With more than 1 billion active users per month, Instagram is the clear choice for companies seeking to broaden their exposure and interact with consumers.

A Step-by-Step Approach to Hosting a Profitable Instagram Contest

To assist you in getting started, we have compiled a comprehensive checklist for organising a fun Instagram competition.

Set your sights on a target.

Planning is essential before launching an Instagram marketing contest. Successful contests are driven by a clear goal that speaks to the values of their intended audience and encourages them to take action.

Whether your final aim is to increase brand awareness on Instagram or to increase your number of followers, it is crucial to have a clear objective in mind from the start.

Make an access point.

There are a variety of methods for companies to establish contests on Instagram, but the most effective and engaging ones are the ones that get people to share their own images.

Establish the rules for participation and make them readily apparent in all contest advertisements. Perhaps the brand name isn’t a part of the hashtag that will serve as the focus of your contest. Make it clear in your guidelines that you encourage brand tagging for publicity purposes.

Discover the best hashtag to use.

A successful Instagram competition relies heavily on creative use of hashtags. It’s necessary since without it, participants won’t feel any connection to the contest. In other words, hashtags serve as a method for sharing and driving participation, both of which contribute to building brand and/or contest recognition.

Establish a central idea.

Since user-generated content (UGC) dominates Instagram contests, deciding on a topic is essential for letting participants know what they should be posting.

Your chosen theme should be consistent with your target audience, offerings, and business goals. Yet another option is to promote your product or brand throughout certain times of year.

Choose a method for selecting the winners.

An important component of creating a successful competition is explaining the selection process to the entrants. Votes or a jury usually decide the winners of competitions. Let’s go at the mechanics of each possibility…

Having contestants fight for the most Likes is a terrific method to increase the contest’s shareability. If the incentive is high enough, your participants will probably share their posts with friends across channels in an effort to amass as many Likes as possible and increase their chances of winning.

Pick a commendation that’s fitting.

Consider your intended audience, your available funds, and the scope of your ambitions before settling on a prize for your contest.

Keep in mind that you’re really asking your viewers to do something by entering the contest. The expense and time involved in entering the contest must be greater than the value of the prize if it is to be worthwhile. A free trip is more likely to motivate people to complete a few extra steps than is a free t-shirt.

Make up some rules.

Remember that there are rules you must follow if you plan on offering a reward in your tournament. It is recommended that you get legal counsel before establishing the rules and regulations for your contest, as the laws that apply to you will vary depending on where you are situated and who you let to compete.

Use extreme promotion.

With your strategy in place, it’s time to get the word out about your contest.

Contest Concepts for Instagram

Wordplay Challenge

Instagram caption contests are a fantastic method to get your audience engaged with the contest (and, by extension, your company) with no effort on their side.

Created by the Users, For the Users

Brands may benefit greatly from user-generated content, as well as content created by unpaid contributors. They love the opportunity to take part and perhaps win a prize, while you benefit from increased exposure gained via the participation of your audience’s audiences. (say that 10 times fast). In addition, their involvement in this serves as social evidence in the form of de facto testimonials for your company.

Brain Teaser

By holding a trivia contest, you put the audience to the test and force them to show off their knowledge. Because of this, more people will interact with your postings, and more people will learn about your company or the subject you’re highlighting. It’s as easy as asking a question and rewarding the proper responders. The incentive might be a chance to win something or a specific prize.

Combat for Victory

Instagram users love these kinds of contests because they require active participation to win. Likes, followers, shares, and tags are all possible methods of expression. You’ll get a lot of participation due to the bonus, which will help spread the word about your company.

Like = 1 Vote

This competition goes beyond the typical utilisation of user-created content. Whether it’s a song, drawing, selfie, or other exhibition of talent/personality, the material gets pushed, and the audience is invited to vote (with a like) on the greatest submission. This provides additional motivation for your “contestants” to spread the word about your promotion among their followers.

Are you prepared to host an Instagram contest?

You should put this information to use for your brand now that you know how to conduct a fun and profitable Instagram contest.

You’ll be able to interact with and attract a larger audience, and you’ll also have access to fresh ideas for content and competitions.