Mala McAlpin When it comes to digital marketing, most business owners will likely admit that Instagram accounts for a large portion of their strategy, and will (in most cases) certainly be using the platform for business purposes a hell of a lot more than what they used to! There is a lot to miss out on if left under-utilised, perhaps most of all being exposure to new potential clients. Many business owners find competitions an effective way of expanding their reach and word of mouth digitally, but how many are getting them right?
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to launching an Instagram comp. Of course there are the most preoccupying points such as what to give away, how much your prize should be valued at, how many should be up for grabs, what the entry method is, how long do the winner/s have to claim their prize – just to name a few. But there are some other important aspects that not everyone may consider, such as official rules and regulations, achieving the best exposure, and keeping a clear goal in mind. So we’ve pieced together a few basic pointers to help you cover all bases when running Instagram competitions or giveaways for your spa or clinic.
Statement of Release
Instagram has some very specific rules when running a competition on its platform. One of these is that you include an official release statement, as per (or similar to) the below:
Per Instagram rules, this promotion is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram, Inc. By entering, entrants confirm that they are 13+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram’s terms of use.
Terms
Instagram also requires, of course, that your competition be run legally – part of this means stating official terms and conditions. Competition T&Cs vary from state to state, so you’ll need to check in with your coinciding Australian state government for applicable laws. For example, in some states, it’s illegal to run certain online competitions without a licence. In most states, it is a must to display entry method/s, date, time and method of winner selection, details of prize collection, etc. Select and display an official closing date and time for your comp, and be sure to stick with it.
Tagging Rules
Instagram has some more rules when it comes to tagging in comps:
- You must not tag anyone in the contest post who’s not actually in the post itself
- you must not ask users to tag themselves in a photo in which they do not appear
- Users can mention (tag) people in the comments of a post but can’t be tagged in the actual post itself
Remember Your Goal
Keep a clear vision of exactly why you’re running this comp. Are you rewarding existing clients? Trying to improve exposure? Get more clients? Or maybe you could use your comp to achieve something a little different, like getting sign ups to your newsletter, or generating content, ideas or testimonials from clients? Feel free to be creative, and keep your ‘why’ in mind at all times.
Keep It Simple
Don’t make the entry method too complex – it should be simple enough that viewers are willing to participate AND you achieve your desired goal as above. Ensure to ask participants to do one or some of the following as part of the entry method:
- Follow your account
- Like the Instagram competition post or other specific post
- @mention one or specified number of friends
- Share their own post using your specified tag and hashtag
- Follow the link in your bio, driving additional traffic to your business’ website
While it might all sound daunting at first, as long as you play by the rules, Instagram competitions can be a great success for your business. Ensure to monitor your campaign throughout, and evaluate its success once it is over. Experiment with various types of competitions, with different prizes on offer and mixing up your desired goal – see what works for you and what doesn’t. And of course – share, share, share! You don’t have to overwhelm your followers with quantity, just be consistent. Share the competition across your various platforms (posts, stories, website, Facebook, perhaps an Instagram live video if you’re feeling bold.) It may be that competitions simply aren’t effective for your particular business – but we guarantee if you abide by the above, you will learn a thing or two about your audience at the very least!
