So you’re thinking about self-hosting a giveaway with Linqia – how exciting! It may seem daunting or very time consuming but self-hosting a giveaway can be stress free and dare I say it, fun. Giveaways are a great way to indulge your audiences, promote your blog post and reinforce your relationships with brands. So, that being said don’t shy away from them. Follow these 6 quick and easy tips to hosting a successful and hassle free giveaway.


The Calm Before the Storm…

  • Can I self-host a giveaway for a Linqia campaign? Of course you can! Sometimes a brand will even ask you to. But, if it isn’t written into the content be sure to reach out to your campaign Customer Success Manager or Community Manager to double check if this is OK. Some brands are sensitive to giveaway and sweepstakes promotions. Your campaign Customer Success Manager is your personal resource to help out with all aspects of your campaign, so they will have the details. Don’t you worry!
  • Think about the purpose/goal of the giveaway: So it’s a go for the giveaway. Now first things first, think about what you are really trying to accomplish with this giveaway. Has the brand specified an action they are looking to achieve? Do you want to drive more traffic to your campaign blog story? Knowing what you are trying to accomplish before jumping right into the giveaway will help you organize and develop your ideas to successfully run a self-hosted giveaway
  • Pick the Prize: Next, what are you giving away? Did the brand give you an item to giveaway? Is this a giveaway you decided to host? If so, pick a prize that is related to the theme or product of the brand you are working with. Remember your fashionista friend may not be interested in that super cool new kitchen gadget. Giveaways should be relevant to your audience and to the brands mission.
  • Timing: How long should it last? Your giveaway should not exceed the duration of your Linqia campaign. In fact, some brands might request that it ends on or before your campaign end date.
  • Counting Entries: So, you’ve decided on the perfect giveaway, now what? Well, in the initial planning phase you need to think about how your audiences will enter and how many times they can enter. Keep it simple and easy. The best way for your audiences to enter is through comments. Everyone has a comments section on their blog so why not take advantage of it. Have your audiences comment on their favorite feature, write about how they would use the product or what they would use it for. Not as many entries as you would like? Ask you audiences to comment on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest to count as an additional entry. This is your chance to get creative. You know your audiences best.

 

Heard Rafflecopter is the way to go?

  • This may not be the case. Although Rafflecopter allows for easy entry, you have to think of more than your audiences during a giveaway. Go back to Step 1. What is the purpose of the campaign? Are you trying to drive traffic to a specific landing page and help out one of your favorite brands? Well then, Rafflecopter is not the answer. Encourage interaction from your audiences. This will really amplify engagement. Win for you, win for your audience and also win for the brand!

 

It’s Go Time…

  • Write out the game plan: Make the directions clear and concise. State the entry directions in an easy to understand way so people know exactly what to do when they enter the giveaway. You also want them to know what to expect if they win. Need more tips? Check out more steps to writing blog contest rules here.
  • Shout it from the rooftops: We all know everyone loves free stuff, but they won’t love it if they don’t know about it so make a little noise. Include a stunning picture so everyone who sees it has to have it. Share it on your social media channels and get your audience excited to enter. Post, tweet and pin your awesome giveaway picture.

 

Sit Back and Relax…

  • Announce the winner: You’ve enjoyed the ride, and now its time to celebrate! Since you have already dictated how a winner will be chosen, it will be easy to pick out your top entry. Show them some love on your social channels. You want to ensure that they enjoyed the fun as much as you did.

And that’s it; you have just successfully hosted a giveaway for your Linqia Campaign!