Given that 80% of Instagram users follow at least one company, it’s only natural that you’d want to boost your own profile’s exposure and audience reach — but with so much competition out there, it might be easier said than done.

Fortunately, there are a handful of tried-and-true Instagram marketing tactics you may employ. Optimizing posting hours for optimum interaction, collaborating with an influencer to raise brand exposure, or assigning a content producer to produce more engaging material are all viable options.

1. Pick something fun to give away.

You should start by selecting the item, service, or experience that will serve as the contest’s grand prize. The answer to this question depends on your objectives; if you’re trying to get the word out about a new product, for instance, you probably wouldn’t want to give out generic gift certificates.

On the other hand, you may team up with a brand to provide a special reward that will interest both of your target demographics.

2. Think about the requirements for participating in your contest.

Again, the criteria you use to enter depend on your final result. You may immediately expand your reach and perhaps get new followers by asking each participant to like your post and comment with the name of a friend who could also be interested in your company.

3. Set a target audience for your Instagram competition.

Having a clear objective can help you focus your efforts and measure the performance of your gift more accurately.

You may tailor your strategy to your brand’s needs, whether that’s a rise in website traffic, a rise in followers, a rise in engagement, or a rise in sales.

4. Create a synergy between your brands.

I interviewed Conor Janda, Associate Manager of Marketing collaborations at Chomps, to learn more about the advantages of brand collaborations for Instagram giveaways. “A giveaway is a nice way to align with peer brands and partners and drive traffic to your account,” he said to me.

5. Choose a hashtag for your campaign.

Hashtags on Instagram boost exposure by making your material more discoverable through the Explore tab. To increase exposure for your freebie, you should think about making a catchy and original advertising hashtag. Use hashtags like #giveaway, #winitwednesday, #[yourbrand]giveaway, #[yourbrand]contest, and so on to promote your giveaways and contests.

6. Limit the duration of the competition.

Include a time restriction in your caption so that participants know when they must meet your conditions, and then add “Giveaway Closed” when the time is up. For a chance to win a free night at one of our resorts, you may write something.

7. Start advertising your Instagram contest.

You’re ready to publish and market your post once you’ve settled on a reward, entry-criteria, prospective partners, hashtag, time restriction, and objective. Keep in mind that Instagram users have a preferred posting time of day, so schedule your content accordingly.

Furthermore, posting giveaway details on a blog post, Facebook page, or other social channel will certainly attract additional attention. Think about where else you could advertise the giveaway to get the most response.

Rules for an Instagram Contest

When it comes to contests, Instagram’s guidelines are straightforward.

First and foremost, you must include a disclaimer like the one below to let people know that your campaign has nothing to do with Instagram.

To participate, participants must be 13 or older, agree to Instagram’s terms of service, and acknowledge that the campaign is not sponsored, managed, or linked with Instagram, Inc.

You should also avoid asking users to tag themselves or anything that isn’t in the photo, as Instagram will delete such posts.

For a comprehensive list of restrictions, please refer to Instagram’s advertising standards.

Ideas for Instagram Contests

Once you’re ready to announce your contest, you may encourage participants to do a variety of things to increase their chances of winning.

Here are some examples of standard freebies:

• Increase participation using this method.
• Get your followers to tag a friend in the comments for a chance to win by doing the same. As a result, you may expand your brand’s Instagram audience and connect with new prospective customers.
• You may increase your brand’s exposure by asking your fans to like and share your giveaway for a chance to win. If ten of your followers with 100 followers each re-post, you’ll reach 1,000 new people.
• Get people to follow your brand or your partner’s brand for a chance to win. Getting more people to follow you by doing this is a common strategy.
• Hold a picture contest where people may show off how they use your product. Your participants’ social media posts will be viewed by their own followers and friends, providing you with yet another simple chance to increase brand recognition. For maximum exposure, have participants use the brand’s designated hashtag.
• Some marketers use the “Caption this for a chance to win” command alongside photos with no captions. Participants will appreciate the opportunity to provide original captions for the prize photograph, and you may publish the winning caption with proper attribution when the contest has concluded.