There are many reasons you might want to run an Instagram contest, whether you’re looking to quickly grow your online presence or simply want to give back to your followers.
But there are some rules and guidelines you need to keep in mind if you want to host an Instagram contest to ensure that it’s both legal and successful.
To help make sure you put on the best Instagram contest possible, we’ve put together this guide on how to run an Instagram contest that your audience will be excited to enter and share. Let’s dive in!
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Instagram contest rules
First things first, we need to go over Instagram’s rules and legalese. You may have noticed that most Instagram contests or giveaways come with an extra long caption with lots of fine print.
This is because Instagram has a lot of rules and guidelines in place to ensure they’re released from any liability in case any party doesn’t follow through with their end of the deal.
Here’s a quick summary of the most important points in Instagram’s contest rules:
You are responsible for the lawful operation of your Instagram contest.
Avoid inaccurate tagging in photos.
Include a complete release of Instagram by each entrant, as well as copy clearly outlining that your contest is in no way, shape or form sponsored by Instagram.
Instagram will not assist you with your contest.
You run an Instagram contest at your own risk.
You can read the full policy here, but basically, Instagram is making sure you know they’re not liable, and that you make sure your followers know that Instagram is not liable, regardless of how your contest pans out.
Instagram contest ideas and examples
So you’re ready to start planning for your Instagram contest. But how exactly do you want to have people enter, and what are the benefits for your overall marketing strategy? There are several different types of contests you could run, so we’ve put together a list of our favorites for you to choose from.
1. Like, comment and follow
One of the most popular methods of entry is to have people like your photo announcing your Instagram contest, leave a comment and follow your account in order to gain entry.
Here’s a great example of this type of Instagram contest put on by CAUSEBOX.
Simply name your prize, lay down the ground rules and watch the entries fly in. You can ask people to comment with why they should win, nominate someone to win or simply tag a friend to spread the word.
However, that last option is a great contest idea all on its own–read on for more ways to make tagging friends in contest work effectively.
2. Tag a friend
Want to really get the word out about your Instagram contest? Ask people to tag a friend when they enter! Users can tag as many friends as they like in order to get even more entries.
Then, those users are likely to enter and tag some of their own friends, creating a ripple effect of awareness around your contest and brand.
You can also host a tag a friend Instagram contest in order to ask your followers to nominate someone who deserves a prize, like in this example below, run by doll10beauty.
In this example, they asked followers to tag a doctor, nurse, grocery store worker or another essential worker who has been going to work non-stop through the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is a great way to thank people who have been working hard to help others, as well as grow your customer base at the same time.
3. User-generated content
If you’re looking to put together a campaign around gathering user-generated content (UGC) to share online, creating an Instagram contest around that concept can be a great way to do it.
Ask your audience to share a photo onto their feed using a specific hashtag or tagging your business so that you can easily find all of the entries in one place.
Not only does this reward your customers for helping you out, but it gives you an entire arsenal of user-generated photos to share on your feed for future content planning.
4. Collaboration
Another great way to broaden your audience is by collaborating with a similar brand involved in a contest together.
If you go this route, users will then have to follow each brand going in on the contest together in order to enter. Here’s an example of what this might look like from Ring Concierge and Elemis.
Many influencers also host collaborative giveaways like this, meant to help their followers discover new brands and bloggers, and vice versa.
If you’re working to grow your Instagram presence, a collaborative contest or giveaway might be your best bet.
