How to Run an Instagram Contest

Unless you live in a cave and have never dealt with the Internet, you know about the value of visual content today. The fuss over visuals opens up new horizons for the social platforms like Instagram. Let’s analyze how an Instagram contest can become your key weapon in the process of attracting new audiences.

Why is an Instagram contest so important?

Over 300 million registered users. I think this statement alone should explain everything for you. Although the number of active users isn’t huge if we compare it to Facebook, for instance, running an Instagram contest is definitely worth a shot.

Instagram contests can help you drive sales and reach out to very broad audiences by setting up engaging easy-to-follow entry conditions. Basically, what such competitions do is providing Instagram users with incentives to interact, win giveaways, and add value to your product/service.

Key types of Instagram contests

Here are the major Instagram contest formats that you might consider to use for taking your marketing to the new level:

#1. Comment-to-enter.

This is one of the most common contest types, which asks Instagram users to provide their comments under posts. The incentives for commenting can be quite different: from asking to answer questions or give tips to tagging a friend. The last option is a great way to capitalize on the organic traffic growth.

#2. Repost-to-enter.

As is clear from the name, this type of contest asks people to share the information about your competition with their followers to be able to enter. The “why” of using repost-to-enter is understandable: it helps spread the word about your contest. However, you can encounter some difficulties with “how.” The thing is, reposting on Instagram requires either downloading a repost app or using a screenshot method, both of which require some effort from the users’ side.

#3. Photo contest.

Kill it with its own weapon! While Instagram is a platform for sharing photos, setting up photo contests is the most logical and natural option. Ask people to post photos with your contest hashtag on their feed and take your product or service awareness to the next level.

#4. Like-to-enter.

Yes, even “likes” can boost your sales. Run Instagram contest as simple as this: post a photo with your hashtags and encourage people to like it. Don’t forget to mention that you will randomly choose a winner from among those who contributed in the end.

#5. Hashtag user-generated content contests.

Promote interaction with your brand by incentivizing people to tag their photos with your hashtags. It’s critical to select the most relevant, best hashtags to get followers.

#6. E-mail contests.

Ask people to share their email addresses in the comment section under your post to enter the contest. This is a great idea for building the email list and attracting new clients.

Instagram contest guidelines

Check out this guide on Instagram contest organization to optimize your strategy:

1. Write contest objectives and goals. There’s no purpose in launching a contest on Instagram without having a clear aim behind it. So take a seat somewhere in a quiet place and reflect on what you’d like to reach next within your marketing strategy. Maybe you’re looking for new subscribers or you’d like to maximize your brand presence on social media? The possibilities are endless. Based on the objectives, define the target personas you want to reach out to, establish a budget, and a time frame.
2. Create an entry method. Think of what would be the most optimal way for the users to enter your Instagram contest. Once you’re done with contest entry ideas, write down the Instagram contest rules to make it clear for the users how to approach participation.
3. Choose a prize. Think from your contest entrants perspective: what you’d like to get in return for an entry action? Match the dots and make sure that a prize is relevant and can be aligned with the needs of your target audiences.
4. Choose the type of contest. Follow your theme line, analyze the target audience, and adjust the gained data to the contest format that would resonate most with your agenda in the best way.
5. Create a contest hashtag. A hashtag is, in fact, your link between the generated contents and the contest. No need to say so. It’s a crucial moment to ensure that the selected Instagram contest hashtags really relate to your brand.
6. Define a theme and design contest. Once you’re done with a skeleton, start thinking about how to fill it. Choose a theme that you think will attract the right people and choose a beautiful design.
7. Promote a contest. Make the announcement about your contest launch go viral. The great platforms for promotion are blog posts, social media, and emails. You shouldn’t stop on these, let your creativity go further!
8. Choose and announce a winner. Decide how a winner will be chosen. Depending on your objectives, you can set up voting, attract a jury or create your own unique way of selection.
9. Success Measuring. This is a critical point. Monitor the contest submissions and take the part of measuring the results very seriously. You can use popular analytics tools or do it manually if the contest is small. The results of your evaluation process will give you an insight into the effectiveness of Instagram contests and provide recommendations on how to improve in future.
10. Thank you all who took part in the contest. Be polite. If you want to build a community and make people appreciate what you do with your brand, show that you care about their engagement.

The best 3 examples of successful contests

Have a look at these successful Instagram contest examples and gain some fresh ideas for your campaign:

Wombats Hostels: Photo Contest

Takeaway: The company chose a relevant and valuable prize for a contest and incentivized photo posting, which is the most highly-converting type of creating hype on Instagram. Plus effective hashtags = success!

ModaHouse: Repost-to-enter + Tag a friend

Takeaway: Who told you that you should use only one mechanism for engaging action in Instagram contest? Exactly! No one. This contest demonstrates a great ambition: the brand page wants to be followed and the picture reposted. What’s more, they want your friends too! Clearly, that’s much to ask for. However, the company went for a great strategy: showing the picture of a prize, which magnifies the chances for contest success.

AMP Diapers: Follow & Upload

Takeaway: Everything you need to know in one picture – stunning solution for defining the rules. The prize offering that correlates with the brand and one exact hashtag create perfect conditions for an outstanding result.

Top 5 Instagram contest ideas

The best Instagram contests always have something in common. Here are the top 5 suggestions for your Instagram contest:

• Selfie strategy. We live in a selfie era, you have to admit it. Use this idea for your contest management solution and ask people to post selfies that would showcase their interaction with your product. Stunning brand awareness – great audience outreach!
• Hashtag cycle. Don’t go for one-show ideas. Set up weekly contests, in which people have to share the hashtags that you provide. Imagine what level your brand presence on Instagram will reach after a month or two!
• Voting campaign. People love evaluating and judging someone else. Set up a voting campaign for your contest on Instagram and get the users ruling.
• Caption contest. This idea will pass for those who like letting their creative genius out. All you have to do is post an amusing picture and incentivizing people to select a caption for it.
• In-store photos. In case you aim for boosting the awareness about a physical store, ask people to post pictures from it. Two birds with one stone: social media presence + client inflow onsite.