When the giveaway has ended and you have a list of winners, the first step is to share the result of the prize draw. Why? For three key reasons:
- to contact the winners
- to show all your followers that the contest was run fairly, and has now ended
- to maximize the reach of your contest, and extend the benefits of running a giveaway
The question is: what’s the best way to announce your prize draw results? In this post, we’ve come up with 6 ways to announce your giveaway winners. Read through and choose the method (or methods!) that fit your goals best.
Did you know Easypromos has the only tool in the market that allows you to run fully automated giveaways on Instagram Stories?
Share a link in your Instagram bio
Even though Instagram doesn’t allow links in posts or comments, it is possible to place a link in your bio. Use this option to share a direct link to the winners’ page or certificate of validity. Use your posts and Stories to direct people toward your profile using words like: “We know the winners of our Christmas giveaway! Check out our link in bio to find out if you’re one of the lucky prize takers!“.
By using Easypromos to choose winners of your Instagram sweepstakes, you get access to a winner announcement template; use it to publish a page with winners’ details, including the prize won by each winner.
Instagram only allows you to share one link in your bio. But remember that you can use a link service, such as url.bio or Linkin.bio, to send users to multiple sites and resources. Here’s how to edit the link on Instagram:
Edit the giveaway post to announce the winners
Users that participate in your giveaway will look forward to finding out if they’re one of the lucky winners, and so it’s very likely that they will regularly check your new posts and Stories. However, it’s very common for brands to announce the giveaway winners on the giveaway post itself. All you have to do is edit the post, and communicate that the giveaway has closed and that you already know the winners.
Giveaway posts tend to generate a lot of visibility, so taking advance of that reach is a great way to announce the giveaway winners.
Mention the winners in a comment
Instagram favorizes personalized and unique interactions between brands and Instagram users, so a very good practice is to personally contact the winners. How? On Instagram, the easiest way to address a user directly is by using mentions, so the most practical thing is to write a comment on your giveaway post, including the winner’s nickname. This way, winners will receive the happy news in the form of a notification on their profile and in a very personalized and direct way.
Add a new post or Story to your profile
Another popular way to announce the winners of your giveaway is to simply publish a new post on your feed. Use the same design you prepared for the giveaway so that the two posts are connected visually but don’t forget to add a phrase like “We know the winners”. This is a great way to attraction the attention of all the participants that entered your comment promotion. Alternatively, you can publish a post, directly announcing the winner, like in the following example from Green Bros Jewels.
Make sure the winners get a direct notification by mentioning them in the winner announcement post. And if you customized the winners’ page, use a URL shortener to customize the link and make it more friendly and easier to remember; this way you can add the link to the comment so that winners can check out the page.
If for some reason you don’t want to publish a new post to announce the winners, for example, because your brand cares a lot about the aesthetics of the posts on your profile, the alternative would be to publish a story on Instagram, so that it does not stay visible on your profile.
Here are some points to remember:
- tag the winner in your Story
- make your Stories shareable so that the winner can pass on the news
- add a swipe-up link to your giveaway certificate, winners’ page, or video
- add the Story to your highlights so that new followers can see what kind of giveaways you run
- if you have space, link to the original giveaway post so that followers can click through to see the details
Want to make an impact? Announce your sweepstakes winners with an animated video and thrilling sound effects. Use Show Mode to create an instant, viral video – no editing skills required.
Contact giveaway winners through direct messages
If you want to make sure that your winners have seen the announcement, send them a DM.
This strategy has several advantages:
- you can see when someone has read your message
- it’s a private channel to share contact details (for example, a mailing address so that you can deliver the prize)
- it builds a closer relationship with your followers
Here are the two quick steps to send a direct message on Instagram:
DMs work well if you only have a few winners to contact. However, if you want to collect contact details securely, or have a lot of winners, it’s easier to use the Claim Your Prize tool.
Share the news on your other socials, website, and newsletter
Don’t forget to use your other social networks to announce the result of the sweepstakes. Follow up on the giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, and even your website and mailing lists. Next time you run a giveaway, all your contacts will be tuned in and ready to take part!
Ready to create your own Instagram sweepstakes? Learn more about the Easypromos app – and run your first giveaway for free.
