Contests and giveaways on Twitter are a fun and easy way to get attention. They are quick to set up, easy to use, and can help you gather useful information about your audience.
Best of all, running a Twitter contest doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming. In fact, the simpler the better!
Keep reading for a simple guide to running contests on Twitter, including nine great contest ideas to get your next ad campaign off the ground.
Why run a contest on Twitter?
You can use Twitter contests or sweepstakes for a variety of purposes. Before you get started, think about what you want to achieve with your contest.
For example, your goals might include the following:
Expanding the subscriber base
Gifting on Twitter can help increase your following. If your goal is to grow your audience, include a tag friend or retweet component in your contest. Before launching, decide how many new subscribers you hope to gain. (Remember that your goals should always be SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound)
Increasing brand awareness
Twitter contests are a great way to build brand awareness. As of mid-2022, Twitter has 206 million daily active users worldwide. This means that your contest has the potential to reach a huge number of users. If you want to create buzz, include a clear and direct brand message.
New product promotion
Use a contest or giveaway on Twitter to create buzz around a new product launch. This type of contest relies heavily on images, so keep that in mind as it may incur costs. Make sure you have great photos of your product or gift set to keep your social media posts going strong.
How to set up a contest on Twitter
Setting up a contest or giveaway on Twitter is easy. It just takes a little planning on your part.
1. Set a Goal for Your Twitter Contest
Start by defining a clear goal for your Twitter contest. Include measurable goals such as increasing subscribers or impressions. This will help you evaluate your success after the competition closes. Hard numbers can help you decide whether or not to compete again in the future.
2. Plan your contest
Understand the logistics of your competition, including:
- What is this contest or giveaway?
- When will your contest or giveaway start?
- How long will it run?
- What is the closing date? Be specific here to avoid disappointment, e.g. September 30, 2022 11:59 pm ET
3. Choose a prize
Then choose a prize for your contest or giveaway. This may be a digital prize or a physical item that must be delivered or received by the winner.
Digital Prize Ideas:
- Credit for your online store
- Digital tickets for an exclusive event or special performance
- Digital experiences such as Zoom meet and greets
Physical Prize Ideas:
- Best Selling Item in Exclusive Colors
- Special Prize Package or Bundle
- Personal experiences such as a party for the winner and a group of friends
If your prize includes an item or gift set, be sure to showcase your prize with an eye-catching post. This will encourage users to share your posts and help your contest gain popularity online.
4. Develop contest rules
What do you want users to do to win? They may need to follow your account, retweet your post, or submit certain content. Clearly define the competition requirements and deadlines so that there is no confusion.
Be sure to check out Twitter’s promotional guidelines before launching the contest. We recommend that you establish clear contest rules on Twitter to discourage spam. These include preventing users from making multiple entries on the same day or using multiple accounts.
5. Advertise your contest
Now it’s time to launch your contest! But the work is not finished yet.
Schedule regular posts to promote your contest. Also keep an eye on the records. Interact with users who are signed in by liking their posts or answering their questions.
Choose a unique hashtag to avoid browsing unrelated tweets looking for contest entries. Try something like #YourBrandNameGiveaway or #ItemNameGiveaway22.
If your brand is active on another platform, try cross-promoting your competition. Try posting a direct link to your Instagram stories to get some of those Twitter followers.
6. Track your competition entries with the social media management tool.
A reliable tool can help you track contest entries and monitor engagement in real time.
Hootsuite Streams is a great tool for tracking activity on your social channels. You can follow post engagement, conversations, mentions, keywords and hashtags all in one place!
7. Choose a winner and deliver the prize
Choosing a winner may seem like a daunting task, but don’t worry. You don’t have to close your eyes and point to a random tweet!
Many online tools can automate this process. They can also make sure that your winner meets all the requirements of the competition. (Scroll to learn more about these tools)
8. Review your contest
After the contest closes, review your original goals. Was your contest successful? Have you increased the number of followers or increased the number of impressions for your brand?
An analytics platform that can help you look at the numbers. This data can help you develop your next successful Twitter contest or giveaway.
9 Simple Ideas for a Twitter Contest
Not sure how to structure your Twitter contest? We’ve highlighted nine different types of Twitter contests to inspire your next giveaway.
Choose from the options below, or mix and match to create your own unique promotion.
Repost to login
Asking users to retweet your post to participate is the easiest way to run a giveaway on Twitter. This requires very little effort on the part of the user, so they are more likely to hit the retweet button. If your goal is to increase brand awareness, this contest option is for you.
🛒 REVIEW to WIN 🛒
Click this RT button for a chance to win a $500 @Fred_Meyer Gift Card as we celebrate the new Seafarer Rewards Program! Earn points with purchases and redeem them for tickets, merchandise, memorabilia and more.
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 20, 2022
Like, subscribe and retweet to enter
This “retweet to log in” giveaway requires a bit more work from users. But it delivers the best bang for your buck in terms of the brand. Likes and retweets help build brand awareness, and inviting users to follow them is a surefire way to increase your followers.
#GIVEAWAY 4 winners will receive a COMPLETE ColourPop collection inspired by the school musical and 1 winner will receive the collection along with @dooneyandbourke ‘s Pebble Grain Zip Pod backpack!
HOW TO JOIN✨Follow @colourpopco + @dooneyandbourke ✨Like and RT✨Reply w/🎒 pic.twitter.com/FASwTYueNZ
— ColourPop Cosmetics (@ColourPopCo) August 19, 2022
Reply to win
Boost brand awareness and increase engagement with a Twitter contest. Asking users to respond will help boost your post in the algorithm, so get creative! For example, ask users to leave an emoji in the comments, or ask them to respond to a simple prompt like “Tell me why you want to win…”.
GIFT COACHELLA ✌️
We’re giving away free @Coachella VIP passes for the second weekend. Follow these two simple steps for a chance to win.
1. Follow @Lays 2. Tell us why you want to join @Lays in the desert and use #Entry in your answer. https://t.co/KJrvF4AxIV pic.twitter.com/ipT42gTJiV
— LAY’S (@LAYS) April 9, 2022
Want a limited edition #LiveFromTheUpsideDown hat? Okay, you know. Reply below with your favorite moment from #StrangerThings4 vol. 2 drops and you just might get one. pic.twitter.com/2gbQ3M8DP0
— Doritos (@Doritos) July 6, 2022
Tag a friend to participate
If you want to increase your following, please enable “follow and tag a friend”in the contest requirements. Tags allow you to reach a wider audience without requiring too much effort from users to sign in.
Win your own personalized 64oz YETI Rambler bottle with Chug cap!
Here’s how to win: 1. Like the post 2. Follow @yeticoolers and @PerfectgameUSA 3. Tag your coolest teammate pic.twitter.com/7eJ0czndR1
— Perfect Game USA (@PerfectGameUSA) February 11, 2022
Collaborate with a brand or influencer
Gain a new audience by joining forces with another brand or social media influencer. Choose a contest type that meets your overall goals and ask users to follow both accounts to be eligible to win.
We’ve teamed up with @warnerbrosca to win eight Cineplex ticket prize packages to see #TheBatman and win The Batman PUMA sweatshirts! pic.twitter.com/FSv1q2ezEU
— GameStop Canada 🎮 (@GameStopCanada) February 14, 2022
We’ve partnered with @HattiersRum to bring you a set that will make you toast to the long weekend 🌴
To win: 1. Follow @luscombedrinks and @HattiersRum 2. Like and retweet
You have until 23:59 24/08/2022 to enter and must be over 18 years of age and resident in the UK mainland. pic.twitter.com/sLcuAD0F7I
— Luscombe Drinks (@luscombedrinks) August 15, 2022
Use the hashtag to sign in
Don’t forget to create a unique hashtag for your Twitter contest. No one wants to spend hours sifting through unrelated tweets to find contest entries. Hashtag contests are a great way to build brand awareness.
@Twins just made their first homer!
Who wins the seasonal beer? Tweet @BudweiserUSA with #HitTheBuds and #Sweepstakes and it could be you! pic.twitter.com/qZe1POgxj8
— Budweiser (@budweiserusa) August 20, 2022
Watching football just got better 🏈
Never miss a game again with the Pepsi Gametime Cooler TV.
For a chance to win, quote the tweet and tag who you spend game days with using #GametimeFridgeTV #PepsiSweepstakes.
Rules: https://t.co/Alp8M2sHQd pic.twitter.com/Wyf6I4PBOx
— Pepsi (@pepsi) August 18, 2022
Share a photo to sign in
The photo contest makes it easy to collect user-generated content (UGC). User-generated content is original content created by customers. User-generated content can be photos or images, videos, reviews, testimonials, and more.
Win a trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina!
Submit a photo and story about your life on the beach for a chance to win a 5-day and 4-day trip to Myrtle Beach, SC courtesy of @MyMyrtleBeach!
Enter: https://t.co/kLf09ka7MA pic.twitter.com/bBLnepoJw9
— Frisco RoughRiders (@RidersBaseball) August 22, 2022
Flat Blades went to Sweden for #BearTracks 🐾!
On Labor Day, you can print and color Flat Blades and take it with you on your summer adventures. Submit a photo for a chance to win a signed Bruins puck.
Learn more at https://t.co/49ywoE1Yo6. pic.twitter.com/YkziXCUkOP
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) August 21, 2022
Use another platform to login
If you want to build your audience on a different platform, try running a Twitter contest that drives traffic elsewhere. For example, you can send followers to your brand’s Instagram account or custom app:
Scan the Menchie’s app in the store for a chance to win a SEGA Mini Genesis console and 3 Sonic The Hedgehog games! You’ll get 1 entry every time you scan our app in stores until August 31st, so it’s time to scan! 3 winners will be selected in September. Visit https://t.co/EDs99X75oY pic.twitter.com/UqFmktL4SR
— Yoghurt Menchi (@MyMenchies) August 2, 2022
In today’s game you can win a TFC kit and other great prizes from @Dawson_Dental!
Play now and come back after starting the game for more chances to WIN! ⤵️
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) August 20, 2022
9. Bonus: Combine items to create a unique promotion.
Here’s a great example of a contest that combines several types of Twitter contest to create a unique promotion with a social focus.
The late Steven Colbert show teamed up with HeadCount and Ben & Jerry’s to get people registered to vote. Their campaign includes the following elements:
- Unique hashtag
- Brand partnership with Ben & Jerry’s
- Influencers and Celebrities Partnership with Stephen Colbert
- Attracting other entry sources by directing traffic to HeadCount.org
Are you #GoodToVote? Check your status at https://t.co/5NHPDV89qY and you could win a trip to New York and VIP tickets to The Late Show! Don’t delay, visit today! Cc: @benandjerrys and @HeadCountOrg pic.twitter.com/MOalWABqhs
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) August 12, 2022
How to Pick a Winner on Twitter
Picking the winner of a Twitter giveaway can seem intimidating. What if thousands of entries are accepted for your competition? How do you choose a random winner that follows the rules of your contest?
Luckily, many online Twitter contest tools can automate this process. These sites can help you pick winners from retweets, likes, or your existing Twitter followers.
No matter which online tool you choose, please read their selection policy carefully. Some tools may only select a winner from the last 100 retweets, which may not include all contestants. Look for a tool that will choose from all of your contest submissions, not just the most recent ones.
Don’t Forget About Twitter Ads Guidelines
We know you’re excited to launch your Twitter contest! But to avoid running into any issues, check out Twitter’s Guide to Promotions first.
Twitter’s rules are primarily designed to prevent spam. Contest rules should prohibit users from creating multiple accounts to participate. Keep in mind that Twitter’s security, privacy, and authenticity policies always apply.
Remember to cover your bases when it comes to local and federal laws. For example, gifts that include alcohol should be age-restricted to protect minors. Once you’ve chosen your giveaway format and prize, do some research to make sure your contest doesn’t break any laws.