Instagram analytics has indicated that Instagram accounts that hold contests have witnessed a follower growth that’s 70% faster when compared to the Instagram accounts that don’t hold contests. Also, posts with the most comments on Instagram are content posts.
To rise up on the popularity charts of Instagram, conjuring up some brilliant contest ideas and executing them to perfection is an absolute must if you are a brand looking to make the maximum impact.
Of course, there are plenty of ways to increase your follower count on Instagram. But few of them do the job as speedily and with such nominal effort as contests do.
Here are 7 incredible Instagram contest ideas to grow brand awareness
1. Tag to win
This is a cool and straightforward contest idea where you simply ask people to tag a friend in the comments section. This enables whomever you are tagging to enter the contest and be eligible to win the contest. This particular format is also instrumental in boosting the organic reach of your profile. Once you tag someone, they usually receive a notification and check their profile. A personal recommendation to enter a contest by tagging usually works to make the person a follower. The fact that they tag others does wonders to your follower count.
2. Like to win
This Instagram contest is where audiences are asked to like the content if they wish to enter the contest and take a shot at winning. The phrase ‘double-tap to win’ is used often as double-tapping a photo on Instagram leads to an automatic like on it. You can also ask people to like your product on other social media platforms like Facebook for example. This increases brand visibility and overall contest impact. You can also ask audiences to follow your account as a prerequisite to contest entry eligibility.
3. Selfie contest
Selfies are the current rage when it comes to clicking photos, and Instagram is undoubtedly the Sultan of Selfies. A selfie contest on Instagram is, therefore, like how a fish takes to water. A selfie contest works with brand promotion as well, as all you have to do is ask people to post a selfie while they are using your product or with the product in the background as they pose. This is amazing user-generated content too and can help potential customers realise the different ways the product can be used. Needless, to say this results in effective brand promotion and sales.
Take care to create a unique hashtag when you are writing the description of the selfie contest. Instruct people to use the hashtag when they post their selfies. Simply by searching for this hashtag, the content for the selfie contest is easily discoverable on Instagram.
4. Photo contest
The photo contest is a format similar to the Selfie Contest on Instagram. The only difference is that the selfie is replaced by a photograph that the audience is encouraged to click and post.
5. Voting contest
Here’s how a voting contest works on Instagram. Ask people to upload content with a designated hashtag. You can ask to be tagged in the same. Then, your followers have to participate in the voting contest. Using the designated hashtag, they have to search Instagram for the content. Then, they should vote for their favourite one. The simplest way to pick the winner of this contest and count votes correctly is to ask your followers to like the photo that is best according to them. Likes = Votes. This is a great way to enhance reach and brand awareness.
6. Caption contest
In a caption contest, you upload a photo and ask audiences to caption it. This is a simple challenge in terms of a contest on Instagram and it is usually the simple campaigns that see a lot of engagement. After the entries are received, you can
- Pick the best caption entry yourself
- Ask your followers to pick the best caption
- Choose the best caption on the basis of the most likes received.
The second option is great for audience engagement while the first is a good idea to stop people from increasing their likes artificially.
7. Challenge contest
If you are facing a situation where you need to rustle up a contest in quick time, a challenge contest is the right fit for your needs. This format requires you to formulate a simple challenge that people can meet. That’s because the simpler and low-effort a challenge, the more the participation and the engagement. The winner is the one who can solve the challenge. A contest like ‘guess the number’ is an example. Keep the fun element in your contest to attract audiences.
FAQs
- How do I promote my contest on Instagram?
Here are some ways that will be helpful:
- Run your contest within an Instagram post.
- Announce your contest link.
- Have a description of the contest.
- Add visual stimulation.
- Highlight your prize.
- Use carousels.
- Use videos and gifs.
- Ask users to tag their friends and followers. - What are good contest ideas?
- Pick a random follower and surprise him/her with a free gift.
- Start a simple photo contest.
- Have a photo voting contest.
- Have a short video contest.
- Check-in to win contests.
- Product customisation contest.
- Simple trivia contest. - How do I make my giveaway go viral?
- Email your list.
- Post to your social channels.
- Contact all influential people.
- Run ads.
- Add a popup or banner to your website.
- Post in groups, communities and forums. - What are good giveaway prizes?
Here are some amazing giveaway ideas that click with audiences.
- Give away coupons as everyone loves discounts!
- Create a hashtag contest.
- Start a photo contest.
- Have brand-themed giveaway ideas.
- Gift cards.
- Give away everyday items with your brand image on them.
- Have a build-up to the grand prize giveaway.
- Put the ball in your customers’ court by asking them what they want.
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