How to Organize a Successful Instagram Stories Contest 30 March 2023 Follow these steps to organize a successful contest on Instagram Stories Why organize an Instagram Stories contest? As soon as you log into Instagram, what’s the first thing you look at? The STORIES, for sure. At the top of the screen they are the first thing we notice when we access Instagram. Before even scrolling through the posts in the feed. So it’s no surprise that most users interact with stories rather than more traditional posts. Instagram Stories are one of the most powerful communications tools at the moment. What better encouragement to use them than the possibility of winning a prize to broaden their scope? With our two solutions, you can organize an Instagram Stories contest in full compliance with the regulations on prize contests. Let’s look at how we can make the most of stories with a prize contest together! The steps to follow To organize a successful Instagram Stories contest, you must be clear about certain fundamental aspects: 1. The objective and target audience of the contest The first thing is to ask yourself what is the main objective of your contest? More followers? More interactions? Collecting general content from users? Rewarding your followers for their loyalty? Very important, at this stage, is the correct identification of the target audience which your promotion is addressed to. The target and the objective guide you in the design of the competition, starting from the choice of the most suitable mechanism. What is certain is that an Instagram Stories contest can help you to expand your audience and multiply your interactions! Depending on your objective, here is the right mechanism to get effective results: Do you want to boost your brand awareness? Organize an Instagram Stories contest like “POST A @STORY”! How does it work? To participate in the contest, the user must: Post a story on their Instagram profile (which must be public) following the criteria required to participate in the contest (e.g. a specific theme) Mention the profile of the promoter in the story And that’s it! The participant receives a message automatically via direct, fully customizable, to confirm participation. Want to increase your interactions? Organize a “REPLY TO THE STORY” prize contest This is how it works! The promoter publishes the story dedicated to the contest, indicating the key hashtag of the promotion The user, to participate, must respond to the story with the dedicated hashtag In this case too, after sending the response with the keyword, the participant receives a direct message. 2. The regulations Establishing clear rules is essential. The regulation of your contest is the basis for your initiative and is mandatory by law. The regulations must contain all the essential information related to your initiative such as: Who is the promoter? Duration of the promotional initiative What are the prizes available? When will the winners receive their prize? Any additional information required by the local legislation of the country where it is being hosted should be included. For example, in Italy and Brazil you must indicate the non-profit organization or the state body to which any unallocated prizes will be donated. Some countries, such as Portugal, Brazil and El Salvador, for example, provide a set template while others simply indicate what information needs to be provided. In addition, you must observe the guidelines contained in the Instagram policy guide. 3. The prize The most effective choice is to offer products or services related to your brand as prizes. In choosing the perfect prize for your contest, you must also take into account logistics and tax aspects. To choose the right prize for your contest, you must consider various factors such as prohibitions and regulatory limits as well as aspects related to the culture and history of the country you are targeting. 4. Communication Promote your contest as much as possible so that your followers have the opportunity to learn about the initiative and lots of them can participate! The promotion of your contest is a fundamental aspect for the success of your initiative. Here are some tips to best promote your contest: Use a mix of hashtags that use the contest name and theme Show the prize on offer Choose trendy images and music Always specify clearly and conspicuously that it is a contest Explain the rules and requirements for participation A communications plan for the contest could be structured in this way, for example: A first Teaser announcing that a new special initiative is on the way A second Teaser, that shows off the prize, highlighting that a contest is about to start and clearly citing the hashtag, informing users that it will soon be explained how to participate Publication of the contest with information on rules and requirements for participation Posts and Stories explaining how to participate and highlighting several times the prize on offer A countdown warning that the contest is about to end Announcement of the winner Do not ignore the potential of Stories to promote your brand and bring your company closer to your customers. Thanks to this format, used with the right tone, you can be very effective! Do you want to organize an Instagram Stories contest? Contact us now and we will plan a successful initiative together!
