Running a contest on Instagram is an excellent idea for your business. It is a great way to engage with your audience via Instagram.

Instagram accounts running contests get 3.5 times as many likes and 64 times more comments than their other posts.

Making sure the contest is successful involves planning and execution, so where should you start? Here is a list that explains the steps you should take to plan an engaging Instagram contest.

#1. Decide who your audience is

If starting a contest is in your first round of posts for a new business, this is a good way to define who your audience really is.

If the business is already established, you can base it on your followers. What kind of products do they like the post? What do they like the least? How do they react to your content in the first place?

It is a good idea to start considering what the prize will be.

#2. Create a budget and timeframe

Take these factors into consideration:

• How much are you willing to spend?
• How long will you give your followers time to enter
• When will you choose a winner?

#3. Decide how your followers will enter the contest

There are several different ways in which you can have followers enter. Here are some ideas:

• Have them upload their photo/video to their own Instagram account and tag your business
• Have them follow or like your post
• Have them tag up to five friends
• Create a hashtag and have them use it

#4. Define an overall theme

Pick a theme that goes with your industry, audience, products, etc. Take advantage of holidays, seasons, events, etc. Here is an example of a good-themed contest, with a related hashtag.

#5. Decide how you will choose a winner

You can choose a winner however you would like, but make sure to let your audience know in the directions how you will be choosing. Here are some examples of ways you can choose a winner:

• Voting –  Have your other followers vote to create more engagement
• Draw at random
• Have “Judges” select a winner
• Base it on the number of shares/likes the user gets

#6. Create terms and conditions

It is important to notice that you must follow legal guidelines when you create a contest with a prize. Creating a terms and conditions page is a must. Head to this website to follow a guideline when setting up your rules. 

Conclusion

To conclude, you will promote your contest like crazy. You will follow along with every submission and keep your audience up-to-date. Sharing submissions is also a great idea! Now that you know what it takes to create a successful contest on Instagram, put your knowledge to the test and start engaging with your followers!