Launching your first giveaway and afraid of making a mistake? Or have you already run contests, but followers complain about “rigged” wins? In this article, I’ll answer the main question – how to run a giveaway on Instagram so that both the brand and the audience win. Read to the end: I’ve added mini-cases, advice from global SMM gurus, a service comparison table, a checklist of common mistakes, and links to useful articles.
Are Prize Giveaways on Instagram Effective?
What Giveaways Give a Brand: Reach, ER, Sales
Within three weeks after a mug giveaway with a branded print, the merch store “PixelFox” grew by +38% in reach and +22% in average ER — without an advertising budget. Contests create a spike in UGC: people make stories with the product, comment, share the link in DMs. The key is to correctly calculate the prize fund: prize cost ≤ 7% of projected revenue.
Tip from Neil Patel (@neilpatel): “Set KPIs not just on followers, but also on repeat touches: email subscription, website clicks, adding to cart. This way a giveaway turns into a multi-step funnel, not a one-time spike.”
How a Contest Differs from a Giveaway on Instagram
- Contest — the participant performs a creative task, a jury evaluates the quality.
- Giveaway — the winner is determined randomly, most often using a randomizer.
The difference is legally important: a contest may be considered a promotional campaign — check local laws.
Can You Run Free Giveaways on Instagram?
Yes, if the prize is non-material (access to a closed chat, consultation) or a physical product is already in stock. Just account for logistics: a free giveaway ≠ zero budget.
Preparing a Giveaway: Conditions, Prizes, Ready-Made Text
Ready-Made Text for a Giveaway on Instagram — Template and Examples
📣 Giveaway! 3 Steps to a Free “PixelFox” Mug
- Follow @pixelfox_shop
- Put ❤️ under this post
- Tag a friend in the comments
🗓 Results on May 24th at 19:00 (GMT+3) 👉 stories + winner comment.
Tip from Shama Hyder (@shamahyder): “A clear deadline + a countdown timer in stories doubles the number of final actions in the last 24 hours. Use FOMO to the fullest.”
How to Make the Randomizer Pick You: Writing the Rules
- specify age restrictions;
- ban commercial spammer accounts;
- leave a “reserve” of finalists: select 3-5 backup winners.
Formats: Comments, Stories, Reposts
How to Run a Giveaway on Instagram by Comments
A classic: comment = ticket. The simpler the condition, the higher the participation. Remember Meta’s rule: it’s forbidden to tag yourself in other people’s photos.
Tip from Kim Garst (@kimgarst): “Ask not just for a friend’s tag, but a short answer to a question about the brand. Then you get both ER and insights into audience pain points.”
Giveaway on Instagram by Stories: Instructions
- Ask them to mention your account + a unique hashtag.
- Download mentions via Creator Studio.
- Upload CSV to the randomizer.
How to Run a Giveaway on Instagram by Reposts Without Risk of a Ban
Since 2024, Instagram bans mass reposts more strictly. The solution is a collab post: publish a joint post with a partner, don’t ask to “share in the feed”.
Which App to Use for a Giveaway on Instagram?
Which Apps to Use for Prize Giveaways on Instagram
- LizaonAir — comments, likes, mentions.
- ExportComments — CSV export, date filters.
- AppSorteos — quick web randomizer.
Which Free Tool for Selecting Prizes on Instagram is the Best?
If you need 100% free — choose Random.org List Randomizer. Data is not stored, you can record a video screen capture.
Is There an App to Select a Giveaway Winner? TOP 3
- LizaonAir
- GiveawayJet
- AppSorteos
Service Comparison Table
| Tool | Comment Limit | Interface Languages | Cost | Auto-Posting Results | Additional Features |
| LizaonAir | up to 20,000 | RU, EN, ES | Freemium: up to 5,000 free | ❌ | Like/mention filters |
| ExportComments | up to 50,000 | RU, EN | From $9/month | ❌ | CSV export, date filters |
| AppSorteos | up to 100,000 | EN, ES | Freemium | ✅ | Web randomizer, website widget |
| GiveawayJet | up to 10,000 | EN | Freemium | ❌ | TikTok, Facebook support |
| Random.org | 100,000+ | EN | Free | ❌ | Cryptographic generator |
How to Download Instagram Comments for a Giveaway
How to Run a Giveaway on Instagram by Comments with LizaonAir for Free
The service parses up to 20,000 comments in 60 seconds. Just insert the post URL and save the CSV.
Alternatives to LizaonAir: ExportComments, CommentPicker
- ExportComments supports a multilingual interface.
- CommentPicker is convenient if comments < 500 — no registration required.
How to Use a Randomizer on Instagram and Select a Winner
How to Run a Giveaway in a Randomizer: Step-by-Step Guide
- Upload the CSV.
- Enable the filter “1 comment = 1 participant”.
- Record a screencast for transparency.
How to Select a Winner of a Prize Giveaway on Instagram: Fairly and Transparently
Use double-checking: first Random.org, then repeat in LizaonAir. A match — 99% guarantee of fairness.
Tip from Steven Bartlett (@steven): “Record the moment of winner selection as a vertical video and post it as Reels. Transparency + native content = another chance to get into recommendations.”
Giveaway on Instagram Generator: When to Use It
A generator is justified when the database is < 1,000 participants. For larger volumes, an API + custom script is better.
Publishing Results and Checking Fairness
Is There an App for Prize Giveaways with Auto-Posting?
Yes: AppSorteos automatically posts stories with results. Saves 10-15 minutes.
How to Make the Randomizer Pick You on Instagram — Myths and Reality
Myths: “like within a minute”, “comment exactly at 00:00”. The generator’s algorithm doesn’t see the like time — only the ID.
Common Mistakes When Running Giveaways
- Complex participation conditions. The more steps, the higher the drop-off (-30% on each extra action).
- Lack of backup winners. The first selected account may be fake or violate the rules.
- Hiding the list of participants. Transparency is one of the main trust factors.
- Wrong posting time choice. The best peak hours are 30 minutes after your account’s main time slot.
- Forgotten post-analysis. Without measuring ER and follower growth, you can’t understand the campaign’s ROI.
Tip from Aleyda Solis (@aleyda_solis): “After publishing the results, replace the link in your bio with a landing page featuring your best products. Hot traffic converts up to 8%.”
Analytics After a Giveaway: Metrics and Re-engagement
Is it Worth Running Free Giveaways on Instagram Repeatedly?
Free giveaways quickly burn out engagement: after the second-third cycle, ER can drop by 12–15%. With each repeat, the share of “prize hunters” who aren’t interested in the product grows. Try alternating free giveaways with “value contests” — for example, requiring a review or user-generated content.
Are Prize Giveaways on Instagram Effective for Long-Term Growth?
When a giveaway is integrated into a content plan, it works as a trigger for a large engagement cycle: collecting followers → nurture series in stories → sale. According to Hootsuite, brands that run giveaways quarterly and maintain Reels remarketing retain up to 60% of new audiences.
Giveaways are a quick way to explode reach, but only part of the strategy. Keep a balance: clear rules, fair selection, transparent storytelling, and subsequent nurture content. Check the app table above, avoid “toxic” mistakes, and test the advice from Neil Patel, Shama Hyder, Kim Garst, Steven Bartlett, and Aleyda Solis in practice. After 3–6 months, repeat the experiment, compare metrics, and scale what works.
FAQ About Instagram Giveaways (Quick Answers)
Can you run a giveaway on Instagram? — Yes, if the conditions don’t violate Meta’s rules.
How to download comments for a giveaway? — LizaonAir or ExportComments → CSV → Random.org.
Is there an app for prize giveaways? — LizaonAir, GiveawayJet, AppSorteos.
How to fairly select a winner? — Record a Random.org screencast + duplicate the selection in LizaonAir.
How to make the randomizer pick you on Instagram? — The generator’s algorithm is completely random. Follow the rules and increase the number of “tickets” (comments/mentions) — that’s the only fair way to influence the chance.
What mistakes are most often made? — Complex conditions, lack of backup winners, no post-analytics.
External Resources
- Instagram Help Center
- Random.org
- Hootsuite Blog — Instagram Contest Guide
