Social media competitions are a great way to get your followers engaged with your brand. If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at our top suggestions.

Make them seasonal

What better time to get in the giving spirit than for a special occasion! Try to make the most of new seasons, holidays or special events by hosting a competition. Holding a competition around a special time period is effective because people are more likely to be interested in entering your giveaway if it means they can score a gift instead of having to buy the item for themselves. As holidays tend to be the period most people having shopping on their mind be prepared to launch your giveaway around those key calendar dates. This will ensure you get the most engagement, and therefore value, out of it. We suggest you make the most of Christmas and Easter. However, if you would prefer to steer clear of the festive seasons why not opt to plan your contest for Mother’s or Father’s Day. Other prime prize giving times: international women’s day, men’s health day, valentine’s day or even as a back to school competition. Keep in mind your main audience and tailor the holiday you pick to best suit the needs of your online community.

Choose the right prize

Now that you know your audience and have selected a holiday that will gain the greatest appeal from them, the next important step is choosing the ideal prize. We recommend keeping it relevant to the holiday but staying generalised enough to garner mass appeal. What should you avoid? Stay away from any niche or personal products such as skincare, toiletries or gendered items. There are a few exceptions to this rule i.e. Mother’s or Father’s Day. While gift cards are a clever idea, never offer prize money as it conveys a lack of effort.

Outline the rules clearly

Avoid any miscommunication by making the rules very clear. This means including opening and closing dates, terms and conditions and submission limits. In your posts don’t forget to let people know how to enter, and of course that they must like, share and follow your page to be eligible.

Make participating personal

The goal of hosting a social media competition is to not only reach more people and increase your engagement, but to develop a stronger online community. To effectively achieve this, have a think about personalising your competition in a way that isn’t intrusive. Some great examples include asking them to comment on the competition post with a memory, experience or personal goal. The idea is to make the questions interesting, with room to develop a real relationship without your followers. But be mindful of any potentially problematic ones. Some of our personal favourites include share your fondest Easter memory, what’s your perfect gift for Dad, or share a series of emojis that sum up this holiday best for you!

Proactively promote

When it comes to spreading the word, we recommend you share your competition across all your socials more than once. Ideally, three posts would be our personal choice. There should always be one introducing the competition, this should be done around a few days to a week beforehand. The next post could be during to act as a reminder that the competition is running and with a call to action regarding placing a submission before the closing date. Finally, have congrats to the winner post after the competition has closed. These posts are particularly effective if you can include a photo with the lucky follower holding their prize.

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