What is one tip for running successful contests or giveaways on social media? Share an example of a campaign that generated great engagement.

Question

Social media contests can be a powerful tool for engaging audiences and growing your online presence. This article presents expert-backed strategies to help you run successful social media contests that resonate with your followers. From creating desirable prizes to leveraging platform algorithms, these tips will guide you in crafting contests that boost participation and align with your brand identity.

Yvette Adams · Answer

One tip for running successful social media giveaways is to make the prize desirable, the entry process simple, and the campaign part of a broader strategy that captures leads and builds long-term value.
A great example is a 4-week "Incredible By Nature" giveaway campaign we ran for tourism organization Destination Port Stephens. The goal was to promote the region during the autumn season while capturing data and driving engagement. We offered two high-value prize packages and promoted the competition through Facebook and Instagram, supported by paid media across Meta, TikTok, and Google.
With a modest $1,000 ad spend, the campaign generated:- 50,126 reach- 100,901 impressions- 1,701 landing page views- 3,928 competition entries- 3,822 post engagements
An impressive CPC of just $0.12 and CTR of 1.88%Beyond the engagement, the campaign contributed to:- 80,436 unique website visitors- 273,000 total page views- 13,548 outbound clicks to tourism operators and local businesses
Most importantly, the campaign built a qualified database of entrants, which was then used for remarketing in Phases 2 and 3 of the destination's seasonal campaign - proving that a well-run contest can do more than generate likes: it can fuel your entire digital ecosystem.

Darryl Gordon · Answer

My strongest advice for running a successful social media giveaway is to ensure the prize matches your audience's interests. I see the best engagement when I conduct hotel and restaurant giveaways that have prizes that are desirable and easy to enter. For example, I recently partnered with a resort in Temecula. The prize included a two-night stay, $350 in food, and a reserved cabana at the pool.
That post received 225K views, 13,800 entries, and both the hotel and my page saw a boost in followers. Keeping the entry simple and the prize relevant made all the difference.

Joe Benson · Answer

One tip for running successful contests or giveaways on social media is to make participation easy and personal, while tying the theme directly to your brand's identity or community. People are far more likely to engage when they feel the contest is fun, low-effort, and gives them a chance to share something about themselves.
One campaign that generated great engagement was a "Favorite Popcorn Flavor" contest where we invited clients to submit their go-to popcorn recipe or snack combo for a chance to be featured in our newsletter. The entry method was simple: comment on the post with your favorite flavor and tag one friend who loves popcorn. We paired it with a few lighthearted photos and a short caption that made it feel like a conversation, not a promotion.
The response exceeded expectations. Not only did we see a spike in comments and shares, but we also learned more about our clients' personalities, which helped us build better future content. The user-generated responses gave us great material to work with, and the newsletter feature made people feel genuinely seen—not just rewarded.
The key takeaway: engagement is highest when the contest is relatable, easy to join, and gives people a reason to participate beyond just winning a prize. Make them part of the story, and they'll show up with enthusiasm.

Khris Steven · Answer

One tip that is not used as much as it should be when it comes to running successful contests on social media is to aim at creating a feeling of shared experience instead of a transactional giveaway. Rather than just telling followers to like, share, or tag to win something, engage them in an interactive activity that leaves a lasting impression. Ask them to share content on your brand or product, such as photos or stories that can be shared. Not only does this make your followers feel like they are part of a community, but it also creates genuine content that can be reused in future campaigns.
I had a contest some time ago where I asked people to write their own personal stories about how they used one of my affiliate products in their everyday lives. The most innovative submission was awarded the grand prize, although all the submissions were posted on social media. The engagement rate was three times higher than in our previous giveaways since people were not only asked to press a button but to bring something valuable. It established a stronger bond with the audience, and the user-generated content kept advertising the brand even after the contest was over.

Richard Taylor · Answer

Running successful social media contests comes down to strategic timing and platform-specific mechanics. From managing campaigns for brands like Estée Lauder and Gucci, I've found that contests perform 40% better when you leverage platform algorithms rather than fighting them.
The most effective campaign I executed was a 48-hour flash contest for a luxury brand during their product launch week. We used Instagram Stories polls to let followers vote on contest rules in real-time, then immediately launched based on the winning format. This pre-engagement strategy meant our actual contest post hit Instagram's algorithm with massive early interaction.
The key was requiring participants to share our branded template in their Stories (not just tag friends). This created exponential reach because each participant's followers saw our content natively in their feed. We tracked over 2,300 Story shares and saw a 67% spike in website traffic during the contest period.
Most brands make mistakes by making contests too complicated or running them too long. Keep entry requirements to one simple action, run for a maximum of 72 hours, and always announce winners within 24 hours to maintain momentum for your next campaign.

Riley Westbrook · Answer

It is all about identifying the correct and relevant contest prize for your audience to run successful contests on any social platform. As Valor Coffee, we have found great success in contest prizes that clearly represent our brand and align with the interests of our community. For example, we ran a giveaway that involved a one-off blend of coffee along with a virtual tasting experience. The contest required users to tag a friend and repost the giveaway. Ultimately, the contest became successful beyond our wildest dreams, and it generated organic, high-quality engagement that attracted coffee lovers and excited them.
Our benchmarking showed a 25% increase in social media followers and well over double our regular post engagement. What stood out was the caliber of participation from the new entrants. From the new followers who entered the giveaway, many became loyal repeat customers after the giveaway. I believe the focused and targeted engagement has most benefited our new loyal customers who entered a contest, rather than generic type contests with bad prizes. It provided the opportunity to build a deeper connection to the brand and guarantee that those entering would be more likely to become long-term customers. My final takeaway is to ensure any prize is tied into your brand and appeals to your audience.

Grace Ascione · Answer

As a healthcare marketing specialist, I've found that health challenges work incredibly well for small practices, but only when you make the prize directly tied to your service. I ran a "30-Day Wellness Challenge" for a local physical therapy clinic where participants posted daily progress photos using a branded hashtag.
The breakthrough was requiring participants to book a free consultation to enter. This wasn't about generic fitness content - we focused specifically on posture improvement exercises that demonstrated the clinic's expertise. Out of 89 entries, 34 people booked actual appointments during the challenge period.
What made this different from typical giveaways was the educational component. Each week, the PT released instructional videos showing proper form for the challenge exercises. These videos became our most-watched content and are still driving new patient inquiries months later.
The prize was three months of free sessions, which sounds expensive but cost the clinic almost nothing during their slower afternoon slots. More importantly, those winners became walking testimonials who referred 12 additional patients over the following quarter.

7 Tips For Running Social Media Contests

Table of Contents

7 Tips For Running Social Media Contests

Create Desirable Prizes with Simple Entry

Match Prizes to Audience Interests

Encourage Personal and Easy Participation

Foster a Shared Experience

Leverage Platform Algorithms for Timing

Align Contest Prizes with Brand Identity

Tie Health Challenges to Practice Services

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