If ‘Attention is the New Currency,’ How to Earn It on Instagram? 7 Tips to Stand Out from the Crowd on Instagram Competition
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Instagram is estimated to have 1.2 billion users in 2023, which means that running Instagram competitions will have more competitors than ever. Suppose your goal is to stand out amongst the competition crowd. In that case, it will become harder than ever if you don’t understand how to market your competition. Even with the right tools, getting started may be extremely difficult without increasing the number of likes of posts without using a service. It’s no secret that a good engagement rate is essential for visibility on the platform and the best way to get views and followers’ attention.
Luckily, you can implement plenty of tips and tricks into your competition to get more viewers and participants. However, designing a good competition is key to success. This article will teach you seven tips to stand out from the crowd on the Instagram competition.
7 Tips to Stand Out from the Crowd on Instagram Competition
If you’re going through the hassle of setting up an Instagram contest, then it’s worth it to go the extra mile and set up a successful contest. With so many giveaways being made daily, it’s essential to craft a competition that will gain traction. Here are seven tips you can implement in your competition to help it stand out amongst the crowd.
1. Set an End Goal
The first step to creating an incredible competition is to set an end goal. Setting a goal will be easier to design other elements of the competition. Plus, having an end goal can help lead to results.
What is a Goal?
A competition goal doesn’t mean the ‘prize’ of the competition. Instead, it’s a goal for the company that can help boost profits and extends its reach. Here is a list of some examples:
- Increase traffic to account
- Create brand awareness
- Getting more followers
- Get more user engagement
- Drive sales or increase profits
- Get an email list
Why Do You Need a Goal?
Every competition needs a goal because it makes designing the rest of the contest easier. For example, if you know you’re trying to get more followers, it’ll be more likely to host a contest that users can compete in and share with their followers. That way, more traffic is drawn to the Instagram account, and the company will get more followers.
2. Manage Hashtags
An excellent way to reach more of an audience is to use hashtags. Hashtags are Instagram’s method of categorizing. You can add hashtags to competitions to help get momentum going. Although, creating a unique hashtag for the competition will attract more attention.
Limit the number of tags that are used. You don’t want to overstuff a competition with too many tags. Only list relevant tags that make sense for the competition. For example, suppose you’re hosting a contest promoting a clothing line or giveaway. In that case, you’d use hashtags relating to that niche.
4. Figure Out Type of Contest
A handful of different contest types draw a good amount of attention on Instagram. While a company should still be unique for competitions, a classic competition model can help. But, what are the different types of Instagram competition models?
User-Generated Contest
User-generated content is where you allow users to create content for you. The goal of this model is to maximize a business’s reach. Just ask users to use a specific hashtag and then take a picture with the company’s product or services.
Selfie Contest
Similar to the user-generated content, users will create the content for you. The goal is similar to the other model as well. However, the main difference is that you ask followers to take a selfie and include themselves in the photo.
Caption Contest
A caption contest is where you’ll ask followers to create a caption for your posts in the comments. The goal of this model is to general more likes on the post and get more user engagement. All a company will need to post a picture and write in the comments the conditions of the caption contest.
Like-Follow-Share or Tag to win Contest
These contests are where followers will need to like, follow, share, or tag to participate in the contest. The goal of this competition style is to generate more user engagement and attract new followers. To create this model, make a post and list what a user will do to enter the contest.
Success Story Contest
Lastly, a success story contest is a contest where you ask followers to share a success story. The goal of this is to increase the brand’s value and image. Aside from that, it gives followers a chance to connect personally with the brand.
5. Add Value By Adding Good Copy
Adding copy is a term that means you’re going to want valuable and well-written posts to complement your videos, pictures, reels, and posts. Adding good copy that adds value is more enticing for potential followers. It will make your contest look much more legit. When the competition seems more legitimate, it will have a higher impact on spreading reach.
Copy should be written clearly, easy to understand, and be crafted for a general audience. Have the copy clearly describe the contest’s title and explain what users will need to do to enter the contest legitimately. Also, don’t just have a well-written post, but also put emotion into it and add personalized touches.
Audiences respond much better to relating to a post, especially on Instagram. After that, remember to put a call to action at the bottom of the post. A call to action will tempt users to follow, enter the contest, comment, or message.
6. Include Worthwhile Prizes & Multiple Winners
A prize needs to be appealing enough for users to enter the contest. Suppose a company was to have a massive giveaway for one tiny keychain. In that case, not many people will likely join or want to participate or share. So, it’s essential to choose the right type of prize while designing a contest.
Why Choose Good Prizes?
Choosing a relevant and good prize will also ensure that you attract the correct followers and participants. When a company chooses an iPhone, Laptop, or another expensive generic item, it will attract many fake participants. Some users will create fake accounts, and many of them will only enter the contest and then unfollow afterward.
A company should create a good giveaway that provides something of value for its specific target audience. For example, if a fitness company or gym is advertising on Instagram, they would choose a prize that’s relevant to fitness. If it’s a gym, their prize could be a 1-month free trial of using the gym.
This targets a specific audience that is more likely to stick around for more fitness-related content. If a gym were to advertise a free iPhone, then many users would be more likely to unfollow.
Why Choose Multiple Winners?
Choosing multiple winners also encourages more people to participate. If the contest is attracting 100 people, then one winner would be enough and motivate contestants to join. However, suppose the competition had 100,000 or more for one prize. In that case, fewer users may feel like participating because their chances of winning are very low.
7. Set Deadlines
For contests, always set hard deadlines that list when the contest will end. A company can adjust the deadline depending on the contest type and what promotion you’re looking for. If you’re looking to gain followers growth, you may be more likely to extend the contest so that more people see it.
However, suppose you’re celebrating an important milestone for your business, promoting a new product or service, or having a holiday-themed contest. In that case, you may want to limit the timeframe. These contests should be limited to a week or less for the most part.
For deadlines, you will specifically want to include:
- Deadlines for entering the competition
- Deadlines for when the winners will be announced
- Deadlines to confirm winners
8. Market Your Campaign
Lastly, coming up with a stellar promotional strategy can help a contest gain momentum. A promotional strategy is likely to bring in more people and reach a bigger audience. But, what do you need to do to market your campaign?
An excellent method to gain traction is hiring a few influencers to help promote the contest. If a company doesn’t or can’t find any influencers, using Instagram Ads is another alternative. These methods will help reach more people and help attract users who don’t even know about the company.
Why Are Instagram Competitions Are Worth it?
Instagram has over 200 million business accounts, and all of them are using multiple methods to produce content. These methods include blog posts, podcasts, videos, and infographics. A contest is an excellent method to stand out amongst the crowd if you’re starting.
This is because a contest doesn’t require having many followers, funds, etc. Instead, a contest attracts more users to the business page, up to 34% more. The followers are more likely to stick around, especially if it’s a contest that they’re interested in.
Plus, Instagram is a perfect place to grow a business with various goals. The Instagram business may require you to increase brand awareness, boost sales, and increase user engagement. So, it’s crucial to take advantage of this aspect and implement a well-designed contest into your promotional strategy.
Conclusion
An Instagram business account just starting may struggle to get momentum and gain exposure. So, using a promotional strategy such as a contest can help a business grow and get more reach. That being said, a poorly created contest can do the opposite. That is why it’s vital to craft a solid contest plan known to work.
