How To Host A Killer Giveaway On Social Media
IMAGINE THIS: You have just finished customizing your website to make it unique to your brand, you’ve put in TONS of work on the back-end of Squarespace, and you’re feeling amazing about what you’ve accomplished. You are FINALLY launching the website of your dreams!! So you press publish, and then … NOW WHAT?
What do you do when your website design is DONE, ready to go, and you’re ready for people to see it? What’s next? How do you get as many new people, potential clients, customers, or avid new blog fans to your site so that ALL of your hard work on your website pays off?
One of the MOST successful tactics you can do to make more money and get more clicks and views when you launch your new blog, business, or brand online is to really work make a ruckus online and CELEBRATE your launch in order to get eyes on your website.
When you launch a website for the first time or are announcing a re-launch, it’s almost like getting a hall pass that says, “Yes, you can tell people to go to your website!!” This is why we say over and over again to find ways to CELEBRATE on social media whenever you can to make a ruckus online.
One of the BEST and most successful ways to celebrate your launch AND get new eyes on your social media and website is by hosting a killer giveaway. We’ve hosted, seen and participated in LOTS of giveaways online and we’ve learned some tried-and-true practices that make giveaways great, and we’ve learned some mistakes along the way – and we’re going to share all of those tips with you!
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED: FINISH YOUR WEBSITE
The point of the giveaway is to get your website in front of the MOST people as possible, so make sure to do it when your website is actually live.
We see a lot of people doing giveaways before their website is ready! That leaves people confused and wanting MORE information from you than you have to offer at the time. Make sure your website is finished and live before you host your giveaway!
Great Reasons To Do A Giveaway:
There are probably A LOT of things worth celebrating in your business, but sometimes we are so close to it that we forget that we actually have reason to cause a ruckus! Here are 4 great things to celebrate for your business with a great giveaway:
Celebrate that you're launching your new website with Go Live HQ!
Celebrate and inform your audience that you are launching a new product or service.
Announce that you have rebranded your business or blog.
Get some HYPE around a big win for your brand or business such as hitting a certain number of followers, signups, sales or other mile-markers.
How To Pick What To Give Away:
Now that you know that you SHOULD do a giveaway for your business, you may be wondering WHAT you should give away. You can’t just give away good vibes and free hugs. Identifying what you plan on giving away, and making sure you’re giving away something of value, is CRUCIAL to a great giveaway.
1. Pick One Of Your Products Or Services To Give Away.
This is one of the easiest things you can give away since all you would have to give would be time and some financial profit for this giveaway. We usually give away one of our Website Templates with each new design launch (valued at $299), and then we also occasionally offer a Free Clarity Call with Promise (valued at $300). The key is to make sure that this item has a HIGH value. A free 20-minute consultation probably won’t get a lot of hype!
2. Pick A Product That You LOVE That Relates To Your Business.
If you don’t sell any products or have any services because you are a blogger or something similar, we recommend giving away one of the products you RAVE about that relates to your business. For example, a mommy blogger might give away her favorite baby carrier. A beauty blogger might give away a basket of her favorite skincare items. A DIY renovation blogger might even give away a gift card to Home Depot!
Ultimately, think about your IDEAL client (or in a blogger’s case, your ideal reader) and his or her wants or needs. For example, if you are a mommy blogger, you might give away a Dock A Tot (a baby bed that lots of influencers rave about) because you know that new moms want and value good sleep for their baby.
HINT: Don’t forget to think about shipping costs if you are giving away physical products!
3. Don’t Be Afraid To Go Big.
Although you may have just invested in your website, your domain, and other items for your business, consider this giveaway another valuable investment in your brand! Think about how much you can afford to give away and how much is worth it to you to get new and fresh eyes on your site. Don’t be afraid to put money or time behind it to make a big impact.
How To Avoid Common Mistakes When Hosting A Giveaway:
We’ve seen mistakes in giveaways all over the internet. Some giveaways don’t get the response you were wanting or expecting! Here are 4 great tips to make sure you avoid the common mistakes we see when people host a giveaway.
1. Make Sure Your Website Is LIVE Before Your Giveaway.
Doing a giveaway before your website is live can often leave your audience lost without information they really want or need for your business! You want your website to be live so people can see who you are, what you’re about, what you offer and how to work with you. Otherwise, a giveaway with nowhere to direct your people can be a wasted opportunity for visibility.
2. Encourage Your Audience To Spread The Word.
Some people just giveaway their product without encouraging people to spread the word to their friends in order to get others participate. To avoid that, and to get people talking about your giveaway, you’ll see a lot of brand or businesses say to “tag 3 friends to enter.” This is because they want as MANY eyes on their brand as possible. The giveaway is only worth it to you if you’re going to gain new exposure in exchange for giving something away.
3. Make It SUPER EASY To Enter Your Giveaway.
Some people make the giveaway way too HARD to participate or enter in. The rules sound confusing, or there's too many hoops to jump through. When it’s too confusing or there are too many complicated steps to enter, people don’t end up participating. Make the entry point clear and easy.
4. Pick Something With A High Value So People Think It’s “Worth It” To Share.
One of the biggest reasons you might not see a high turnout for your giveaway entries is because the value of the product or service you’re giving away is NOT worth what you’re asking for people to do. For people to enter the giveaway without thinking, you have to give away something of value that they really want in exchange for little effort on their part.
For example, don’t make people post a video on their Instagram saying WHY they deserve to win a $5 gift card. NO one will waste their social equity & influence online or go to the hard work of recording a video to win a something small. But, if you’re giving them a $500 gift card to a highly-valued business that relates to your ideal client, they might do it!
Doing a giveaway and have a creative idea? Let us know! Shoot us DM on Instagram or email us at hello@golivehq.co! We’d love to hear about it!
