You can get new audience in social networks thanks to different contests. Therefore, in order not to waste your time on the process of developing new ideas, we did it for you and found some tips that can help. We found the most original and popular selection of solutions.
In this article, we will talk about promoting an online store on Instagram through sweepstakes.
Preparation for the competition
Holding various contests from time to time is very useful for any B2C business, as well as online stores. You will create attention around you, which will ensure the influx of a new audience and trust in your brand from different users.
When conducting a competition, you can use your own resources. For example, an account in social networks, a blog or e-mail or third-party resources. Use them or not - depends on the budget.
Set a goal
Before launching a contest, think about what you want to get as a result. For example,
Increase the number of likes on Facebook by few percent;
Get N new followers on Instagram;
Acquire N new mailing list followers.
Once you set yourself a specific goal, you will be able to properly organize the competition. For example, you may need to ask participants to leave their contact information (email or phone number).
The final goal is, of course, sales. But sometimes it turns out that the audience comes for a purchase and watches the brand for a while and then they leave without an interest.
Which prize and how to choose the winners
The prize is an important part of the competition. The audience must be interested and excited about it. It may be new products of a limited collection, expensive goods or gift cards. The winner can be determined using a special program (number generator), a jury or manually. If you are interested in other programs for Instagram, then follow the link to the article, where we have collected the most useful ones.
Tell your followers about the competition
You need to attract as many people as possible to participate in the competition. To do this, not only your audience, but also other people (followers, newsletters and social media accounts) should learn about it. So advertising is an essential part of that.
It can be placed:
In a promoted blog or group
On websites or partner stores
Using contextual advertising services
From offline sources
We talked about how to properly hold a competition, now let's move on to the idea.
Ideas for contests in social networks
Social networks are the main platforms for holding contests since these platforms get the maximum response from subscribers and minimize actions from the audience.
But if your online store has good activity, then you can choose it as a platform. In order to make the website traffic even higher, add a clause to the main conditions that allows participation in the contest only for community followers or registered users.
Lottery
The lottery will help to attract even more audience. In order to take part in it, you need to:
-Subscribe to your social network account;
-Like the post, or do other actions (repost, save)
-Tag a person under the entry (friend, girlfriend, acquaintance);
-Comment on the desired blog post;
-Buy something for any amount of money.
You can also diversify the idea a bit and invite participants to perform various actions and reward N points for them. After scoring, choose the winner among those who scored the highest number. If you don’t know how to run a lottery on Instagram, then follow the link to the article, where we have collected information on this topic.
Weekly Giveaway. You can raffle gifts during the week. Post a new product post every day. Users will create an asset (like, repost, comment), and at the end of the day, you can choose a winner among them. If you don’t know how to hold a Giveaway on Instagram, then follow the link to the article, where we have collected instructions on this topic.
Gift card. The mechanics are the same as in the previous idea. The audience likes, comments, etc., and you choose the winner, but give a gift card instead of a product. In this case, the winner can choose the product he needs. This idea is easy to implement and can help attract more people to participate.
Funny caption for a photo. Quite an interesting idea, and its mechanics are simple and clear. Post a post and ask participants to come up with a funny caption for your product photos. Whose idea will seem more original to you, wins.
Video contest. Ask your audience to make a video in which they talk about your product. For example, what attracts them to the brand, what advantages it has. Also, such videos can be used as evidence of the quality of goods.
Story. This idea will also help you move forward. Ask the participants to write a mini story about your products. For example, why they liked this or that product, how they found your store (company), etc.
Selfie. Another idea that can attract new people to your store and give life to the brand. To do this, ask participants to take a selfie with one of your products. Determine the winner among those who liked or made a repost, or those who showed more assets. Come up with a hashtag that the audience can use to post a selfie.
Photo with goods. You can also ask participants to take a photo with your product. This will confirm the quality of the products and create an asset and attention around the brand.
If you don’t know how to increase sales on Instagram, then follow the link to the article, where we have collected information on this topic.
Photos with pets. Perhaps your products are closely related to animals. Then a good solution would be to run a photo contest with animals (cats, dogs, hamsters, etc.). The audience will take the challenge with interest and will actively like, comment, and share with their friends. And you can learn more about clients.
Contest on Pinterest. Although it is not the most popular platform, it can also increase the asset on your page. Invite participants to create boards with photos of your products on a specific topic. For example, "New Year", "Winter image". The winner can be determined by voting or in person.
The best advice. Members can share their personal tips for using your products. This method will help other people to use the goods correctly, as well as increase activity on your page. The winner can also be determined through a special program or voting.
Picture. You can arrange a drawing contest, which will be your products or any other topic that will be related to the store. Select the winner by voting.
Recipe. This idea is suitable if your brand is related to food. Let's say you sell dinnerware, mugs or vegetable oil. The conditions include the mandatory use of your product in the preparation of any dish or dishes of the same brand. Especially such an idea would be appropriate on the eve of the holiday.
In honor of the holiday. For example, on the New Year’s Eve, participants can share their stories. For example, tell about your friend (girlfriend), why they should receive your brand products as a gift. It is better to choose the winner personally.
Quiz. Conduct a quiz with questions about your products, brand. For example, which blog post was published on December 12th? This idea will be able to involve other participants in the process. In the process of searching, they may be interested in other posts.
If you don’t know what Instagram giveaways are, then follow the link to the article, where we reveal this topic.
Name for the new product. Another creative idea. Ask participants to come up with unusual and interesting names for any new product in your store. The winner can be chosen by voting or in person. As a prize, you can use a product from the new collection.
Lookbook. Also a winning idea that can help find a person to promote the store. The condition of the competition will be to create an image with your products. Perhaps the idea will seem so original to you that you want to use it in promotion. Despite this, the prize is still needed. Otherwise, the participants will not be interested in participating in it.
Favorite item. Let the participants choose the product of your brand that they like by voting, and you will find the winner among all those who voted and give him a prize. The survey can be done on Facebook. The advantage of this idea is that it helps to determine which product the audience likes more.
Holiday gifts. If a holiday is approaching, you can arrange a creative contest. For example, your store celebrates a round date. Ask participants to make a craft or cook something (cake, cookies, salad) using recognizable details of your store (name, logo, etc.). The winner is determined by voting or personally.
Advertising jingles or slogans. Creative contests are a winning option. After all, you can show your imagination and what not. You can raffle off a prize among those who write a poem or a song that will be somehow connected with your stores. In the future, it can be used as advertising.
Time with a star. You can invite a well-known fashion designer, designer, artist, chef (depending on the topic of the store), etc. You don't have to invite someone very popular. A photo session, a master class, a meeting with a star, etc. can be a good win. The choice of the winner remains with the star among those who will write why he needs this gift.
If you don’t know how to sell through Instagram, then follow the link to the article, where we have collected tips on this topic.
Checklist: 10 Steps to Organize a Social Media Contest
You need to “feed” your audience with interesting content and indulge in various gifts. It is best to distribute them after the contests. Some make mistakes in their organization, so below is an instruction that we recommend reading first.
Goal definition. Set a goal that you want to achieve after the competition. For example: increase the number of followers, get attention to the brand, advertise a new product or increase the number of visits to a personal site. Next, think about the way and place for implementation and the main prize, as well as the idea itself.
How to reach the goal. Next, look at the goal that you have set for yourself, and based on it, choose the site where you plan to hold the competition. For example, if your plans are to increase the number of followers on the Facebook page, and you have more followers on Instagram, then use this platform for promotion. A prerequisite for the competition will be a subscription to the Facebook page.
Competition rules. Let's move on to the main part. To avoid conflicts and troubles, think carefully about the conditions of the competition (rules). It's best to write them down. Specify how long the competition will last, who will be the organizer, the conditions for participation, the prize, and how the winner will be selected. On the site that was chosen for the competition, publish a document or a separate landing page with the rules and conditions of the competition, as well as other information on the organization.
Select the type of competition. Come up with a format. It can be a photo, video, vote, text or a quiz. An important point to take into account. You must create a desire not only to fight for the prize, but also to participate.
Prize fund. The gift should be the one that you will choose. It should be useful to the participants. As a prize, it is best to use your product or service. You can also use branded items. Let's say discounts on expensive goods, a book with the author's autograph and much more. Do not use competitors' products or services.
Write down the mechanics of the competition. Do not complicate the conditions of the competition. Participants should get positive emotions, and not puzzle over how to participate. Don't make the contest too long, it shouldn't take the player extra time. Try to come up with something interesting and fun. Create a competition in which you yourself would like to participate. Write down all the rules of the competition and ask yourself this question. If the idea is interesting to you, then your audience will like it too.
Invite followers via email. You can also invite other users to participate in the contest. To do this, notify the TA about the upcoming event. You can create a post with an appeal and leave a link that will direct the user to the contest itself. A similar mailing list can be generated in the SendExpert system and all reports on the operation can be tracked there.
Hashtags. Come up with your own hashtag for the contest. Thanks to him, you can track all the new information from the audience, as well as make the contest more popular. You can enter the name of a brand or store in a hashtag. Be sure to include the general hashtags #competition, #raffle in the title.
Keep track of efficiency. During the competition, it is important to check the activity of the participants from time to time (how many likes, comments, reposts they leave, how many followers have been added to the page, whether the TA has increased on the site and the percentage of the company's sales growth).
Choosing the winner and presentation of the prize. As soon as the contest has come to an end, and the winner has been determined, post his name or nickname on your page. This is necessary so that the participants learn about the results of the competition. Also inform the winner in a private message about the win.
Share information about where and when the winner can pick up the prize or where it can be delivered, take a photo for memory and share it on your page. Be sure to express gratitude for the participation of users and invite them to participate in the following contests.
In addition to social networks, publish the results of the competition and the photo of the winner on your blog. This will help attract more audience to subsequent draws. If you don’t know how to set up an online store on Instagram, then follow the link to the article, where we have collected information on this topic.
Where to host contests
Obviously, not on the website of the online store. The main goal is to attract new users that does not yet know anything about your site - remember this. Thus, these users must receive information about the competition from another site, become interested and become a customer of the store.
What kind of platforms can be used?
It can be both social networks (Instagram, Telegram, Facebook) and an online store community with a large number of subscribers.
We have already talked about how to promote online stores in social networks, now let's talk about how to do it with the help of contests. The scheme here is about the same. To do this, you need to find a community that fits the topic of the store, and negotiate with the administrator about advertising. That’s it. Now the competition will see a large number of followers.
You can use another, but less efficient way. Place a post with information about the competition in your group. It will be seen only by those who follow. Therefore, if your community has a small audience, then, accordingly, the activity at the competition should be expected to be small. In this case, hold a contest of reposts. Thus, you will attract new people who will create a good asset.
Popular communities have other competitors for the number of subscribers. Sometimes bloggers and other media people overtake the most famous communities in terms of the number of followers. LiveJournal and social networks are popular platforms where bloggers are active. "LJ" has thematic communities.
For example: You look today, Foodclub, Ru_auto, etc. They are often looking for new people to collaborate with. Since it is due to this that their team is growing.
Many bloggers develop their creativity in social networks, and more specifically in LiveJournal. It is now considered a more conservative platform. You can combine and place your contest ads both there and there.
We have already written about the earnings of bloggers on Instagram. Not every person can handle such amounts. Therefore, it is better to look for not too popular personalities, but for specialists who are experts in their field.
This is much better than taking ads from popular bloggers, because they make several ads a day. Your competition will simply be lost among them. A blogger who has a specific niche gets more chances to be seen by those who need it.
You pay for advertising, and popular sites and media host it. It is not difficult to negotiate with them, because who will refuse a paid post. You can, along with information about the contest, publish a link to your online store or group in which the draw takes place. You can persuade the publication to hold a joint competition and invite all those who read one or more posts to give a promotional code for a discount.
Platforms of partners or competitors - the so-called cross-marketing.
The partner reposts information about your contest to his page, you do the same. As a result, we get a joint draw, and this is a very good idea. Since there is an increase in the number of subscribers, and participants have a chance to receive more gifts, because each partner offers their own prizes.
How to conduct a live broadcast
If you are afraid of speaking in public, then hold such events and competitions more often. Moreover, they improve profile statistics and bring new followers. Another tip to keep you out of trouble is to start preparing for your broadcast as early as possible.
Step-by-step algorithm of actions:
-Go from your PC to your Instagram profile.
-Find the Winner service and follow the instructions.
-Record the moment of determining the winner.
-Start the broadcast and run it.
-Inform the winner in private messages that he won.
The history of correspondence will display whether the participant made a repost, as well as its date and time, and the mark "Mentioned you in the story." Before starting, it is best to add one more clause to the conditions of the competition that the profile of the participants must be open, and also ask to be mentioned with a separate sticker marked @.
How to check if the winner is subscribed to you?
Open his page, and if the blue button "Subscribe in response" is on, then the person is subscribed. If somehow it turned out that you are subscribed to it, there is another way to check. Open his subscriptions and look for your profile in the list.
If, due to the large number of profiles, you cannot find yourself, then simply unsubscribe from the participant for a while and if the same “Subscribe in response” button appears, then you can safely give him a prize, and if not, you will have to replay and choose another winner.
How to check the like condition?
Winner will be able to automatically select those users who like the post. He excludes others. So don't worry about it.
Practical recommendations
Please put your phone on silent before streaming live. Thus, notifications and calls will not distract you on the air.
It is best to send dogs, cats, etc. to another room, and leave the children with mom or dad. Thus, there will be no extraneous noise, which will allow you to concentrate better.
Check if the device is stable. It is best to use a tripod to make the design more stable. Make sure the speaker is not covered and that you can be heard clearly. Before you start streaming, try to shoot a test video and evaluate the quality of the image and sound. Write a competition plan. What are the prizes, what will be checked. Be sure to test your internet on speedtest. The broadcast will lag if the Internet connection speed is less than 88 Mb. Is the battery charge enough for the broadcast?
As we found out, the competition is a great option for increasing activity and some communication with the audience. The main thing is to organize the competition correctly and not to use deceit. Only then will the goals you set for yourself be realized.
Creating an online store on Instagram is convenient and cool. You are selling a product that is easy to browse and select. I will show you some life hacks on how to create a beautiful and cool store.
Sales on Instagram - trends
The data before the quarantine and the epidemic amounted to 1 trillion rubles in purchases, orders increased by 40%. Based on this, you can think about how everything has risen since the beginning of the epidemic. People began to order more goods via the Internet, including via Instagram. So you can safely open an online store. I will tell you what is popular this year.
Essential Goods
You can sell skin care or decorative cosmetics, household goods and the like. This is very relevant in our time. In this category, the turnover for 2022 exceeded 27.7 billion rubles. Food products, ready meals. Previously, products were ordered due to the fact that it is convenient, nowadays it is a necessity. And so it will continue. Therefore, the sale of products is one of the most relevant topics for an online store. In this area, about 27.7 billion rubles were also earned in 2022.
Household products. Also, due to the beginning of the epidemic, many people are unable to purchase housing, so they are trying to change something in their home. Since March 26, the number of orders has increased by about 4 times. So, what can be developed into an online store with goods for the home, garden, decor.
Goods for children. Parents do not save money on children and try to buy everything they need. Also, because of the pandemic, children do not have the opportunity to go outside often, so parents buy all kinds of goods to entertain kids. Take the same statistics since March, the number of sales in the "Children's World" has grown by 45%.
Create a business account
You need to start promoting an online store on Instagram by transferring your account into a business profile.
We register on Instagram either through Facebook or by entering our data. It is best to confirm the data immediately, for greater security.
We go to the created account.
Open the settings, click on “Account”, then “Linked accounts”, look for “Facebook”, confirm through the company page, if it is not there yet, then do not delay and start it now. It will help with advertising.
Then we go down to the bottom of the settings and click on “Switch to the business profile”. In the "Categories" you can choose from the list exactly in which direction the store is. You can change this, but do it very rarely.
Setting up a shop on Instagram
Nickname
Name your online store simple and memorable. Don't use complex sounds. And if the name consists of several words, separate them with a dot or underscore.
Nick must be:
Easy to read;
Simple;
Memorable;
Store Reflection;
Original.
We do not make a nickname in the style of “deti.odezhda”, “nika_fashion”. They are not unique, get lost in the search list, and are hard to remember. Come up with an interesting name that perfectly reflects the store. It should be bright and effective. From personal experience, I can say that if you create a store in two countries, then there should be two accounts. I add a geo to the nickname and it looks like this: brandname.russia and brandname.kazakhstan.
If you decide to simultaneously launch both the website and the online store in the application, then you can make the same names and style.
Avatar
Chips for a cool avatar in an online store:
Don't use the same colors. The background should not merge with the text or picture. Make everything contrast.
Make the picture cool, attractive, interesting, and most importantly, memorable.
Clear and simple.
Most importantly, do not forget about the size of the avatar circle. Do not place the main parts at the corners, they will be cut off automatically.
When you make an avatar, be sure to check whether everything is easy to read and understand. The user does not have to strain. Many use a cool product photo or logo for the main image. This looks good too.
Profile Description
In the “Name”, try to write exactly what your store is about. Specify the keywords by which you can easily find the profile. You only have 180 characters to describe your profile. Better work on the header. It should attract attention and be remembered. Try to win over your audience. New people will constantly come to you. Your page should express confidence so that people don't wonder if it's fake or not. What is needed for this is:
-Stand out from the crowd
-Show how important your service and services are.
-Engage the audience so that they have a desire to follow you and view your entire profile.
-Write the address, delivery methods. Add a contact button.
-Don't be afraid to use emoticons in your description. They have to themselves and allow you to more accurately show the atmosphere of the online store.
Actual info
Relevant - these are the circles above the posts. Post stories first, then add them to the pinned one. After that, they will be added to the actual. They can be grouped by topic. To do this, click on the circle and add the desired story to them.
Actual was created in order to take all the useful information there with easy access so people do not have to look for it among the posts. Keep in mind that the cover of the current one will be the first thing you add there. It looks more aesthetic if the actual is decorated in the same style.
What can be put up to date:
-Beautiful photo of your products
-Reviews
-The history of the store
-News about bonuses and discounts
-Answers on questions
-How the products are made
-New and popular
Interesting content
Here you need to work on both the picture and the text. That is the first thing people see. If the picture triggers users, then people will move on to reading.
Attractive visual features:
Consider your uniqueness. Try to take pictures that are different from others.
Always use good light when taking photos.
Take pictures from different angles. The tape will look more interesting this way.
Edit photos always in the same style.
Don't forget the little things. This will highlight the image.
And always make a ribbon plan. To think in advance about all the little things.
You can use maxi photos. This is when one picture is divided into several posts. But think in advance that with the addition of new posts, the picture will creep and will look different. So don't forget about it. Maxi photos should always look uniform and harmonious.
Always write the price below the item. So that people do not have to write in direct. Often people end up searching for a product above the stage where they want to see the price because some people don’t like to write to direct, etc. It will be much more convenient if you take care of it right away. Also try to diversify the content and post pictures not only with the description and price of the goods. Here are a few more things to write about:
-Store benefits
-How to place an order
-Reviews
-Different from others on the market
-Payment Methods
-Delivery
-Answers on questions
This also leads to the fact that it is necessary to plan a month ahead. It is rational to use the SMMplaner service. There you can make posts and put on a timer and at the right time you will receive a notification that it is time to post.
Don't post too many ads. It turns users off. All in all, keep calm and stick to the plan. The cool online store is the one that interests and triggers users.
Weekly plan example:
Monday - tell us what's new and what changes you will have.
Tuesday - show how to use the product correctly.
Wednesday — tell us what is the benefit and uniqueness of the product.
Thursday - talk to the audience, for example, conduct a survey.
Friday - come up with a bonus for the weekend, warm up the audience.
Saturday - come up with an interesting game, for example, in the style of a question and answer. Let users ask you questions about the store, and you answer.
Sunday - chat with people, talk about the trends of the week. Don't forget to thank users for their interest in the store.
You can choose one content style. Or you can alternate photos with videos. Statistics say that most post views occur between 8:00-10:00, 12:00-14:00, 18:00-21:00. You look at the audience of the store because you may be different. And by watching the subscribers, choose the time when you post. If the difference in time with the number of subscribers is too big, then create several accounts for different regions.
Live broadcasts and stories
Post a lot of stories, it attracts people. Spend more often live broadcasts, so the store will win customers over and inspire confidence.
What else to shoot in stories:
-Video from a significant event
-Announcement of new products
-Poll what subscribers want to know about the store
-Suggestions for improving the store
-Interviews with staff and experts
-News, goals, plans
-Promotions, discounts, bonuses
-Reviews
Ideas for live broadcast:
-Communication with subscribers
-Review of goods, new collections
-Work from within
-Product instruction
-Unpacking
Broadcast live from 20 minutes to an hour. Speak easy and to the point. Hold the viewer's attention, ask for feedback.
Communication with subscribers
It is important to be on the same wavelength with subscribers, be close to them and this will be your advantage over competitors.
Features of creating a dedicated audience:
Remember there should be no dirty content on the page. Remove rude comments, spam and ads. Block bullies.
If a user left a negative review about your product, first of all ask for forgiveness and specify what specifically they did not like. Try to save the client. Give him a discount on his next purchase or a gift voucher. Reassure that this will not happen again and take action to resolve this issue. Most importantly, be polite and do not make the buyer wait a long time for a response.
Do not forget to thank buyers for the purchase and positive feedback. Ask permission to post a review.
Try to constantly respond to messages in direct. But in order not to burn out, give it about 4 hours a day.
Cool examples for an online store on Instagram
sharpie. This shop produces markers. And the content is built on video customer reviews and how do they use the product. This earns honesty and trust.
The Honest Company. This is not an ordinary online store, but a real blog for parents. There are a lot of useful children's products, posts with cute kids, useful information on raising and maintaining children.
Dennysdiner. They do food delivery here. There are a lot of jokes and memes in the content. People really like it.
EOS. This store has a great visual. The content looks in the same style, bright and attractive. The view is so harmonious that it is impossible to break away.
Ganordominic. They sell Italian shoes here. But there are no posts like in the catalog with the price and description. Here, the product demonstration is so creatively approached that you unconsciously look through the tape to the end.
Sam sebe kuturie. The online store sells fabrics and accessories. The trick is that the product can be viewed separately, and in a full-fledged product on a person. The visual looks aesthetically pleasing and easy. In these examples, creativity, originality and this distinguishes them. People will not pass by these stores. The approach to management puts them above the competition.
I wish you to think over everything well and find your own creative solution. Get inspired and get creative.