Social Media Giveaway and Contest Inspiration: Creative Ideas and Pro Tips

Giveaways and contests are one of the easiest ways to boost engagement on social media. They help you connect with your audience, attract new followers, and create a buzz around your brand.

Whether you want to grow your follower count, increase brand awareness, or bring in quality leads, these campaigns can deliver great results - when done right.

In this blog, we’ll break down everything you need to know to run a successful giveaway. From creative ideas to real-world examples, you’ll get actionable tips to plan your next campaign with confidence.

What Are Social Media Giveaways and Contests?

Social media giveaways are campaigns where participants can win a prize by completing specific actions, such as liking a post, tagging friends, or following an account. Giveaways are accessible and inclusive, and winners are chosen randomly.

Social media contests, in contrast, require participants to compete in some way. They might submit photos, videos, captions, or other entries that are judged based on quality, creativity, or community votes. Contests usually demand more effort from participants but can generate highly engaging and shareable content.

Both approaches encourage participation, engagement, and community interaction. And both are valuable tools for brands looking to connect with their audience.

The Benefits: Why Do Them?

Social media giveaways and contests offer a range of benefits. Here are some of the most impactful:

• Boost Follower Count: Users are encouraged to follow your account to participate in the giveaway or contest, which will help you grow your audience quickly.
• Increase Engagement: Big social media events can drive likes, comments, shares, and tags, which increases your post’s visibility. This kind of activity helps your account perform better in platform algorithms.
• Enhance Brand Awareness: Participants often share the giveaway with their own networks, introducing your brand to a broader audience. A creative, well-planned contest can make your brand more memorable and appealing to new audiences.
• Generate Leads: Giveaways allow you to collect valuable information, like email addresses or other contact details, as part of the entry process. These leads can then be nurtured through targeted marketing campaigns to convert them into loyal customers.
• Strengthen Customer Loyalty: Rewarding your audience with prizes and promotions promotes goodwill and strengthens relationships with existing followers. It shows you value their support, which can encourage repeat engagement and long-term loyalty.
• Promote Products or Services: Giveaways give you the chance to highlight specific offerings by making them the prize. This approach showcases the value of your products and can also inspire non-winners to explore what you offer.
• Gather User-Generated Content (UGC): Contests that require participants to submit photos, videos, or creative entries can provide a treasure trove of content for future marketing campaigns. UGC is especially valuable as it often feels more authentic and relatable to other users.

The Drawbacks: Reasons to Avoid Them

But while contests and giveaways can have big benefits, there are drawbacks too. Here a few to consider:

• Attracting Freebie Seekers: Some participants may only follow your account for the prize and unfollow afterward.
• Resource-Intensive: Planning, executing, and managing the campaign requires significant time and effort.
• Costs: Prizes, promotional efforts, and tools to manage entries can be expensive.
• Platform Restrictions: Adhering to platform-specific rules and regulations can complicate the process.
• Risk of Low-Quality Leads: Some participants may not align with your target audience.

Understanding these pros and cons will help you decide if a giveaway or contest aligns with your goals and resources.

Looking for more tips on how to grow your social media following? Check out these Expert Strategies to Reach 100k Instagram Followers.

10 Creative Social Media Giveaway Ideas

Maybe you’ve decided it’s time to run a giveaway - but now what? How do you get started? Where do you find inspiration? What are other brands doing that’s working so well? Don’t worry, we’ve got some answers.

In this section, we’ll explore 10 creative social media giveaway ideas, complete with real-life examples to spark your imagination and help you achieve your goals.

Let’s get started!

1. User-Generated Content (UGC) Campaign

Best for: Enhancing brand engagement and authenticity.

Example: Every holiday season, Starbucks creates excitement with their iconic red cups, a beloved tradition since 1997. In 2015, they took it a step further with the #RedCupContest, inviting customers to share photos of their festive drinks on social media for a chance to be featured on Starbucks' official channels.

Benefits for the Brand: This campaign has continued to deliver since it was launched. It boosted brand exposure as users flooded social media with creative content featuring the famous red cups. It amplified engagement, with likes, comments, and shares pouring in faster than a holiday latte. And, most importantly, it deepened the emotional connection customers felt with the brand. In fact, posting the red cup has become a bit of a holiday social media tradition.

2. Influencer Partnership Giveaway

Best for: Expanding reach to new audiences.

Example: Watchmaker Daniel Wellington often teams up with popular creators to host watch giveaways. The rules are simple: participants must follow both the influencer and the brand for a chance to win. They also do lots of giveaway challenges, where participants need to complete a task or find a clue.

Benefits for the Brand: This approach offers a number of benefits. When an influencer is involved, it taps into the influencer’s audience to help expand the brand's reach. Or, it gets followers engaged with a fun task. Either way, the increased follows, comments, and shares on these giveaways helps drive brand awareness and interest in Daniel Wellington products.

3. Exclusive Access Giveaway

Best for: Building excitement for new products or events.

Example: Nike has a knack for creating hype, and one of their standout strategies is offering early access to limited-edition sneakers. Sneakerheads who sign up for push notifications for sneaker releases can enter to be the first to purchase these rare and exclusive shoes. The releases are hyped on social media to draw more people into the club - and draw more attention to the release.

Benefits for the Brand: This strategy ticks all the right boxes. It builds anticipation by giving fans something to look forward to, creates a sense of exclusivity that makes the product even more desirable, and drives sales when the sneakers officially drop. Plus, the buzz often spills over into press coverage, which amplifies the excitement far beyond social media.

4. Educational Content Giveaway

Best for: Establishing authority and providing value to the audience.

Example: HubSpot knows the value of giving before asking. They often offer free marketing resources and tools over social media. Their content is in-depth, data-rich, and highly valuable for their target audience.

Benefits for the Brand: This strategy helps the brand stand out as a trusted leader in marketing. It also attracts people who want to learn and improve their skills. Sharing useful resources builds trust and creates a good connection right from the start. Over time, it can help move people towards using HubSpot’s tools and becoming loyal customers.

5. Charity-Based Giveaway

Best for: Enhancing brand image and community involvement.

Example: TOMS Shoes ran a campaign where, for every photo of bare feet posted with a specific hashtag, they donated a pair of shoes to someone in need.

Benefits for the Brand: This approach highlights the brand’s commitment to social responsibility, which resonates with customers who value giving back. It also creates a sense of community by encouraging people to participate in something bigger than themselves. Plus, the user-generated content adds authenticity, showcasing real people supporting the mission.

6. Product Bundle Giveaway

Best for: Promoting multiple products simultaneously.

Example: Sephora often offers beauty bundles as social media giveaways. These wildly popular events help the brand showcase a range of products to entice a broader audience.

Benefits for the Brand: This strategy makes it easy to introduce multiple items in one campaign. It boosts brand perception by associating Sephora with generosity and excitement. The giveaways also drive huge engagement, with followers eagerly liking, sharing, and tagging friends to participate. This generates buzz and opens the door for user-generated content, with many contest winners also posting about the products they received on their own accounts.

7. Milestone Celebration Giveaway

Best for: Celebrating achievements and engaging the community.

Example: Innocent Drinks celebrated reaching a follower milestone by giving away free smoothies to a select number of participants.

Benefits for the Brand: By showing genuine appreciation for the followers, this strategy helps the Innocent brand build goodwill and reinforce brand loyalty. Highlighting the milestone also showcases the company's growth and success, which strengthens the brand’s credibility.

8. Feedback Solicitation Giveaway

Best for: Gathering customer insights and improving products.

Example: LEGO actively engages with its community by inviting followers to share feedback on potential new set ideas. As an added incentive, participants who contribute their thoughts are entered into a draw to win exclusive LEGO sets. The brand takes fan interaction so seriously that they’ve created a dedicated social media handle, @LEGOIdeas.

Benefits for the Brand: This strategy provides valuable consumer insights that can shape future products. It also promotes community growth and deeper engagement, and generates buzz around new ideas. By actively involving fans, it builds trust and strengthens the brand’s connection with its audience.

9. Seasonal Theme Giveaway

Best for: Aligning promotions with holidays or seasons.

Example: Bath & Body Works hosted a "Summerween" giveaway featuring their seasonal product line.

Benefits for the Brand: This strategy keeps the brand relevant by aligning with current trends or customer interests. It also helps increase product awareness, showcasing Bath & Body Works’ offerings (some of which align with the season) in a way that grabs attention. User participation is encouraged, which strengthens the connection between the brand and its audience. Bath & Body Works also added a time-sensitive element here, which can increase the sense of urgency and drive further engagement.

10. Trivia or Quiz Giveaway

Best for: Educating the audience while entertaining them.

Example: National Geographic hosted a wildlife trivia quiz, rewarding winners with exclusive merchandise for answering correctly. It was an interactive way to engage their audience while staying true to their mission of education and exploration.

Benefits for the Brand: This approach reinforces National Geographic’s authority and credibility as a trusted source of knowledge. It encourages repeat participation and keeps the audience coming back for more. The interactive nature of the quiz boosts overall engagement, with users actively participating and sharing their experiences. It also delivers what National Geographic's curious audience values most - knowledge!

7 Social Media Contest Ideas

Planning to run a social media contest? We’ve put together a list of creative ideas to help you get started and spark some inspiration.

1. Interactive AR Filter Contest

Best for: Enhancing user engagement and showcasing product features.

Example: In 2019, L'Oréal Paris launched an augmented reality (AR) filter on Instagram, Snapchat, Google Meet, and Zoom, allowing users to virtually try on their latest makeup line. Participants were encouraged to share their looks using a branded hashtag for a chance to be featured on the brand's official page.

Benefits for the Brand: This approach is perfect if you want to engage your audience while showcasing your product in action. In L'Oréal's case, it gave users a chance to explore the makeup line without any pressure to purchase. Featuring participants on the official page made the experience feel personal and rewarding, while branded hashtags helped the campaign gain traction, as users eagerly shared their AR looks with friends. L'Oréal has since continued to roll out AR-focused campaigns, both on social media and elsewhere.

2. Live Streaming Contest

Best for: Real-time engagement and promoting new products.

Example: Adidas hosted a live fitness challenge on Instagram Live, where participants followed along with a workout and shared their progress using a specific hashtag. Top participants were featured on Adidas' social media channels.

Benefits for the Brand: This approach built a strong sense of community by bringing people together - both online and IRL - around a shared passion for fitness. The event also showcased the brand’s dedication to promoting a healthy lifestyle. Plus, the public setting added an extra layer of visibility, while the shareable photos generated buzz on social media.

3. User-Generated Content (UGC) Contest

Best for: Collecting authentic content and promoting community.

Example: Coca-Cola’s long-running Share a Coke campaign encourages customers to share photos enjoying their product in creative ways using a specific hashtag. Selected entries were featured in their summer advertising campaign.

Benefits for the Brand: This strategy is perfect for brands looking to build authentic connections with their audience. It provided Coca-Cola with real and relatable material for future marketing efforts, while making the brand feel more personal and approachable.

4. Poll or Survey Contest

Best for: Gathering audience insights and boosting engagement.

Example: Samsung hosted a Twitter poll where followers could vote on their favorite new smartphone feature. To make it even more exciting, participants who joined the poll were entered into a draw to win exclusive Samsung merchandise.

Benefits for the Brand: This approach is a great choice for brands looking to gather direct input from their audience. Samsung gained valuable consumer insights that could guide future product decisions. For followers, the poll provided a sense of involvement in the product development process.

5. Caption This Contest

Best for: Boosting engagement and showcasing brand personality.

Example: For Dunkin' caption contests are a common social media strategy. In one case, the company shared a photo of their latest donut and invited followers to come up with creative captions. The winning caption was featured on their page, and the lucky winner received a Dunkin' gift card.

Benefits for the Brand: This strategy is ideal for brands that want to boost engagement while keeping things light and fun. Dunkin’ saw increased interaction as followers shared their most creative ideas in the comments. It highlighted the brand’s playful personality and made it more relatable to its audience.

6. Meme Creation Contest

Best for: Engaging a younger audience and increasing shareability.

Example: Doritos has been running fun and engaging campaigns that invite followers to create original memes featuring their product for years. The most creative and entertaining submissions are showcased on Doritos’ official social media channels. To make the contest even more exciting, winners received cash prizes as a reward for their creativity.

Benefits for the Brand: This campaign was a smart way to connect with audiences who love internet culture. Memes are highly shareable, which increases the chances of the content going viral. Encouraging followers to create their own memes made the campaign interactive and engaging. By highlighting the top entries, Doritos rewarded creativity while showing they understand and appreciate their audience.

7. Design Contest

Best for: Crowdsourcing creativity and engaging the community.

Example: Converse invited artists to submit designs for a new sneaker. The winning design was produced as a limited edition, and the artist received a cash prize.

Benefits for the Brand: This approach was a great way for Converse to crowdsource fresh, innovative ideas directly from their community and build a strong connection with a creative audience that values originality. The campaign also generated buzz around a unique product offering, giving fans something exclusive to talk about.

How to Run a Giveaway or Contest: Step-by-Step

Running a successful giveaway or contest requires thoughtful planning, execution, and follow-up. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you launch a campaign that maximizes engagement and delivers measurable results.

1. Define Your Goals

Start by identifying what you want to achieve. Common goals include:

• Increasing followers
• Boosting engagement
• Promoting a product launch
• Driving website traffic
• Collecting user-generated content

2. Choose the Right Type of Contest

Pick a format that aligns with your goals. For example:

• Follow & Tag: Best for growing your follower count.
• Photo Submission: Great for generating user-generated content.
• Trivia or Quiz: Ideal for educating and engaging your audience.
• Caption This: Perfect for sparking creativity and humor.

3. Set Clear Rules and Guidelines

Ensure participants understand how to enter and what’s at stake. Include:

• Eligibility requirements (age, location, etc.)
• Step-by-step instructions on how to enter
• Contest deadlines
• Details on how winners will be selected
• Prize specifics

4. Select an Attractive Prize

Choose a prize that resonates with your target audience and aligns with your brand.

• Popular options include gift cards, exclusive products, or experiences.
• Ensure the prize value justifies the effort required to enter.

5. Create a High-Quality Post

Your post should grab attention and clearly convey the details of the giveaway or contest. Here are a few tips:

• Use a compelling headline: “Win a $500 Gift Card!”
• Add eye-catching visuals: Use high-quality images or videos of the prize.
• Highlight the key details upfront: Entry steps, prize, and deadline.
• Include a call to action (CTA): “Tag a friend and follow us to enter!”
• Keep the tone on-brand: Reflect your brand personality in the language and visuals.

6. Promote the Contest

Amplify your contest’s reach through multiple channels:

• Social Media: Share the contest across all your platforms.
• Email Marketing: Send a dedicated email to your subscribers.
• Influencer Partnerships: Collaborate with influencers to spread the word.
• Paid Ads: Invest in targeted ads to maximize visibility.
• Website Placement: Highlight the contest on your homepage or blog.

7. Monitor and Engage

Track the contest’s performance and interact with participants. Remember the goals you set in Step 1? These should be measurable and reflect what you are tracking here.

• Use analytics tools to measure engagement, follower growth, impressions, and conversions.
• Create a unique hashtag for your campaign to track user-generated content.
• Evaluate your social media ROI by comparing the campaign costs with the value of new followers, leads, or sales.

8. Select and Announce the Winner(s)

Once the campaign is through, it's time to promote the winners to help spread your contest's reach even further.

• Choose the winner(s) based on the criteria in your rules.
• Announce them on your social media platforms and/or email list.
• Express gratitude to all participants and encourage them to stay tuned for future contests.

9. Follow Up After the Contest

Keep the conversation going with your audience:

• Send a thank-you post or email to all participants.
• Highlight user-generated content or standout entries.
• Offer a consolation prize or exclusive discount to participants who didn’t win.

10. Analyze Results

Evaluate the success of your giveaway or contest by measuring key metrics:

• Number of entries
• Engagement rates (likes, shares, comments)
• Follower growth
• Website traffic (if applicable)
• User-generated content created

Read: How to Measure Social Media Success

Final Thoughts

By combining giveaways and contests, you can engage your audience, increase reach, and foster community interaction. Whether you’re running a straightforward giveaway or an elaborate contest, these ideas can help you connect with your followers in meaningful and memorable ways.

You can use social media management tools to help you do this. They include features like the ability to schedule posts, and monitoring and reporting features to help you gauge campaign success. Check out our top picks for the best social media management tools to get some insights on top tools and which might be right for you.