How to run a joint giveaway with another creator or brand

A joint giveaway is a giveaway that two accounts host together, and you can run one smoothly if you settle the details before anything goes live. This guide covers how to choose a partner, what to agree in writing, how to keep the draw fair for both audiences, and what to do once it ends. You will also get a pitch message and a one-page agreement checklist to copy.

Why two hosts can make sense

The idea behind a joint giveaway is simple. Each partner has their own audience, so the giveaway can reach people who might not have seen you otherwise. The prize cost can also be shared, or one partner can supply the prize while the other brings the audience.

That is the principle, not a promise. A joint giveaway does not guarantee more entries, more followers or more sales. It also adds work: you now have a second person to coordinate with, a second set of expectations, and a second reputation on the line. Co-hosting is worth it when the partnership is easy and the plan is clear. If either of those is shaky, run your own giveaway first. Our guide to giveaway rules is a good base for writing the terms you will share.

How to choose a partner

A good partner is someone whose audience would enjoy your prize, and whose audience you would be glad to welcome. Check these things before you reach out.

Audience fit

Look at who follows them and what they post about. A baker and a coffee roaster share customers. A baker and a car parts shop probably do not. The prize should make sense to both audiences, otherwise people enter for the prize and never care about either of you.

Shared values

Scroll through their recent posts and comments. How do they treat their followers? Do they answer questions? Have they run giveaways before, and were they run fairly? Your name will sit next to theirs. If something about how they work makes you uneasy, trust that.

A fair trade

Similar audience size makes the deal feel even, but it is not required. What matters is that both sides feel the trade is fair. A smaller account might offer more of the work, such as handling the prize shipping. A larger account might cover more of the prize cost. Say out loud who gives what, and check that both of you are happy with it.

Send a clear pitch

Keep the first message short. Say who you are, what you have in mind, and what each side would do. Leave room for the other person to change the plan. Here is a template you can copy.

Hi [name], I’m [your name] from [your account]. I like what you do with [specific thing you actually like]. I’m planning a joint giveaway for [month or season] and thought our audiences might enjoy it. The idea: [prize] as the prize, one post on [account] where people enter by [entry action], and one draw with a saved record that we both announce. I’d cover [your part] and you’d cover [their part]. Would you be open to talking it through? If it’s not a fit, no worries at all.

Notice what the template does not do. It does not promise results, and it does not pressure. If the answer is no, thank them and move on.

What to agree in writing before you start

Once you both say yes, put the plan in one shared document or a single message thread you can both refer back to. This is not about distrust. It is about making sure two people picture the same giveaway. Here is what to cover.

The prize and who provides it

Name the prize exactly. If it is two products, say which products. Say who owns the prize and who supplies it. If the prize is a bundle from both of you, list what each side adds.

Shipping and costs

Decide who ships to the winner and who pays for shipping and any fees. If you ship internationally, someone has to check the carrier’s current requirements. Settle these questions now so nobody is surprised after the draw. Our guide to giveaway prize shipping covers the details.

Where entries happen

The simplest setup is one post on one account. Everyone enters in the same place, and there is one list of comments to draw from. If entries happen on both accounts, you have two entry lists, and you need a plan for combining them or for drawing from each. Decide this first and say it in the post.

The entry rule

Write the entry rule as one sentence both of you can quote. Keep the steps few and make them something you can check. If you want to know which entry methods are easy to verify and which are not, read our guide to giveaway entry methods.

The closing time

Pick a date and a time, and include the time zone. Two partners in different places can easily mean two different closing times in people’s heads. Write it once, in one time zone, and use that wording in both posts.

Who runs the draw and how it is recorded

One partner runs the draw, and both agree how. Decide what you will save: the number of entries, any filters you applied, and the date and time. If you use a giveaway picker, a tool like TweetGift can draw from a pasted post link or uploaded comments, remove duplicate entries, and leave out accounts such as the hosts, and it produces a winner certificate with the entry count, the filters used and the date and time of the draw. Whichever method you choose, both partners should be able to see the record.

Who announces, and how the winner is contacted

Agree who contacts the winner first, and agree that you will contact them privately. Agree what you will say publicly and when. Our guide on how to announce giveaway winners has templates you can adapt.

What happens to entrant data

Keep entrant information to what you need to run the giveaway: choose a winner, contact them and send the prize. Do not add entrants to a mailing list or share their details with each other unless they clearly agreed to that. Privacy rules vary by country and region, and this is not legal advice, so check what applies to you.

If the winner does not reply

Set a deadline for the winner to respond. Say what happens after it passes, for example that a backup winner is drawn from the same list. Decide ahead of time how many backups you will draw. Put the same wording in your public rules.

A one-page agreement checklist

Copy this list into your shared document and fill in each line together.

• Prize: exactly what it is, and who provides it
• Shipping: who sends it, who pays shipping and any fees, which countries are included
• Entry location: one post, on which account
• Entry rule: one sentence, quoted the same way by both partners
• Closing date and time, with time zone
• Who runs the draw, and what record is saved
• Who sees the record: both partners
• Who contacts the winner, and by what private channel
• Winner reply deadline, and how many backups
• Who announces, and when
• What each side does with entrant data
• Platform promotion rules: each partner checks the rules for their own account
• What each partner posts, and when

Keep it fair for both audiences

Fairness matters more in a joint giveaway because two audiences are watching. People who follow only one of you still expect an even chance. A few principles keep this clean.

• One draw. Run a single draw from a single entry list. Do not draw separately and then pick the one you like.
• One record. Save the entry count, the filters and the time of the draw, and share it with your partner.
• One result. Both partners announce the same winner in the same words. No one should find out about the winner from a different source.
• Exclude the hosts. Leave out both partners’ accounts and anyone on either team, and say so in the rules.
• No quiet redraws. If a redraw is needed, follow the rule you wrote down in advance and tell people why.

Platforms have their own promotion rules, and those rules change, so each partner should read the current ones for their own account before launch. For a fuller walkthrough of the draw itself, see how to pick a random winner.

What to post at launch

The launch post should carry everything entrants need, because it is the one place people will read the rules. Include:

1. The prize, and which of you provides it.
2. The one entry step, in one sentence.
3. The closing date and time with the time zone.
4. How the winner will be chosen, such as a random draw from valid entries.
5. Who is excluded, and how the winner will be contacted.

Your partner can then share or point to the same post rather than writing a different version. If both of you write different rules, people will follow whichever version they read first, and you will end up answering the same questions twice.

After the giveaway

When the draw is done, announce the winner together using the same wording, and thank everyone who entered. Then slow down.

Thank entrants

A short, genuine thank-you goes a long way. Keep it brief, and do not use it as a second sales pitch.

Do not spam

Entering a giveaway is not permission to be messaged repeatedly. Avoid mass direct messages. If you want to follow up with entrants, keep it light and only reach out to people who have chosen to hear from you.

Split follow-ups sensibly

Each partner should welcome new followers on their own account. Do not trade lists, and do not follow up with the other side’s audience unless they asked for it. If you both want to post a recap, decide who goes first so the posts do not land on the same day with the same words.

Review it together

Take ten minutes with your partner to talk about what worked and what you would change. Note your own numbers, such as comments and new followers, and compare them for yourselves. That tells you more than any general rule could, and it makes the next joint giveaway easier to plan.