A fair Instagram giveaway comes down to one idea: everyone who enters should be able to see that the winner was picked by chance, using rules you wrote down first. Here is how to set that up, step by step.
Write the rules before you post
Put the rules in your caption, where everyone can see them. If you decide something afterward, people will ask why. Cover these points:
- What to comment, and whether to tag friends (and how many).
- The closing date and time, with a time zone.
- How many winners you will pick, and whether you will draw backups.
- How you will contact the winner, and how long they have to reply.
- Who can’t enter, such as you and your team.
Our giveaway rules checklist goes through each of these in more detail.
Choose rules the comments can prove
Following and liking don’t show up in a list of comments. If you ask for them, you can’t check them from a comment-based draw, and your entrants know it. Keep your rules to things a comment can show, such as one entry per person and a required tag. If you do want people to follow you, say plainly how you will handle that.
Stop on time, then draw once
Close entries at the time you stated, and don’t accept anything after it. Then draw once. Redrawing because you didn’t like the first result is the quickest way to lose people’s trust.
If you wouldn’t be comfortable explaining your draw in the comments, change the draw.
Clean up the entry list
- Remove duplicates, so each person has one entry.
- Leave out your own account and anyone on your team.
- Apply your tag rule, if you set one.
Then write down how many entries are left. That number matters later, when someone asks how many people were in the draw.
Draw at random and keep a record
Use a random draw, not a favorite. A picker such as the TweetGift Instagram giveaway picker draws at random from your cleaned list and gives you a certificate that shows the number of entries, the filters used, and the date and time of the draw. If you don’t use a tool, still keep a note of your rules, the entry count and the time you drew.
Announce the winner
Tell the winner in a reply or a message, and give them a deadline to respond. If they don’t, move to your backup. Then post the result: the winner’s handle, the number of entries, and a link to your proof.
Read Instagram’s rules first
Instagram has its own rules for promotions, and they can change, so read the current ones before you launch. TweetGift isn’t affiliated with Instagram, and a picker can’t tell you whether your giveaway follows its rules.
A quick checklist
- Rules written in the caption.
- Rules the comments can prove.
- Closing time stated.
- Duplicates and your own account removed.
- One draw, picked at random.
- Proof shared with the result.
See how the draw works
TweetGift removes duplicates, applies your rules and gives you a certificate to share.
