Hosting an Instagram giveaway seems intimidating, but I promise that it is fun! The skincare industry has a lot of tough competition. To be seen, you have to stand out from other skin care businesses.
Hosting an IG giveaway is one of the easiest ways to get new followers and turn yourself into a successful business woman. Many new beautypreneurs turn to social media to advertise their products.
Advertising on social media is an excellent idea! If you want a streamlined way to get new customers, your Instagram business profile is the way to go. Use Insta to improve your brand’s identity and reach thousands of untapped potential customers.
Today, I’ll be teaching entrepreneurs in the skincare industry how to host an IG giveaway. Pay close attention, and you’ll learn something new!
1. Tips for the Best Instagram Giveaway Rules
Every great competition has rules set in place. Rules keep your audience from going off the wall, and it keeps confusion off of your post.
Here are some tips to keep the rules simple and clean:
- Use a maximum of four rules per post.
- Make sure that the rules are simple and easy to do.
- Ask your followers to share or use your brand hashtag.
- Keep the caption short and sweet.
- Include a CTA at the end to get results.
- Don’t forget to include a prize!
Remember, the number one purpose of an IG contest should be hype and fun. You want your followers to keep that excitement and share it with other people. Try not to suffocate them with too many contest rules, or you will not get enough engagement.
2. Set an Endgame Goal for Your Contest
There are a few ways to get the maximum benefits from an Instagram giveaway. Think about the end results of your contest.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- How long will the contest run?
- Do I want more newsletter sign-ups, clicks on my website, followers, etc.?
- Will this post help me reach my target audience?
- Is my target audience interested in the prize?
- Is my audience engaged, or do they just want free stuff?
- Am I using the right hashtags to reach my ideal customers?
Reflect for a bit. Don’t jump into a giveaway without thinking about the endgame goal. If your post has no purpose, then your results will be scattered.
Have a clear goal in mind, and understand how to get there. Make sure that you have the right rules set in place, and include a Call to Action!
This is a matter of trial and error, so if it doesn’t work the first time, that’s okay. Keep up the good work! You’ll find the perfect formula eventually.
3. Keep Track of Any Clicks or New Followers
To host a successful Insta contest, you need to measure your results. The contest may have gotten a lot of likes and comments, but that doesn’t mean it was successful!
Instead, try to measure success by the following:
- New, relevant followers
- Clicks on your website
- Sign-ups to your newsletter
- Visits to your profile
- Purchases to your products
4. Better Prizes Equal More Engagement
Be transparent about the value of your product. Giving away an expensive haircare treatment gets more engagement than something cheap. If you are on a budget, limit yourself to one or two prizes to get some return on your investment.
Giving away multiple cheap prizes works too! If you prefer to have more winners, go for a prize under $20. Being in the skincare industry means having a (hopefully) diverse line of products. To reach your ideal customer, measure the payoff versus the cost.
Always remember this:
Your prize should be relevant to your audience. Skin care businesses should not post cosmetics-related prizes, nail polishes, candles, or anything irrelevant to the skincare industry. You want your target audience to be relevant, so look for people with an interest in the skincare industry.
Skincare lovers may be more drawn to a personal care product. Try giving away a newly launched product to give it more exposure. A new and exciting item has lots of potentials to go viral.
5. Shorter Contests Work Better Than Longer Ones
Keep this tip in mind! Most people prefer shorter contests to longer ones. It satiates their need for instant gratification, and many followers forget things easily. Short giveaways give you a competitive advantage because of quick exposure.
Post about your IG giveaway a few times over a one or two-week span. Shorter contests give followers a reason to enter the contest right away. As your post gains popularity, keep the momentum going by commenting back and encouraging shares.
Longer contests lose a lot of people’s interest. Winning a prize a month from now does not feel as urgent. Remember to play on the sense of urgency to get the best results.
6. Be Transparent When You Choose a Winner
New followers and potential customers need to learn to trust you! The best way to earn trust is full transparency. The best way to avoid unfollows is through complete transparency.
Keep your new followers informed about winner picking. Let them know if you use a randomizer, a contest winner generator, etc. You can even film the tool as you use it to let them know the fair results.
7. Skin Care Businesses Have Tough Competition
Pay special attention to your competitors! Skin care businesses need a solid model to live by. If you want to make it, you have to carve your special spot in the beauty industry.
Hosting a monthly Instagram giveaway is a common and effective practice. It is the best way to get fast exposure, lots of relevant followers, and boost a post to its full potential.
I hosted my first contest with only 800 followers. It got around 120 comments, over 100 likes, and multiple shares and saves. Most importantly, I got 50 relevant followers and a handful of leads from that post.
Yes, I consider my first giveaway to be a success, and I didn’t even have a lot of followers.
8. As a Woman Owned Small Business, Know Your Target Audience
Mostly women consume skincare products, but men are slowly getting with the program. It is common for a woman owned small business to target women. The skin care market generates around 17 billion in US revenue, so yes, there is room for you.
Becoming a successful business woman means taking steps in the right direction. Your first and most important step is this: Getting specific.
The beauty industry and skin care industry are broad with millions of different preferences. You should never say the words “in general”. The industries are too general to target everyone.
Here are a few ways to reach the right target audience:
- Pay attention to your language.
- Use the right colors to attract the right people.
- Find the right keywords that stand out to your target audience.
- Target common consumers in the skin care industry.
- Give your target audience something that they want or need.
Thank You for Reading!
My name is Destiny. I create content for beauty businesses to help them reach their target audience.
High-quality content writing is proven to increase traffic and sales.
I also host tons of tips on my Instagram for those in need of advice.
Feel free to browse my portfolio and contact me if my services interest you.
