How to Run an Instagram Contest

Are you using Gleam or thinking about running an Instagram Contest, but unsure exactly how to best leverage the platform?

Then this is the guide for you.

Join us as we reveal some awesome tactics we've seen our customers use to achieve the best results:

• 1. Choose Your Contest Type
• 2. Why Use Gleam for Your Instagram Contest?
• 3. Selecting Contest Actions
• 4. Picking the Right Prize
• 5. Setting Up & Promoting Your Contest
• 6. Extra Tips and Tricks

Running an Instagram contest is a great way to boost engagement, grow your audience, and drive brand awareness.

But the type of contest you choose plays a huge role in its success.

You want something that aligns with your goals, feels natural for your audience, and maximises participation.

Below are some of the best contest formats to start with.

This is one of the most common Instagram contest type that you no doubt will have seen on your timeline.

You just ask users to follow you, like your post, and tag a friend or leave a comment to enter.

It’s an easy, low-friction way to boost engagement, grow your follower count, and get more eyes on your content thanks to Instagram’s algorithm. Plus, the tagging element helps introduce your brand to new audiences organically.

A UGC contest is perfect for brands looking to gather authentic, high-quality user-generated content (UGC) while boosting engagement. Users enter by submitting a photo or video using a branded hashtag, making it easy to track entries and expand your reach.

This is a fantastic way to provide your brand with valuable content that can be repurposed for marketing.

Plus, when participants share their entries, they naturally promote your brand to their own followers, increasing awareness organically.

Using a third-party platform to run your sweepstakes is the best way to track entries, collect participant data, and ensure fair winner selection, something Instagram alone doesn’t offer.

These platforms let you capture emails, verify eligibility, and automate winner selection, making contests more transparent and manageable.

Participants can enter by completing various actions, like visiting your website, referring friends, or subscribing to your newsletter, helping you drive engagement and collect valuable leads.

Gleam takes third-party sweepstakes to the next level by offering seamless tracking, flexible entry options, and automated winner selection—all while keeping your contest compliant with Instagram’s rules.

• Custom-branded landing pages – Host your contest on a dedicated page or embed it on your site to keep users engaged.

• Multi-platform support – Run a contest that includes Instagram, Facebook, X, and more, all in one place.

• Automated fraud detection – Prevent fake entries and ensure fair participation.

• Seamless viral sharing – Reward users for referring friends, boosting organic reach.

• Flexible entry actions – Guide participants to visit your Instagram, watch a video, subscribe to a newsletter, or complete other valuable tasks.

• Easy winner selection – Pick winners fairly and completely randomly with automated, verifiable draws.

• Terms and conditions - Your giveaway will automatically have T&C's that will keep you covered and compliant

With Gleam, you’re not just running a basic tag-a-friend giveaway, you’re creating a highly engaging, data-driven campaign that maximises visibility and conversions.

Instagram’s rules prevent third-party apps from directly incentivising actions like following, liking, and commenting. However, with Gleam, you can still drive meaningful engagement in creative ways.

Along with the actions we’ve already mentioned, visiting your Instagram profile, viewing a specific post, completing a manual task like commenting, and leveraging viral referrals, Gleam also allows you to:

• Hide secret codes in content – Reward users for engaging with your website, emails, or social media by entering hidden codes found in your content.

• Unlock entries with purchases – Drive sales by offering additional entries when users make a purchase or upload a receipt.

• Keep people coming back with bonus entries – Encourage repeat engagement by letting users return daily or complete new tasks for extra chances to win.

• Gamify with a referral leaderboard – Spark competition by showing top referrers and rewarding those who drive the most sign-ups.

Your prize is the biggest motivator for participation, so make it something exciting, relevant, and worth entering for.

Instead of just giving away a generic gift card, think about what will attract the right audience and drive real engagement.

We like:

• Your own product – Attracts genuine fans and potential customers who are interested in what you offer.

• Custom or limited-edition items – Exclusive versions of your product or a unique, branded experience.

• Early access or exclusive perks – Give winners first access to a new product, beta test, or VIP experience.

• Complementary product bundles – Pair products that enhance each other rather than compete (e.g., skincare + beauty tools, fitness gear + nutrition guides).

• Experiences & memberships – Offer premium subscriptions, workshops, or event access as high-value alternatives to physical prizes.

Running a great contest is one thing, making sure people actually see it is another.

To get the most out of your giveaway, you need to promote it in the right places and make it as easy as possible for people to enter.

Keeping your contest on your own domain means more traffic, more conversions, and full control over the experience.

This is a great way to make sure participants stay engaged with your brand, not just Instagram.

You can embed the Gleam widget directly onto your site, just like this:

Since Instagram posts don’t allow clickable links, make sure your bio does the heavy lifting:

• Use a short, trackable URL to direct users to your contest.

• Update your Instagram bio with a clear CTA.

• Share the contest in Instagram Stories (with a swipe-up link if you have it)

You do need to make sure people know the link is in your bio though, so when you announce your contest, let them know that that's where to enter:

Don’t rely on Instagram alone, spread the word across multiple channels:

• Social media – Post about it on Facebook, X, TikTok, LinkedIn.

• Email marketing – Let your subscribers know and give them a direct link.

• Influencers & brand partners – Partner up to reach new audiences.

Once someone enters, send them back to Instagram to keep the momentum going. Redirect them to like your post, drop a comment, or share the contest.

Want to get even more out of your contest? Here are some quick, effective ways to boost engagement and reach:

• Use a branded hashtag – Helps track entries and build brand recognition.

• Encourage viral sharing – Offer bonus entries for referring friends to maximise reach.

• Keep people coming back – Let users enter daily to stay engaged.

• Show off user entries – Embed a gallery of submissions on your site for social proof.

• Leverage influencers – Partner with creators who can bring in the right audience.

• Create urgency – Post countdown reminders as the deadline approaches.

By following this guide, you’ll be set up for a successful, engaging, and trackable Instagram contest using Gleam!