What is an Instagram Hashtag Contest?
An Instagram Hashtag contest is a contest in which people post their photos with the specific hashtag that you have created. After participants have uploaded their pictures with the Hashtag they are then displayed in a single stream on Instagram. By getting the photos with the Hashtag voted, shared or liked you can expand the reach of your contest and business in a major way.
Through this contest you can spread the word about your business to new users. The effort that you need to put for this contest is that you need to come up with an effective Hashtag, the returns for your business is a lot as it gets maximum engagement from followers and potential ones alike.
1.Select a theme
When you plan for your Instagram Hashtag Contest, start by zeroing on the target audience you want to reach and then decide on a theme and a prize appropriately.
You should choose a theme that matches with the interests of your audience.
You can have a Selfie-based contest as Selfies are very popular on Instagram. Selfie photos are easy to take and people love taking and sharing photos of them on Instagram.
It would be great if you make a landing page for your contest containing the rules and through this contest you can draw a lot of participation and engage with your followers.
2.Decide on a prize
Your prize should be relevant to your business. If you give away a prize that’s related to your product and services it would be beneficial for your business as it will attract those users who are genuinely interested in your products.
Also, you need to give a valuable prize that compels people to take their time out to enter the contest.
3.Select the appropriate Hashtag
You should research on Hashtags that are popular and trending.
- You should create a Hashtag that is short as well as catchy. A Hashtag that is simple would be better for your contest.
- Your Hashtag should be such that is related to your brand name, product, or services.
- Try to create a Hashtag that is memorable. Make your Hashtags easy to search and easy to write.
- Try to create a Hashtag that is universal and identifiable with your international audience.
- Try using longer, more precise Hashtags that your target audience is using.
- You should research on Hashtags that are related to the Hashtags used by you currently.
- Try finding Local Hashtags by looking for local sights, restaurants or the neighbourhood. This kind of Hashtag is very powerful on Instagram.
- Search for Event Hashtags that will help you build relationships with event speakers and industry influencers. You can also include the Hashtags used by event organizers in your content as it will help you join in the conversations.
4.Promote your contest
You should go all out in marketing your contest. Ensure to promote your Instagram Hashtag contest everywhere possible.
Here are some ways you can use to promote your contest:
- You can post photos related to the contest on your Instagram profile and use relevant Hashtags that make your post discover to your target audience.
- For caption of your photo use Hashtags like #nameofyourbrand, #contest, #giveaway, #instagramcontest and #instagramgiveaway.
- You can write a post about your contest providing all the details.
- Make sure the contest available on other social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
- Send an invitation via email to your email subscribers to participate in the contest.
5.Select a winner
You should provide clear instructions to the participants of your contest as to how the winner will be chosen.
Establish your terms and conditions clearly with the instructions as it will help when you select and award your winner.
After selecting and informing the winner, you should make the announcement official on your Instagram page.
CONCLUSION
Now that you know of the five steps to an Instagram Hashtag Contest, you can start following them to market your business on Instagram and see how people engage and interact with your brand.
You can connect with Mohammad Mohsin on LinkedIn
