13 Giveaway Mistakes to Avoid Before You Start a Giveaway

Running a giveaway is one of the most effective ways to drive engagement, build your email list, and increase visibility across social media. Brands have used this tactic for decades—from major corporations to local businesses—because when executed well, contests work.

From Coca-Cola’s MagiCan sweepstakes to government-run lotteries, giveaways have long been used to generate attention and inspire action:

Even the U.S. government uses a sweepstakes model through the Green Card lottery, proving just how effective contests can be at driving high-stakes outcomes.

So if giveaways are so powerful, why doesn't every business run a contest?

Until recently, running a successful campaign required a massive budget for promotion, logistics, and compliance. Only multinational corporations could afford to scale. Smaller businesses were limited to basic local giveaways with minimal return.

That has changed. Today, you can start a giveaway using platforms like Gleam to build branded campaigns, collect user generated content, and grow your target audience—without a big budget or in-house development team.

With tools like these, businesses of all sizes can now launch online giveaways that generate leads, boost conversions, and increase brand awareness.

Want to see what your campaign could look like? Explore this example template:

But just because giveaways are easier to launch does not mean they are easy to get right.

At Gleam, we have helped thousands of businesses run a giveaway successfully—and we have also seen what can go wrong. In this guide, we will walk through 13 common mistakes that can sabotage your campaign (and how to avoid them).

If you want people to enter your contest, you need to show them exactly what they have a chance to win—clearly, visually, and fast.

When you run a giveaway, your audience likely has no context about your product. Even if your prize is high-value, users may not recognize it as such unless you make it obvious. That is why many campaigns fail: they bury the value or use generic visuals that do not resonate with the target audience.

According to a Microsoft study, you have just 8 seconds to capture attention online. If your image or copy fails to do that, your campaign will get ignored—no matter how great the offer is.

Here is an example of a campaign that lacks clarity:

This post doesn’t make it clear what the prize is, what it’s worth, or how it helps the audience. These details matter if you want to increase brand awareness and attract motivated entries.

• Offering prizes unrelated to your target audience
• Promoting old, low-value, or generic products
• Using poor visuals or vague copy
• Failing to explain what makes the prize special

Now contrast that with this example from Melea Johnson:

Melea’s Back to School giveaway works because it is visual, timely, and easy to understand. She shows the prize, explains the benefit, and builds hype with a relatable theme.

Jane also nailed this by showcasing multiple prize tiers:

If you want users to share your contest on social media, you need to give them a reason. A clear, valuable, well-positioned prize is the first step to building momentum and making your campaign worth spreading.

When you run a giveaway, your entry form should never feel like an application for a mortgage. Every extra step increases drop-off—and too many businesses still ask for way too much.

The truth is, users hate filling out forms. And when your landing page makes them do too much work, they bounce. Fast.

💡 Data from over 50,000 Gleam campaigns shows that our default signup form converts at 34%. Adding just one extra field can reduce that conversion rate by 12% or more.

So unless you're giving away a car or international trip, you probably do not need passport numbers, phone numbers, or full addresses on entry. Get that later—after you pick winners.

• Ask for only essential info: name + email is often enough to build your email list
• Avoid long or complex multi-step forms
• Use 1-click login via social networks (Facebook, Google, Amazon, etc.)
• Let users authenticate with the platform they are already browsing from

Gleam supports over 13 authentication methods, so you can tailor your entry process to match your audience's preferred platform.

The easier it is to enter, the more people will participate. Simplifying your landing page and entry flow is one of the most effective ways to grow your audience—without spending extra.

When you run a giveaway, the value of your prize must reflect the amount of effort required to enter. If users feel like they’re doing too much for too little, they will either drop out—or never enter in the first place.

This balance becomes even more important when your contest relies on user generated content, like photos, essays, or videos. You are asking for time, creativity, and energy—so you need to offer a prize that makes that investment worthwhile.

Take this example from the James Jones Fellowship Contest. A two-page essay could win $10,000, with smaller prizes for runners-up. It only drew 634 entries—but they were high-quality and highly relevant to the goal of the contest.

On the opposite end of the effort spectrum, GoPro’s photo contests reward users with exposure rather than cash. Because the entry barrier is low (submit a cool photo), the tradeoff feels fair.

Unfortunately, many brands ignore this ratio. They ask for hours of user effort—or specialized tools—yet offer weak prizes in return. Even with a solid idea, that mismatch can kill your campaign.

• High equipment barriers: If users need cameras, editing software, or special tools to enter, your prize must justify the investment.
• Too much time required: A multi-hour task needs a reward big enough to feel earned.
• Prize is too niche: Avoid prizes that only appeal to a narrow slice of your target audience—unless you're running a very focused campaign.
• Prize is low-value: Cheap gift cards or outdated tech rarely generate excitement or encourage shares.
• Low brand recognition: If your brand is unknown, you need a stronger incentive than a household name would.

💡 On the flip side, offering expensive cash prizes or generic tech can backfire too. That attracts prize hunters—people who enter every contest they see, with no interest in becoming long-term customers.

The sweet spot? A high-perceived-value prize that feels aspirational but is still relevant to your audience. Like this Shelby GT350 sweepstakes, which appeals specifically to car enthusiasts:

Or this high-stakes business funding giveaway by HubSpot, which goes beyond prizes to offer a true chance to win something life-changing:

When you choose the right prize, users feel valued—and that drives better engagement, better content, and better results.

You can plan the perfect contest, pick the ideal prize, and set up a flawless landing page—but if no one sees it, it will fail.

When you start a giveaway, your promotion plan matters just as much as the prize. Yet many businesses go to extremes: they either over-promote to the point of irritation or under-promote so quietly that no one knows the contest exists.

• Sending multiple daily emails to your list
• Reposting the same message across all social media platforms
• Pushing contest reminders without new content or value
• Creating pressure-based messaging that annoys your audience

💡 Over-promoting can damage brand perception and reduce trust—especially if users feel like they are being spammed.

• Running a great contest but only posting about it once
• Assuming your audience will find it without guidance
• Ignoring paid traffic or influencer collaboration
• Failing to direct traffic to your landing page

Take this McDonald’s example—great campaign, strong visual, but not nearly enough amplification:

On the flip side, brands like Adore Me have succeeded by building multi-channel marketing campaigns that drive traffic to a single, trackable entry point:

Learn More About Contest Promotion

Check out our in depth guide for all the information you need on promoting your giveaway.

1. Email Your List – These are already loyal followers, and more likely to convert and share.
2. Run Paid Ads – Use Meta Ads, TikTok, or Google Display to boost visibility. Use lookalike and retargeting audiences.
3. Partner with Brands or Influencers – Co-branded giveaways help you grow your audience faster.
4. Use On-Site Banners & Capture – Promote the giveaway directly on your homepage with Gleam Capture.
5. Print Media & QR Codes – If you’re offline too, use in-store signage, receipts, or posters to spread the word.

Pro tip: Run retargeting ads for users who visit the contest page but do not enter. This often delivers excellent ROI.

• Post on Facebook with an embedded CTA users must complete before clicking the entry link:

• Cross-promote other campaigns by using Gleam’s Promote Action—which awards bonus entries for entering a second campaign.

Used correctly, this feature alone has increased campaign visibility by up to 37%.

When you build a smart, multi-channel promotion plan, you stop guessing—and start seeing results.

When you run a giveaway, timing is everything. Launching during a holiday, a low-traffic window, or even a weekend with poor online activity can ruin your results—even if everything else is perfect.

Many brands have launched incredible marketing campaigns—only to see lackluster engagement because people simply were not paying attention.

The best contests are timed around user behavior, not just event dates. Launch when your audience is online and engaged—not when they are busy with holidays or offline activities.

Not at all.

Holiday contests can work extremely well if you start your giveaway early, promote it over time, and wrap it up before the major date. That way, you ride the wave of seasonal excitement without competing against people’s time and attention.

Take Beardbrand’s No Shave November campaign, for example:

They ran a themed campaign that aligned with a cultural moment—but gave users ample time to participate, submit content, and share it with others.

Or this sweepstakes by Hamilton and IMAX, tied to the Independence Day: Resurgence movie launch:

The prize was connected to the film release, and the promotion ran while users were already engaging online to book tickets or learn more—perfect timing for a chance to win.

• Avoid launching on major public holidays unless your promotion ends beforehand
• Announce early so users have time to share and participate
• Use real-time analytics to adjust during the contest window
• Piggyback cultural moments your audience already cares about

When you align your timing with when your audience is most active online, you will dramatically improve results and grow your audience more efficiently.

When you run a giveaway, more entries does not always mean better results. If your contest attracts the wrong participants—people who have no interest in your brand or product—you are wasting time, budget, and momentum.

Think of targeting like choosing the right location in the physical world. You would not open a surf shop in the middle of the desert. The same principle applies online.

You need to promote your giveaway in the right "place"—meaning the right traffic channels, platforms, and communities for your target audience.

Say you sell decorative flower boxes. Running a contest that requires users to submit photos of their gardens filters for people already engaged with the niche—and more likely to convert.

This type of entry, tied to user generated content, works both as a conversion filter and a shareable asset.

• Amazon gift cards
• iPhones
• Generic tech

Yes, you will get engagement. But most entrants will only be there for the prize—not for your brand, product, or offer.

That is the difference between building a lead pipeline and collecting empty traffic.

This makeup brand nails it—giving away products directly aligned with its audience. Highly relevant prize = highly qualified leads.

• Use Facebook or Instagram Ads to exclude irrelevant segments
• Choose a prize only your target audience would want
• Drive traffic from niche blogs, creators, or communities aligned with your brand
• Filter entries using themed challenges or submission types

When you promote to the right people, you do not just grow your audience—you grow the right audience.

Avoid chasing volume for vanity’s sake. You want to create lasting relationships, not just spike numbers during your campaign.

One of the biggest mistakes brands make when they run a giveaway is choosing prizes that appeal to everyone—and therefore, no one in particular.

Sure, an iPhone or $100 Amazon gift card will get lots of entries. But most of them will be from professional prize hunters, not potential customers or advocates. That kind of attention might boost your numbers, but it won’t grow your business.

Let’s look at this giveaway from Pinnacle Vodka:

The prize? A beach towel. It’s generic and disconnected from the product itself. Worse, the contest encouraged sharing—but what message is being shared? Not the brand’s core offer.

This is a textbook example of how irrelevant prizes dilute your results. If you want your contest to generate qualified leads, the reward must connect with your target audience.

Now look at this campaign from SkinnyMe Tea:

They offered beauty products, fitness accessories, and samples from their own range. All of it aligned perfectly with their health and wellness brand. This made the giveaway feel authentic—and encouraged entries from users who were likely to become actual customers.

Bonus: They used Instagram’s carousel feature to show multiple prizes in one post—smart visual marketing.

Relevant prizes do more than drive clicks. They attract brand-aligned participants, amplify your messaging on social media, and improve long-term marketing campaign ROI.

You can get away with offering something broad—if the barrier to entry is niche enough.

Take Tongal’s Best Damn Sweet Tea contest. The prize pool was huge (up to $40,000), but participants had to create high-quality video submissions.

That level of effort filtered out casual users and ensured the brand collected high-quality user generated content—even if the prize itself could appeal to a wide range.

Whether your giveaway is big or small, always ask:
Will this prize excite the people we actually want to attract?

If the answer is no, it is time to rethink the reward.

One of the most common mistakes when brands run a contest is expecting it to fix everything: sales, engagement, visibility—all in one shot.

Contests are powerful tools. But like any other part of your marketing campaigns, they only work when used strategically, consistently, and with clear expectations.

Here is what happens when ambition outpaces planning:

• Giving away huge prizes without a long-term strategy
• Copying viral contests without understanding the context
• Underestimating the effort required to promote and follow through

Check out this example:

A fidget spinner company sent 100 spinners to a YouTuber, and their contest exploded—400,000 entries in 24 hours. Incredible, right?

But the brand made the product, had built-in margin, and aligned perfectly with the influencer’s audience. When others tried to replicate it—without the same setup—they failed.

• Contests work best as part of a system, not a one-off event
• Bigger prizes ≠ better results, especially for small or unknown brands
• Your audience still needs nurturing—before, during, and after the campaign

Take The New York Times Summer Reading Contest. It gets tens of thousands of participants—but that is because of their reputation, reach, and consistency. A new brand cannot expect that kind of traction right away.

• Set clear, realistic goals: grow your list, test a landing page, collect content
• Use contests to complement other tactics: ads, influencer marketing, email
• Track what worked and iterate: contests are a long-term tool to grow your audience

📌 Bottom line: If you want to run a giveaway successfully, think of it as a campaign building block—not a miracle cure.

You’ve done the hard work: promoted the campaign, picked a great prize, and collected high-quality leads and user generated content. But if you do nothing with that momentum after you run a giveaway, you’ve wasted the best part of your results.

Unfortunately, many brands stop the minute the winner is announced. No emails. No product offers. No re-engagement strategy. That’s how promising marketing campaigns stall out—and fail to drive any real return.

Here is a perfect example of missed opportunity:

Esurance ran a high-profile Super Bowl contest that grabbed massive attention. But after it ended? Silence. They failed to nurture leads, reuse content, or drive conversions—and the results fizzled.

Now contrast that with this campaign from Web Profits for an ethical superannuation company. It shows what good follow-through looks like:

They captured emails, built automated flows, and turned entrants into customers using a well-structured strategy.

1. Send a thank-you email with a discount or upsell offer
2. Offer a small reward to non-winners (like a coupon or free trial)
3. Send a post-campaign survey to learn more about your target audience
4. Drop entrants into an onboarding sequence via your email list
5. Publish the user generated content immediately while it's still fresh
6. Announce your next promotion or contest to keep attention high

You do not need a complicated funnel to get results—just a clear next step.

If you want to grow your audience long-term, contests need to feed into your broader strategy. Capture attention, convert interest, and keep engaging.

That’s how you build relationships—not just entries.

When you run a contest, your audience is not sitting at a desktop. More than 50% of all U.S. traffic comes from mobile—and in many countries, that number is even higher.

If your landing page is slow to load, hard to read, or not mobile-optimised, your entry form will go unfilled. And your campaign? Dead on arrival.

Platforms like Gleam make this easy—we automatically optimise every contest for mobile devices. But it is still your job to:

• Keep entry steps short and tap-friendly
• Test your campaign on multiple screen sizes
• Ensure images and CTAs are responsive and accessible

This may seem like a basic mistake, but it’s one that still kills performance across countless marketing campaigns.

📱 Mobile-first design is not optional—it’s the standard for how people experience your campaign.

One of the most overlooked parts of how to run a giveaway is staying legally compliant—especially in countries like the United States, where contest laws are complex.

If you do not include proper contest rules, age restrictions, prize disclosures, or disclaimers, you risk platform takedowns or legal complaints.

For a detailed breakdown of legal structures in the U.S., read our guide on USA giveaway laws.

Make sure your contest includes:

• Full terms and conditions
• Eligibility by age, country, or legal jurisdiction
• Any platform-required disclaimers
• A no-purchase-necessary clause (AMOE), where applicable—see What is AMOE?

Using Gleam gives you a strong compliance foundation, but it is still up to you to confirm your campaign abides by local laws wherever it runs.

Nothing ruins a campaign faster than finding out your winner was a bot or that someone spammed your entry form using 100 fake emails.

Every giveaway should include fraud protection. That means:

• Blocking duplicate email addresses, IPs, or devices
• Verifying actions via login or social authentication
• Using Gleam’s built-in spam filters and fraud scoring
• Manually reviewing suspicious entries before winner selection

This is especially critical when offering high-value prizes or running user generated content campaigns. You want to reward real people—not automation scripts.

Bonus: If you're collecting content, make sure you have usage rights. Here’s how to ask for UGC permission correctly.

Protect your campaign’s integrity, and make fairness a built-in feature—not a hope.

Too many businesses run a giveaway, pick a winner, and never look back. But without analysing results, you will never know what worked—or how to improve next time.

With Gleam, you can track:

• Entry conversions across referral sources
• Best-performing actions and platforms
• Drop-off points in your landing page
• Long-term customer conversion data

This information helps you:

• Optimise future marketing campaigns
• Segment your email list based on interest
• Measure contest ROI and validate spend

Post-contest analysis is not optional—it is how brands that grow, grow smarter.

Even if your campaign runs perfectly, a poor or biased winner selection process can undermine everything.

Users expect giveaways to be fair—and if you cannot prove that, you risk damaging trust and losing future engagement.

Here are three proven ways to draw winners using Gleam:

• Automatic Random Draw – Our most popular and fair method
• Manual Draw – For when you need full control and verification
• Quick Draw From a List – Great for importing entries or selecting winners live

These features not only ensure fairness but also help you stay compliant with contest rules across different regions.

Ready To Run Your Own Competition?

Check out our documentation on setting up your own Competition or get started right away!