Instagram Giveaway &
Contest Tool
8 Instagram-specific entry methods, viral refer-a-friend sharing, automated winner picking, and a free plan to start. Over 570,000 Instagram entries were completed through SweepWidget last year.
Instagram Entry Methods
Add any combination of these to a single giveaway, alongside entry methods from 30+ other platforms.
Low-friction starting entry. Good as a base action paired with higher-value bonus entries.
Send traffic to a specific post. Daily re-entry keeps people visiting throughout the giveaway period.
The core growth method. Set as a high-value bonus entry to incentivize follows without requiring them.
Boost a specific post's engagement. Pair with Comment for maximum algorithmic push.
Highest-signal engagement action. Ask a question in your post caption to generate real responses. Daily re-entry lets users earn more points each day.
Each tag introduces a new potential entrant. Combine with refer-a-friend for a double viral loop.
Gets your giveaway post in front of the entrant's followers. Great for brand awareness.
Users submit a URL to their own post. Use for UGC campaigns, hashtag challenges, or user-created content contests.
Every giveaway also supports refer-a-friend viral sharing, email capture, and entry methods from 30+ other platforms. Grow your Instagram, YouTube, Discord, email list, and more from a single contest.
How to Combine Entry Methods for Better Results
The entry methods you choose shape the kind of growth you get. Here are three setups that work well for different goals.
Follower Growth Stack
Best for: Growing your Instagram following as the primary goal
Weight the Follow the highest so it's the most attractive action. Tag-a-Friend and Refer-a-Friend create two separate viral loops that compound each other. The email capture is low-effort for entrants but gives you an owned channel for after the giveaway ends.
Post Engagement Booster
Best for: Driving engagement on a specific post to push it into Explore
Daily re-entry on Comment and View Post means entrants come back every day for more points. That sustained engagement over 8-14 days signals to Instagram that the post is worth showing to more people. Ask a question in your post caption to get real responses instead of generic comments.
Multi-Platform Growth Engine
Best for: Growing your entire online presence from one contest
Across SweepWidget, giveaways with 12 entry methods average 1,926 entrants vs. 163 for single-method contests. Give equal weight to your top platforms so entrants grow all your channels. Adding a leaderboard drives 3.3x more actions per user.
How to Promote Your Instagram Giveaway
Launching a giveaway is half the work. The other half is getting it in front of people. Instagram gives you several built-in distribution channels if you use them right.
Bio Link
Every giveaway gets a hosted landing page URL. Drop it in your bio and reference it in every post and Story. If you use a link-in-bio tool, pin the giveaway link at the top for the duration of the contest.
Stories and Reels
Stories with a link sticker drive direct traffic. Post a countdown sticker as the end date approaches to build urgency. For Reels, a short 15-second "how to enter" clip can reach people well outside your current follower base since Reels get pushed to the Explore page.
Hashtag Strategy
Use a branded hashtag for your giveaway (e.g., #YourBrandGiveaway) alongside 5-10 niche-relevant hashtags. Avoid the massive generic ones like #giveaway (600M+ posts) where your content gets buried instantly. Mid-range hashtags (10K-500K posts) give you the best shot at appearing in hashtag search results.
Refer-a-Friend Viral Loop
SweepWidget's built-in refer-a-friend system gives every entrant a unique sharing link. When they share it and someone enters through that link, they earn bonus points. This turns every participant into a promoter. Pair it with Tag a Friend for a double viral loop: tags bring people in on Instagram, referral links bring people in everywhere else.
Timing tip: Post your giveaway announcement when your audience is most active (check Instagram Insights), then re-share in Stories at least once per day. The first 24-48 hours set the pace for the entire contest, so front-load your promotion effort.
Set Up in 5 Minutes
Create your giveaway
Sign up (free plan available), add your prize, and set your dates. 8-14 days tends to pull the most entrants.
Add Instagram entry methods
Click "Instagram" in the entry methods section. Pick your actions and assign point values. Higher points on an action means more people will do it.
Stack more platforms
Add refer-a-friend, email signup, YouTube, Discord, or any of 30+ other platforms. Enable daily bonus entries to keep people coming back.
Style, embed, and launch
Customize colors and fonts. Embed on your site or use the hosted landing page. Drop the link in your Instagram bio.
Instagram Contest Rules
Instagram allows promotions, but you're responsible for legal compliance. Here's what you need to include.
- Include the Instagram disclaimer: "This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Instagram."
- Post official rules covering eligibility, entry methods, prize details, winner selection, and dates.
- Include "no purchase necessary" language with a free alternate entry method.
- Set age restrictions. 18+ is recommended to avoid legal complications with minors entering contracts.
$5,000 threshold: In the U.S., if your total prize pool exceeds $5,000, you may need to register in New York, Florida, and Rhode Island, or exclude residents of those states in your rules.
Tip: Frame Instagram actions (follow, like, comment) as optional bonus entries worth extra points, not as requirements. SweepWidget's point system makes this easy. Keep your base entry low-friction (like Visit Profile) and reward higher-effort actions with more points.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Instagram giveaways work with SweepWidget?
You create a giveaway in SweepWidget, add Instagram entry methods (follow, like, comment, share, etc.), set point values for each, and publish. Participants enter through an embeddable widget on your site or a hosted landing page. They complete actions to earn points, and you pick a winner randomly or by leaderboard ranking when the contest ends.
How do you pick a winner for an Instagram giveaway?
SweepWidget has a built-in random winner picker that weights by entry points. You can also manually select a winner or use leaderboard mode to award whoever earned the most points. Many brands announce winners via Instagram Stories for transparency.
Are Instagram giveaways allowed?
Yes. Instagram explicitly allows promotions. You need to include a release of Instagram from liability, follow their promotion guidelines, and comply with local laws. See the rules section above for the full checklist.
How long should an Instagram giveaway last?
Based on SweepWidget data across 70,000+ giveaways, 8-14 days is optimal, averaging 956 entrants. Shorter giveaways don't give enough time for sharing to compound. Longer ones (30+ days) lose momentum in the middle without proportionally more entries.
Can I run an Instagram giveaway for free?
Yes. SweepWidget's free plan includes unlimited entries and two Instagram entry methods: Visit Profile and View Post (both with daily re-entry). For Follow, Like, Comment, Tag Friend, Share, and Submit Post, you need a Pro plan or higher.
What's the difference between a giveaway and a contest?
A giveaway picks winners randomly. A contest judges entries on skill or merit (best photo, most creative comment, highest score). SweepWidget supports both: random drawing mode and leaderboard mode where the person with the most points wins.
Can I embed the giveaway on my website, or do I need a separate page?
Both. SweepWidget gives you a hosted landing page you can link from your Instagram bio, plus an embed code to drop the widget on any page of your website. Most brands use both: the landing page for social traffic and the embed for website visitors.
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