Who doesn’t love free stuff? Contests and giveaways are some of the best ways to boost engagement, grow your audience, and increase brand visibility—especially when you require participants to share the contest to enter.
Whether you're running a small business, a blog, or a social media page, a well-planned contest can attract new followers, build brand awareness, and even increase sales. But how do you host an online contest that encourages people to share without making it feel forced?
Let’s break it down step by step!
Why Contests That Require Sharing Work
Running a contest where people must share your post to enter creates a viral effect—more shares mean more reach, which means more potential followers and customers. Here’s why this strategy works:
✔ Increases Visibility: Every time someone shares your contest, it reaches their friends and followers.
✔ Boosts Engagement: People love interacting with contests, which improves your social media algorithm ranking.
✔ Grows Your Audience: More shares mean more eyes on your page, leading to new followers.
✔ Encourages Word-of-Mouth Marketing: People trust recommendations from friends, making shared content more valuable than ads.
But for this to work, your contest needs to be enticing enough for people to actually want to share it.
Step-by-Step Guide to Hosting a Share-to-Enter Contest
1. Set a Clear Goal
Before launching your contest, decide what you want to achieve:
- Do you want more followers?
- More website visits?
- Higher engagement on your posts?
Your goal will shape how you structure the contest.
2. Choose an Irresistible Prize
The prize is the main attraction. Pick something valuable and relevant to your audience. Some great options include:
🎁 Gift cards (popular and easy to distribute)
🎁 Your own products or services (great for brand awareness)
🎁 Exclusive content or discounts (creates a sense of exclusivity)
Make sure the prize is exciting enough to make people WANT to share your contest!
3. Create Clear Contest Rules
If people are confused about how to enter, they won’t participate. Keep your instructions simple and clear, like:
📌 How to Enter:
✅ Follow our page
✅ Like this post
✅ Share this post on your story (or tag a friend)
✅ Comment “Done” below!
Make sure to include a deadline and when the winner will be announced.
4. Use the Right Platform
Where you host your contest depends on your audience. Here’s what works best:
📍 Instagram & Facebook – Best for engagement-based contests (likes, shares, comments).
📍 Twitter (X) – Great for retweet-based contests.
📍 TikTok – Perfect for viral video-based challenges.
📍 YouTube – Ideal if you want people to share your video content.
Pick the platform where your audience is most active.
5. Promote Your Contest
A contest won’t go viral unless people know about it! Use these tactics to spread the word:
📢 Post across all social media channels.
📢 Use hashtags like #Giveaway, #ContestAlert, and #WinIt to increase reach.
📢 Pin the contest post so it stays at the top of your profile.
📢 Collaborate with influencers to reach a bigger audience.
The more eyes on your contest, the more shares you’ll get!
6. Pick a Fair Winner & Announce It Publicly
Use a random winner generator to keep the process fair. Once you choose the winner:
✔ Announce it on your social media with a celebratory post.
✔ Tag the winner and ask them to DM you.
✔ Thank everyone for participating and hint at future giveaways!
This keeps your audience excited for the next contest.
Final Thoughts: Make Your Contest Work for You
Contests and giveaways that require sharing are a powerful marketing tool—but only if done right. Make sure your contest is:
✅ Easy to enter (clear instructions)
✅ Worth sharing (exciting prize)
✅ Well-promoted (hashtags, collaborations, pinned posts)
By running regular contests, you’ll boost engagement, grow your audience, and keep people coming back for more. So, what are you waiting for? Start planning your next viral giveaway today!
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