11 Ideas for Instagram Contests That Will Bring You New Followers
Contests on Instagram are not just about giving away gifts – they are cleverly thought-out campaigns that can significantly increase your reach, gain new followers and strengthen your relationship with your existing audience. Whether you are a brand, content creator or small business, giveaway is one of the fastest and most effective ways to increase your visibility.
Instagram loves activity – likes, comments, shares, saves, tagging friends… And a contest naturally encourages followers to take these actions. When the prize is attractive and the rules are simple, people are happy to participate – and often they tell others about you too.
Contents:
- What is an Instagram contest?
- 2 recommended tools for selecting winners
- How to run a contest on Instagram: 6 steps
- 11 contest examples
- FAQ
- Conclusion
Planning an Instagram contest? That’s very generous of you!
Here is a detailed guide on how to run a successful Instagram contest – including tips on how to set rules, promote your contest and select winners. Plus 11 inspiring examples from brands that do it great.
Let’s get to it, noble gift-giver!
1. What is an Instagram Contest?
An Instagram contest (or giveaway) is a type of promotion in which a brand or creator gives away a product or service to one of their followers. Users participate in the contest according to the rules set by the organizer.
Why do brands run contests?
- Gaining new followers – contests attract new visitors.
- Audience engagement – they bring likes, comments and interactions that are friendly to the algorithm.
- Getting UGC (user-generated content) – a great opportunity for creative posts from followers.
- Expressing gratitude – contests strengthen relationships with followers.
2. 2 Recommended Tools for Selecting a Winner
1. Wask.co – Random selection from comments (first use free).
2. IG Comment Picker – Free for selecting up to 150 comments, no registration required.
3. How to Run a Contest on Instagram: 6 Steps
1. Plan your contest goals
Start by deciding what your contest goal is. More followers? Increasing sales of a specific product or service?
Whatever it is, figure it out as soon as possible. This will make it much easier to track your contest’s success.
2. Set (and share) contest rules
Clear rules are essential. When publishing a contest on Instagram, it’s best to include the terms and promotional guidelines in the description. This way, your followers can easily find them.
When sharing a contest on your website, on a special landing page, or on other social networks, state the important rules at the beginning. If this is not possible, direct users to the contest post caption or elsewhere where the rules are stated.
If your contest is only open to certain geographic areas, make sure this information is clearly stated.
3. Select a prize for the contest
This part should be fun! Decide what your followers will be competing for. It could be a product or set of products, a gift card, a service, or something else.
It’s wise to make sure the prize is related to your brand. Generic prizes like cash or Amazon gift cards will attract random followers who just want a quick win. Offering products and prizes related to what your page is about is more effective – you’ll ensure that everyone who participates and starts following you because of the contest has an interest in what you do.
4. Publish your contest (at the right time)
And we’re live! Publish your contest at the “Best time to post” so your contest reaches the largest number of followers.
You can also use tracking tools.
5. Promote your contest
Promote your contest on Instagram as much as possible. Share it in your Stories, feed, and on all other platforms your brand uses. Post about the contest multiple times (“One week left to participate,” “Last chance to participate,” etc.) to make sure no one misses it.
6. Track participation using a social media management tool
If you’re running a contest, you’ll probably want to see specific numbers that prove how it helps your page’s traffic.
4. 11 Examples of Instagram Contests
If you’re looking for inspiration for your next Instagram contest, hashtags are your best friend: try searching #contest, #giveaway, #instagramcontest, #iggiveaway, #contestalert and other similar variations to find millions of contest examples — or scroll down to the list of inspiring examples below.
The following 11 contests showcase different contest strategies, ideas, engagement methods, prize ideas, and creative ways to promote your contest.
1. Like, comment, and/or share to participate
This is the simplest form of an IG contest. Your audience participates by reacting to the post (liking, commenting, or sharing – and most importantly, following you). This makes participation super easy; it’s low effort, high reward.
Your Instagram contest could, for example, require followers to share the post to their Stories as a form of participation, or to save the post…
…or even ask users to write a comment (and tag friends in the comment, more on that later) for engagement.
Test this strategy
- Keep your digital marketing goals in mind when deciding on engagement methods. Do you want to gain followers, likes or comments, increase shares, etc.?
- Try to make engagement as simple as possible – confusing engagement terms are a recipe for low participation.
- To increase engagement, make engagement a lazy person’s dream contest.
- Think about long-term growth when choosing engagement methods. For example, “like for engagement” will get you likes on a single post, but “follow for engagement” has the potential to gain you permanent fans.
2. Tag a friend for engagement
Asking users to tag their friends in the comments – and counting each of those comments as engagement – is basically a brilliant move. It means that the contestant’s friends will receive a notification when they are tagged, which will encourage them to also participate in the contest.
If one user tags three friends, those three tag another three, and so on – soon you’ll take over the world. Of course, not everyone will do it… we’re pretty sure that because of serial tagging, friendships have already ended. Still, it’s a very effective growth strategy.
Tagging a friend isn’t so “devilish” when it actually has something to do with your brand or the contest itself. For example, if you’re giving away a wellness package for two, you can ask participants to tag the person they would bring with them if they won.
This hotpot contest asks users to “TAG 1 friend in the comment below (unlimited entries, you must tag a different person each time)”. They’re giving away two gift cards worth $50 each – probably one to the winner and one to the tagged friend.
Test this strategy
- Make tagging a friend in the comments a way to engage and increase the reach of your contest.
- Think about how tagging a friend can provide value to the user as well – for example, you can give away two prizes (so the tagged friend also wins something). Otherwise, you risk your contest just annoying the tagged friends.
3. Give a new product as a prize
Launching a new product to market is a great reason to run a contest – it helps create hype around the product and share the news of its launch with your audience.
Moreover, a new product automatically has higher perceived value, even if the actual monetary value of the prize isn’t particularly high (for example, this contest for ready-made boxed waffles).
Try this strategy
- Consider incorporating contests into your marketing strategy when launching new products.
- Emphasize the “novelty” of the product when promoting this contest – if possible, time the contest so that the winner is the first to try the product.
4. Collaborate with another brand
Collaborating with another brand or influencer automatically expands the reach of your contest, as it has the potential to reach your followers as well as your partner’s followers.
You can collaborate with a brand both in promoting the contest and in the prize – for example, in the contest below, a reusable lunch box brand collaborated with a vegan food manufacturer, and the prize includes products or services from both brands.
Or the competitive partnership may include only a prize from one of the brands, while the other partner only promotes the contest – as is the case with this hair salon and a Vancouver food blogger.
Either way, the most important factor in any collaboration is that your brand values align with your partner’s values. Reusable containers and vegan food share a common goal – sustainability – while hairdressing and food influencers have an overlap in their target audience.
Take away this strategy
- Collaborate with another brand to reach a new audience for your contest.
- Make sure brand values match your own (aside from being generally good practice, it also increases the likelihood that the partner’s followers will love your content too).
- If it makes sense, create a prize that includes something from both brands.
5. Celebrate a holiday or special event
You don’t actually need an excuse for a contest – people love free things any time of year – but if you can tie the contest to a holiday or event celebration, do it.
It can be a personal event (such as your brand’s anniversary or reaching 2,000 followers) or a publicly recognized one (Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Mother’s Day).
This contest run by a grocery retailer celebrates their Resolution Reset sale by giving away two chances to win free food this month.
Try this strategy
- Focus your contest on an upcoming holiday or significant date to give the contest purpose and opportunity.
- If you can, make the prize relevant to the occasion in some way (for example, give a zero-waste product on Earth Day or a sugarcane-scented candle at Christmas).
6. Create a creative carousel
When planning a contest, think about how you will promote it (after all, people can’t participate if they don’t know about it). Create engaging – and informative – visual content that will help spread the word about your contest.
For example, the Instagram contest below uses one long graphic divided into three separate images in a carousel. This creates an effective look when scrolling through while also conveying a lot of information about the contest and prize without being visually overwhelming.
Try this strategy
- Start your marketing plan as part of your Instagram contest strategy.
- Create visuals that communicate everything users need to know about the contest without overwhelming them with information.
- Consider using carousel posts with one highly shareable title image and prize details on the following images.
7. Create a Reel
When it comes to social media marketing, videos are at the top in 2025. Try creating a Reel that attracts viewers and promotes your contest.
In the giveaway below, the creator made a Reel that first captures viewers with the difference in her eyes (with and without lashes) and included the contest in the caption. The format stays simple, just like her regular Reels. It’s not just a Reel promoting the contest; at the same time, it provides value to her audience.
Try this strategy
- Use Instagram Reels to promote your contests and giveaways.
- Keep contest Reels consistent with the rest of your content so they don’t feel out of place.
- Include something extra in the video beyond just the contest announcement to make it more engaging.
8. Make it a paid partnership
As a creator, paid partnerships are one of the best ways to make money on Instagram – and as a business, they’re a great method to expand your target audience and gain credibility.
Explore creators or influencers who can help promote your contest (and of course, your company’s product as well), and find the perfect match.
Collaborate with a trusted creator who has an impressive portfolio to achieve the best results.
Implement this strategy
- If you are a company running an Instagram contest, research creators who could help you promote it.
- Once you find the ideal creator, collaborate with them to create contest content (and pay them for their work).
- Remember to label all posts as “paid partnership,” otherwise you risk Instagram removing the posts or flagging your account.
9. Host a photo contest
Photo contests on Instagram have been around since – well – cameras existed, and they are a useful strategy for connecting with artists and getting great user-generated content.
If your page promotes products, you can ask participants to post a photo with your products. You can also encourage your audience to post a photo that simply matches a certain theme.
Contests like these are also a great way to gather feedback. You can ask users to share their favorite personal stories about the brand, product, or stories related to your page’s values. The choice is yours; just make sure it’s clearly stated in the official contest rules that you have the right to reshare any post.
Implement this strategy
- If you’re hosting a photo contest, make sure you have the capacity and time to judge it.
- Consider using the photos as user-generated content (of course with the author’s permission).
- State in the rules that you have the right to reshare any post.
10. Create your own contest hashtag
Hashtags are a great way to run contests. Similar to user-generated content contests, hashtag contests require participants to post on their profile or in stories under a specific hashtag (which you determine yourself).
Ideally, you will eventually get a hashtag with significant traffic. This format not only allows you to easily track engagement, but also brings engagement to a specific hashtag, which the algorithm usually notices. A well-performing hashtag will bring traffic back to your post and your page.
Make sure you choose a hashtag that is unique enough that no one else uses it… for example #coziesareafamily.
Implement this strategy
- Select a hashtag that your audience will use to participate in the contest.
- Make sure the hashtag is creative and that only you use it.
- Monitor how popular the hashtag is and how many posts you receive to determine whether your Instagram contest is successful.
11. Share the Winner
How many brand contests on Instagram have you participated in – and then never heard from them again? Most of us forget about a contest right after entering. One way to keep the contest on your audience’s mind (even if they don’t win) is to share the winner’s name.
Of course, ask the winner for permission before doing so, and don’t share any of their personal information. But sharing the winner helps prove your authenticity to users (and might inspire them to participate in your next contest).
Implement this strategy
- Once you select the contest winner, ask them if their first name or Instagram profile can be made public.
- Share the winner’s name to confirm to your audience that you’re trustworthy and encourage them to participate next time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How long should an Instagram contest last?
Most contests run between 3–7 days. This is enough time for people to participate, but short enough to maintain interest. Longer contests can lose momentum.
Can my contest violate Instagram’s rules?
Yes. Make sure your contest complies with Instagram’s Promotion Guidelines. For example, you must clearly state that the contest is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Instagram in any way.
Do I need to use a winner selection tool?
You don’t have to, but it’s recommended. Tools like Wask.co or IG Comment Picker will help you select a winner fairly and transparently, which builds trust with your followers.
Can I select a winner manually?
Yes, if the contest is not based on chance (e.g., a creative photo contest). In this case, we recommend posting your judging criteria in advance.
Do I need any legal terms?
Ideally, yes. You should specify: who can participate, start and end dates, how the winner will be selected, who is providing the prize, and that the contest is not affiliated with Instagram. You can create a simple landing page or use the post caption.
Conclusion
Instagram contests aren’t just about giving away things – they’re about building community, growing your brand, and interacting with your audience in a way that’s fun for everyone.
Whether you choose a simple “like and follow” giveaway, influencer collaborations, or a creative hashtag contest, the key to success is authenticity, clear rules, and a valuable prize.
Try one of these 11 ideas, get inspired by the best practices, and most importantly – have fun doing it. Your followers will notice and appreciate it.
Michal Záruba je specialista na digitální marketing a konzultant v oblasti sociálních médií a SEO. Více než 8 let pomáhá značkám růst online prostřednictvím strategického obsahu, optimalizace pro vyhledávače a efektivní komunikace na platformách jako LinkedIn, Instagram a YouTube.
Na svém blogu sdílí praktické tipy o tom, jak propojit SEO, sociální sítě a brand building do jedné funkční strategie. Zaměřuje se na to, jak firmy mohou využít moderní nástroje a algoritmy k tomu, aby jejich značka nezískala jen dosah, ale i důvěru.
Když zrovna netvoří obsah, přednáší o digitálním marketingu, školí týmy a sleduje nové trendy v AI a vyhledávání.