Contests Drive Engagement, Followers, and Leads
Social media contests are one of the fastest ways to grow your audience, increase engagement, and generate leads. When done right, a single contest can achieve what months of organic posting can’t. When done wrong, you attract freebie-seekers who never become customers.
Choosing the Right Contest Type
- Like/Follow to win — Simplest, best for follower growth
- Comment to win — Drives engagement and algorithm visibility
- Tag a friend — Viral growth through personal recommendations
- User-generated content — Photo/video submissions create brand content
- Email entry — Best for lead generation (captures contact info)
Rules for Success
Prize Alignment
The prize should attract your target customer, not just anyone. A generic iPad attracts everyone. A free consultation, your product, or an industry-specific prize attracts people who might actually become customers.
Clear Rules and Timeline
State entry requirements, eligibility, timeline, and winner selection process clearly. Check platform-specific contest rules (each social platform has requirements). Include “no purchase necessary” where legally required.
Promotion Strategy
Don’t just post once and hope. Promote across all channels, use paid ads to boost reach, partner with relevant influencers, send to your email list, and post reminders throughout the contest period.
After the Contest
Announce the winner publicly (builds trust for future contests). Follow up with all entrants via email. Analyze what worked and what didn’t. Nurture new followers and email subscribers with ongoing value.
Run Engaging Contests
Brandastic creates social media campaigns that build engaged audiences and generate leads. Get a free social media consultation.
