a raffle. People can enter by following certain requirements for a chance to win (we’ll talk more about those later). Once all the steps are completed, the brand picks a winner (or a couple winners) to receive free products. With everything to gain and nothing to lose, users will have a hard time finding a reason not to enter the giveaway.
How Giveaways Can Grow Your Follower Count
No one can resist the chance to win free stuff, but not all giveaways are created equal. If increasing your follower count is the goal, then you have many different options for giveaways that’ll get the job done. They all use different approaches, so it’s important to pick the right one for your brand.
The simplest way to ensure you’ll gain followers is to run a follow-to-win giveaway. These giveaways require users to follow the brand’s account to be entered into the giveaway. Since following your account is such a simple task, expect plenty of people to participate. Note: it’s just as easy to unfollow your account as well. Keep them coming back for more by posting high-quality, authentic content. This way new followers will come for the giveaway, but stay for your content!
If your followers are in love with your brand, chances are their friends will be too. So if you want to reach your followers’ friends, make sure to specify if followers should tag a couple of friends in the comments (3-5 is a good number) in order to be entered for a chance to win whatever you’re giving away. This is a great way to introduce more people within your target audience to your brand while creating a chain-reaction of people tagging more and more friends.
Like the tag-a-friend approach above, by including “repost” entries in your giveaway, you’re sure to grab a like-minded follower’s attention. Require your followers to repost a photo you post related to the giveaway on their own account in order to be entered to win. Unlike the tag-a-friend strategy, this method can reach everyone who follows the user that reposted (versus a small number of friends they would tag in the comments). Make sure they know to tag your brand in the photo or in the caption!
Partnering with influencers in any campaign is guaranteed to expand your brand’s reach. This also applies to giveaways! Team up with influencers whose followers will be interested in your brand. Have them post about your giveaway and make the rules state that the winner must be following both the influencer and you. This way, you’ll gain followers from those wanting to win, but you’ll also be exposed to a new audience whether they choose to follow to win, or just because they’re interested in your products. Having influencers post about you also serves as a way of social proofing your brand, meaning people will be more interested in checking out your products when they see influencers they trust are backing you.
Case in point: to celebrate the amazing content creators in our influencer network, Statusphere ran a referral contest for its second birthday. We sent out customized and branded hats to just 30 ladies who were required to post a photo with their hat while encouraging people to apply to the network and follow @Statusphere. The prize? A $150 Sephora gift card and a Michael Kors purse to the influencer with the most referrals. In just 14 days, Statusphere gained 450 followers on Instagram!
Safe to say, giveaways are a simple way to grow your follower count. We know you have products to spare, so spread the love and give out some freebies! Choose the right giveaway strategy for your brand and you’re sure to see the benefits. If you’re ready to run your own giveaway and partner with influencers to make it happen, contact Statusphere to chat with one of our influencer marketing specialists!