How I Do Instagram Giveaways

Since launching Field Treasure Designs on Instagram about 2 years ago, I have run lots of giveaways.  This not only gets me some additional exposure on Instagram but it allows me to give away one of my products, which in all honesty is a lot of fun.  Here is how I do most of my giveaways:

I post a picture on Instagram and choose a unique hashtag.  I post a photo of the product I’m giving away and try to make it a good photo – one that I would like circulating around the inter webs and one people would feel good about posting to their profile.  It is an honor having a photo of mine on someone else’s feed, so I try my best here.  For this current giveaway, I am using the hashtag, #fieldtreasuredeskgiveaway.  The reason I use a unique hashtag is so all the people who enter the drawing can see how many have entered.  If I use the hashtag #fieldtreasure or #fieldtreasuredesigns, it will be more photos but not that many entries.  That number would then make many discouraged to even try to enter.  Also, and this is the most important reason, I need to know how many TOTAL entries there have been.

I used to go through and type every single name in excel.  That is not possible anymore because its just my wife and I running this business on the side and we don’t have 8 hours on hand to do this.  So here is how I pick the winner fairly by hopefully saving some time:

First.  I see how many PUBLIC PROFILE entries there are.  When you search a hashtag, only the public profiles are represented.  Currently, the total is 496.  So I will make a first column in excel labeled Hashtag and create numbers H1, H2, ….H496.

Next, since people get an additional entry by signing up on our webmail list and commenting on the blog post with their Instagram name, I have another set of entries.  Currently, there are 235 comments on the blog.  I will make another column labeled Blog and each cell is numbered B1, B2, … B235.

Lastly, I allowed private accounts to post.  So each photo where they could comment stating that they posted the pic on their own feed will be represented by a double letter and then I will count up all the comments in each photo opportunity.  For example, the first shared photo that a private account can post on will be labeled AA.  There were 101 comments on that first photo.  So I will make a column in excel that is labeled AA.  Each cell underneath will be AA1, AA2, … AA101.  I will do this for every photo that you could tell me you posted privately on.

I will then CUT OUT each cell on paper and put them all in a jar and then draw a name.  Depending on which category and number I draw, I will simply go to that section or blog post and count up from the FIRST comment or post to find the lucky winner.

Now, I realize there are some loopholes here that people could try to up their chances of winning.  Well not so fast!  When I draw a name, I make sure all the certain criteria is met correctly.  If I draw a name that posted privately, I will request a screen shot.  If they can’t provide it then I simply draw again.  If the number I draw corresponds to a photo that I posted, I either get to pick whoever I want or I just draw again.  This has never happened.  If I draw a number on a blog post and the person has already commented earlier, then I will draw another name.  You gotta keep it cool, friends!  Plus I reserve the right to draw again if anyone is being shady!

So that is the process.

Good luck!  I’ll be drawing tonights winner at 9pm central.