How to Run a Social Media Giveaway (Without Wrecking Your Engagement)
Social media giveaways can be a powerful tool for increasing brand awareness, boosting engagement, and even driving sales if they’re done correctly. But too many brands jump into giveaways without a clear plan, leading to low-quality followers, a drop in engagement, and even potential penalties from social media platforms.
As a digital marketing agency that specializes in social media growth and strategy, we’ve seen what works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to giveaways. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know to run a successful, strategic giveaway that actually benefits your brand long-term.
Why You Can’t Just Run Any Giveaway
You’ve probably seen accounts run a simple “Like this post, tag a friend, and follow us to win” giveaway. While this might get you some quick engagement, it’s not necessarily a good strategy.
Here’s why:
You risk attracting the wrong audience. If your giveaway isn’t carefully targeted, you’ll gain followers who only care about free stuff, not your products or services.
It can mess with the algorithm. Social media platforms prioritize content from accounts with high engagement. If people follow you just for a giveaway and then ignore your content afterward, your organic reach plummets.
You could be breaking platform rules. Instagram and Facebook have specific guidelines on giveaways—violating them could result in reduced visibility or even account restrictions. (Read Instagram’s Promotions Guidelines, Facebook’s Pages, Groups, and Events Policies, and TikTok’s Giveaway & Promotions Policy for details.)
A giveaway can be a great marketing tool, but only if you do it with a clear strategy.
Why Run a Social Media Giveaway?
A well-planned giveaway can provide a ton of benefits, including:
✔️ Increased brand awareness – Get your brand in front of new audiences.
✔️ Boosted engagement – More likes, comments, and shares help the algorithm push your content to more people.
✔️ List building – A giveaway can be a great way to collect emails and phone numbers for future marketing.
✔️ Driving sales – When structured correctly, giveaways can lead to more purchases (especially if you offer a discount code to non-winners).
The key? Make sure the giveaway is designed to attract people who actually care about your brand.
Giveaway examples to check out:
The Secret to a High-Quality Giveaway: Audience Targeting & Smart Partnerships
A common mistake we see? Brands giving away prizes that have nothing to do with their business.
Rule #1: Your prize should directly appeal to your target audience.
For example:
Bad giveaway prize: A MacBook or iPhone (unless you’re an electronics brand). These attract everyone, not just your ideal customers.
Good giveaway prize: Your own product or a bundle related to your industry. This ensures that entrants are actually interested in what you sell.
Pro Tip: Team up with complementary brands for an even more targeted giveaway!
For example:
A skincare brand could partner with a beauty influencer and a clean beauty brand.
A fitness coach could team up with an activewear company.
A coffee brand could collaborate with a local bakery or a trendy mug company.
By doing this, you’re reaching an engaged audience that’s already interested in your niche.
How Giveaways Can Hurt Your Account (If You’re Not Careful)
While giveaways can be beneficial, they also come with risks. Here are the biggest pitfalls to avoid:
Low-Quality Followers – If people only follow you for the giveaway and unfollow afterward, your engagement rate drops.
Drop in Engagement – The algorithm notices when you get a huge influx of followers who don’t interact with your posts. This can hurt your organic reach.
Platform Penalties – Instagram and Facebook have strict rules about how you run promotions. Asking people to “tag 5 friends” or “share this to your story” could violate their guidelines.
How to avoid this: Make your giveaway rules simple, ensure your prize is niche-specific, and engage new followers with valuable content after the giveaway.
Is a Giveaway Right for Your Brand? Ask Yourself These Questions First
Before jumping into a giveaway, make sure it aligns with your marketing goals. Ask yourself:
What is the goal? Are you aiming for brand awareness, sales, or engagement?
Is the prize relevant to your ideal audience? If the prize doesn’t align with what you sell, rethink it.
Do you have a plan for keeping new followers engaged after the giveaway? If not, they’ll likely unfollow.
If you answered yes to all three, a giveaway could be a great strategy for your brand.
Giveaway examples to check out:
How to Run a Successful Giveaway (Step-by-Step Guide)
1. Set a Clear Goal
Do you want more engagement? Brand awareness? Leads? Your goal should shape your strategy.
2. Pick the Right Prize
Make sure the giveaway prize aligns with your brand and attracts your ideal audience.
3. Choose Entry Rules Wisely
Keep it simple (e.g., “Follow us and comment your favorite product” vs. “Tag 10 friends and write a 500-word essay”).
Consider requiring email sign-ups for long-term value.
This a great way to build your email list too!
Disclose that the winner will be announced from this account only and contact via DM or email (if email entry is used).
Lots of scam accounts pop up when a business decides to do a giveaway. They follow & message followers who have entered, telling them they won, but it’s a scam. Warn followers ahead of time!
4. Promote the Giveaway
Use Instagram Reels, Stories, and TikTok to spread the word.
Consider running ads to expand your reach.
If partnering with others, make sure they promote it to their audience too.
Collaboration giveaways are great for reaching both audiences!
5. Follow Platform Rules
Read Instagram’s Promotion Guidelines, Facebook’s Rules, and TikTok’s Giveaway & Promotions Policy.
Do NOT ask for excessive tagging or sharing as entry requirements.
6. Announce the Winner Transparently
Use a random generator like Comment Picker to choose a winner fairly.
Announce the winner publicly to avoid giveaway scams.
7. Engage New Followers After the Giveaway Ends
Send a welcome message or special discount code to new followers.
Post engaging content immediately after the giveaway to keep them interested.
8. Close The Giveaway
Never leave a giveaway running past the end date. Always go back in to edit your post to let followers know the giveaway is closed.
How to Track Your Giveaway’s Success
To measure how well your giveaway performed, track these key metrics:
Follower Growth – How many new followers did you gain? How many stuck around after the giveaway?
Engagement Rate – Did likes, comments, and shares increase?
Email & SMS Sign-Ups – How many people joined your marketing list?
Sales & Conversions – Did the giveaway result in actual revenue?
If you’re not sure how to track this, tools like Google Analytics and Meta Business Suite can help.
Giveaways to check out:
Giveaways Should Work for You, Not Against You
When executed strategically, a giveaway can be an amazing way to grow your audience and boost engagement. But if you go into it without a plan, you could end up with ghost followers and lower engagement.
Need help crafting a data-driven giveaway strategy?
DM us or give us a shout! We’d love to help you make your next giveaway a success!
Until next time,
The HM Team
