Ask Why
So you want to launch an awesome Instagram contest. Fantastic!
Why?
This may seem like an obvious question, but you’d be surprised by how often it gets neglected until far too late in the planning process.
Why exactly do you want to host this contest? Are you just aiming to increase Instagram followers, or do you have another goal in mind? How do you plan to reach these goals?
Now is the time to be specific. Don’t just say, “We’re going to get a lot of followers and build a ton of brand awareness!” Set concrete, measurable goals; you won’t know if your Instagram contest is successful unless you can define what success looks like
The answer to this question will guide you through the rest of the strategy. For example, you might want to engage with your local community and find beautiful content for your brand. Then you launch a contest inviting local artists to share images related to your brand offering them exposure and the opportunity of becoming brand’s ambassadors. It’s not only about finding new followers, is about engaging and creating a win-win situation between your followers and your brand
Pick The Type Of Contest
Even though the platform is simple and straightforward, Instagram offers a lot of room for creativity in contests. Decide what kind of Instagram contest will best align with your brand’s goals.
Here are a few examples of how you could structure a photo contest:
- Follower contest: Encourage Instagram users to follow your brand’s account during a set period of time to be entered to win
- Like/comment contest: Ask users to like or comment on your photo to be entered to win
- Photo challenge contest: Tell users to post photos to their Instagram accounts that fit a certain theme, sharing with a contest-specific hashtag
Define your audience, and make sure that this contest also fits their interests. What would catch their attention? What’s in it for them? Why would they want to participate?
Choose a prize carefully. It obviously has to be realistic for your budget and resources, but it should also make sense for your brand and customers.
For example, a trendy clothing boutique probably wouldn’t want to host a fashion photo contest and giveaway video games as a prize. If Instagram users don’t get it at first glance, they won’t bother reading further.
Define The Rules Clearly
Write out the rules for participation. How long and complicated are they? Could you explain them in 15 seconds to someone who knows nothing about your contest? If not, simplify them until they’re easy to understand and explain quickly. Remember that you only have a limited amount of space to get your message across, and Instagram users have a short attention span.
Go back to your contest goals yet again, and make sure your rules are still on track. No matter what your other guidelines are, it’s smart to make it a requirement that participants follow your Instagram account to enter. That way, you start off building followers as a baseline, and you can increase engagement from there.
Set the dates for your Instagram contest. Is it a one-time competition? A weekly giveaway? An annual event? When will you announce the winners?
Create two versions of your contest rules:
- One that’s a quick, at-a-glance overview you could put into a graphic or post
- One that’s a thorough outline that will keep your lawyers happy.
Double-check that you meet Instagram’s requirements as well:
- Acknowledge that the contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram
- Don’t inaccurately tag content or encourage users to do so
Pick A Hashtag
Creating a unique hashtag for your Instagram contest is essential. You want a hashtag that’s clear, branded and memorable, so users can recall it easily and you can track it accurately.
Launch And Promote
Once the design is done and the marketing plan is in place, you’re ready for takeoff. Make the contest live, and promote it like crazy – on your website, on all your social channels, through your email list, through your PR people.
Look for ways to give back to participants and keep building on engagement. For example, regram a few entries a day, or start a Pinterest board with all the photos people have posted.
Track Results
Using the metrics for success you laid out in the very beginning as guidelines, track and analyse your contest’s progress. Are people engaging the way you hoped they would? Are you going to meet your projected goals?
Celebrate And Follow-Up
Once you choose a winner, shout it from the social media rooftops. Announce it on Instagram first, then on your company blog and other social platforms. Make it a big deal, so your winner feels special (and encouraged to become your brand ambassador in turn).
To finally integrate all of the collected UGC into your brand marketing campaign and even directly into your website, a visual marketing platform such as Photoslurp is commonly used, that simplifies the whole process allowing you to get the most out of your UGC contest.
Do an internal debrief right after the contest is over. What went well? What could be better next time? What did you learn?