How to Host a Successful Instagram Photo Contest
Sparking social media engagement is an art form that few brands have truly mastered, but businesses large and small can capitalize on popular platforms like Instagram by holding interactive photo contests that effectively turns followers into effective brand advocates. These photo contests are hugely popular on the photo sharing app, but making sure that yours is a success requires a few pivotal steps to give your audience everything it needs to shine. Here are a few ways to get started.
- The contest format
First and foremost, what type of photo contest are you going to run? Typically, the most popular contests are comment contests, those that rank photos according to their total “likes,” and photo challenge contests. The latter is among the most popular on Instagram and tells users who want to enter to win to post a photo on their personal account and use the specific hashtag you designate. This is a quick and easy way to get your contest rolling and watch that crowdsourced content roll in.
- Contest Rules
Make sure that there is no margin for misinterpretation in your contest rules! Most contests are straightforward, such as those that require likes, comments and tags to drive rankings, but for more rule-intensive contests, it may be wise to include separate posts that outline your requirements. Additionally, Instagram has very few promotion rules, so your contest must acknowledge that your promotion isn’t sponsored, endorsed or associated with the platform, and both your company and consumers won’t inappropriately tag content.
- A fitting prize
Last but not least, spreading the word about your contest is pivotal to it getting off the ground, and choosing the right prize for the winner is just as vital to your marketing efforts. Ideally, you’re going to want to pick a prize that is related to your product or service. For instance, if you found a way to give away a car, that could attract users who aren’t actually interested in your brand. Focusing your prizes will ensure that your outreach makes it to your desired consumer channels and will keep your consumers’ eyes peeled for more offers in the future.
