How to create a contest on Instagram ?

If you ever wondered how to create an Instagram contest, this means you have already wondered why (if you didn’t, please read this article : why organize an Instagram contest ?).

You need now to have a real organization and good execution.

#1: Create an Instagram contest involves a true preparation

How to create a contest on Instagram ? Take the time and tools to strategically organize  your contest before launching it. Do not underestimate this step, it is essential : this is at this stage that your success is built.

The following points are a non exhaustive list, but there are a good base to start with:

• Define your goals. The clearer, the higher chance you get: increase of X % your followers, generate a minimum of Y mentions, create a hashtag feed with more than Z photos UGC (User Generated Content – To know more about UCG : how to boost your sales with user generated content)…. From your goals is depending your contest choice.
• Make your search work : you must have a clear idea of your competitors and similar contests. Do benchmarking with sites such as Websta, Findgram or Iconosquare for example.
• Find common hashtag in relation with your game. Iconosquare will be useful.
• Identify your target market. There are millions of active users on Instagram. Learn what is the most attractive on your market to get more shares.
• Identify the type of contest which is the most adapted to your market and goals.
• Choose the hashtag of your contest. It is better to choose a unique hashtag, easy to remember and with a meaning close to game topic.
• Choose carefully your gains: they must be a key factor to motivate your participants. There are of course other success factors (your visibility or the engaging game attractiveness), but gains must be a main motivation factor for your players (keep in mind you are asking them a real action, whereas users are usually a little lazy, and benefits to earn remains one of the main motivation of the relationship user/brand on social media).
• Choose if you want to use only Instagram. Limiting your contest to Instagram increases the feeling for your targeted communities to benefit from exclusivity and belonging. Extend it to other media increases on the contrary your reach. This is a strategic choice.
• Decide if you need a third party application. If you schedule to launch a simple campaign “like to win” & have resources for the manual follow up of your contest, you won’t need one. In case of a more complex campaign, you should better use a contest game management platform such as Kontest or Socialshaker.
• Prepare your logistic : organize your contest details (frequency, timing…), choose your budget, number of winners, rules…

#2: Launching / promotion of your Instagram contest

 Once the contest is organized, go ! Post on Instagram and carry on through marketing.

 Here are what you should know to promote your contest:

Start by aggregating UGC related to the game on a nice branded support and promote the dedicated URL (see at footer).

From 31 january for example, Belambra (in partnership with Nikon) is doing a hashtag contest using a Dialogfeed social wall with a branded template :

Stéphanie GIRAUD, Community Manager Belambra Clubs, is explaining the project :

« After our big photo contest during 2014 summer on  #JeuSelfieBelambra (deployed on the 58 Belambra Clubs de vacances in France), we decided to launch it during Winter also. Our clients can post their most original photo & video to try to win a holiday week. Our clients can participate on several social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) by adding #BelambraBattle + #NomduClubBelambra of their travel. To animate the contest Landing Page and highlight these contributions, Dialogfeed social wall turns out to be an excellent idea ! »

… Thanks Stéphanie :) We invite you to experience the social wall here : http://www.belambra.fr/concours-battle

Use your relationship with bloggers. Get you known by influencers and blogs in your market. Lots of niche bloggers have a powerful influence inside a network. They often are searching for good contents to share with their audience. Tip : be subtil in your approach (no customization = failure !).

Use press releases. Write a release informing about the creation of your Instagram contest. Be concise, clear and « sexy ». Give it to media your targets are reading. If you have an big local client base, broadbast your release to your local (print or online) media.

You are brick & mortar ? Promote your game in shops ! Nothing is worth a mix of virtual and physical communication. Deploy some displays explaining the game at strategical places : hashtag & Instagram accounts, visual of the contest and gains. Use for example the QR code to make the direct access easier. Instagram is a native mobile application, your targets can (and must) then participate in your shops.

If your contest is multi-network, use advertisement : whatever your selected social media, it is more and more targeted and enables you to reach the right audience with a great precision.

To conclude,   you don’t need to wonder how to create an Instagram contest: just do it, you have all elements !