The Definitive Guide to Instagram Photo Contests Everything you need to know to create and execute a successful Instagram photo contest INDEX Formula Promote, 2 for Success Promote, 4 Promote Clear objectives, good creative, simple rules, a How to select the best , and theme, prize, contest tracking software are hashtag, and judge/ key to success 6 select a winner 13

Designing Driving Your Contest 3 Contest 5 Engagement

How to select the best theme, Creating a virtual home prize, contest hashtag, and and distributing the best judge/select a winner 10 UGC ongoing is key to maximizing participation 16

1 Measuring Success Instagram 6

Photo Contests Success metrics for photo contests and The new frontier of visual common causes of poor UGC promotions has arrived performance 17 and opportunities for marketers abound 4

share this ebook 2 piqora.com about the Author

Sharad Verma Remy Tennant Founder & CEO Marketing Manager Piqora Piqora

A visionary and A long-time social media junkie, internet marketing futurist, Remy wrote his MBA thesis on social Sharad is frequently quoted by the media and high technology, conducting media on topics related to the impact a first-of-its-kind consumer behavior study of social media on e-commerce, and has been and publishing and presenting his findings in a speaker and panelist at several leading tech the US and Europe. conferences such as Ad: Tech and SMX. He’s been deeply involved with social media Sharad spent the first ten years as a product since 2008 at a wide variety of organizations, manager at leading Silicon Valley tech companies, and is constantly monitoring the ever-changing most recently at Yahoo, where he launched SEM digital media landscape – always on the lookout and products that generated over for new ways to help businesses increase their $100M in incremental revenue. Having made his social ROI. He believes the Visual Web is the mark, he left Yahoo for the startup world in 2010, next big thing that’s already here for marketers. founding Piqora in early 2012. Follow him on @remytennant Follow him on @heysharaD

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With most brands just getting started with Instagram photo contests, there Instagram are huge opportunities to be had – Photo Contests and a lot to learn. The new frontier of visual UGC promotions has arrived and opportunities for marketers abound

nstagram, with its 150M+ attempted photo contests before Iusers, is emerging as the best 2012, and that software solutions mobile-based social network have only been around since for marketers to tell a visual around the same time, marketers story about their brand. 71% have limited experience – of the world’s major brands probably about as much as they are now on Instagram and did with contests marketers are rushing to grow back in 2009. So Instagram their communities. Hashtag photo contests are relatively optimization and photo contests, new, but there have been more especially when used together, than enough successful ones to have potent community building make it clear that they can be a power and should be considered driving force behind community an integral part of any Instagram building. Instagram photo contests can produce valuable UGC, such as this marketing strategy. are beautiful photo that won Stylesite’s Spring Street Styles contest. the key to brand discoverability, Instagram is a mobile and image- while photo contests are a great centric social network teeming a phenomenal way for brands their personal style and passion way to increase visibility. Yet, with original, highly creative to source UGC photos. They for brands, and the result is a given that few marketers even UGC content. Photo contests are enable consumers to express rich marketing experience that

share this ebook 4 piqora.com includes powerful visual social proof. Through Instagram photo contests, marketers can show visually how their brand is being incorporated into their audience’s lives.

With most brands just getting started with Instagram photo contests, there are huge opportunities to be had – and a lot to learn. Experience running contests on other social networks helps, but it’s important to remember that Instagram is distinct from other sites in terms of both the way the network is designed and how consumers use it. That the entire network is mobile and outbound URLs are not supported fundamentally changes the way contests must be designed, both in terms of the contest itself and the web For their Illume photo contest, Red Bull took entries on Instagram. The winning photo is pictured above. infrastructure that supports it. share this ebook 5 piqora.com 2 Formula for Success Clear objectives, good creative, simple rules, a landing page, and hashtag tracking software are key to success

here are 4 things you need Identify Tto run a basic Instagram users who contest: might like your brand 1 clear Contest Goals and Objectives So what do Hobo Bags came up with clear and simple rules for their Carry This Wear That contest. Like with any marketing or you want

advertising campaign, it’s a to do? Of course, you may have you will likely end up with higher more brand advocates who you good idea to start by defining answered “all of the above”. You quality UGC. may want to follow and gain as objectives, because results may be able to have all or most followers. will vary widely depending on of the above, but you will still Sweepstakes are a great way how you design your contest. realize your goals to varying to get a lot of photos, likes and 2 simple Rules and Creative Instagram contests are a great degrees depending on how your followers. Judged contests yield That Clearly Explains Them way to: contest is set up. For example, fewer but higher quality UGC Contest Creative is one of the Grow your community if you opt to have the winner be photos that could be integrated most important parts of your Generate brand awareness selected by judges (as opposed into your other social or online Instagram promotion. It needs source lifestyle content and to being drawn at random) you destinations. Judged contests have to be visually appealing and publish UGC photo streams will get fewer participants – but a higher barrier to entry but attract relevant to your audience. The

share this ebook 6 piqora.com creative is simple and to the point, your Instagram and followers can see the creative in their feed and quickly know what they have to do to participate.

Keep the contest rules simple. Most contests ask participants to upload a photo and add a relevant and unique branded hashtag. “Selfies” are the easiest to take and have the lowest barrier to entry. Photos that are time-of-day dependent (e.g., sunset) or involve other people (e.g., take a photo with a best friend) are naturally more difficult. Creating a brand-

Great UGC: Highly influentialI nstagrammer Alyson Haley submitted this stellar photo for Hobo Bags’s Carry relevant hashtag is key. Before you This Wear That contest. She’s even promoting the contest to her 12K followers. host your Instagram contest, make up a hashtag that’s relevant to vast majority of the users on explain the rules clearly and participation rate as well as the your brand and the theme of Instagram are Millennials, so if simply. The background color number of participants who end your contest. Make it unique you are targeting them make sure of a landing page or other up being qualified. Design your enough so that when someone to keep your creative edgy and image shouldn’t interfere with creative in such a way that it searches for your hashtag on interesting. the readability of the rules. If can be used both on a full web Instagram, you won’t confuse fans users can’t read and understand page (landing page) or as a post who find hashtags unrelated to Beyond that, creative should the rules, it could hurt your on Instagram and Twitter. If the your contest. share this ebook 7 piqora.com Decide if you want to run a judged participate later through their contest or a sweepstakes where mobile devices. the winner is selected randomly. Let your participants know if their Landing pages can also become entries will be judged or if the a living and breathing destination winner will be selected at random. that showcases the rich media Sweepstakes attract more from the photo contest. Re- participants as everyone’s winning publishing the best contest chances are equal. However, if your entries is a great way to engage goal is to get very high quality new participants and visitors. UGC photos, judged contests Instagram contests are creative are a great way to tap into the in nature and most participants creative genius of your audience. need a little help sparking their ideas – seeing entries from other 3 a Contest Landing Page That participants is often an effective Maximizes Participation trigger. Landing pages that A landing page provides a home showcase participant entries for the photo contest and allows also create strong social proof you to put more marketing for potential new entrants, muscle behind it, helping you to demonstrating the success of the go beyond just promoting it on contest. This in turns can lead to MyHabit did a great job coming up with a creative theme for their contest, making it fun, on-brand, and reasonably easy to enter. They other social channels. Paid media more contest participation, more selected an appropriate hashtag, gave away a valuable and desirable becomes an option for driving visits and more engagement from prize, added inspiring photos to the contest creative and showcased entries on the landing page (not pictured). traffic, and it also allows you to the participants. reach desktop users who can visit the contest landing page to Landing pages can also contain learn about the promotion and legal terms and conditions for share this ebook 8 piqora.com the contest and ensure that your promotion (for daily/weekly prize BONUS TIP: Provide some contest participants are entering promotions), and help you to easily examples. At the outset, take a the contest legally. moderate and publish the photo few photos that reflect the spirit entries on a contest landing page. of the contest and highlight 4 use Hashtag Tracking them on the contest landing Software to Identify Your Photo contest tracking tools also page. Entry photo examples are Participants and Pick Winners provide landing page capabilities a great way to nudge your In order to see the participants via iframes, fully hosted options, audience in the right direction. for your contest hashtags and and Facebook Tabs. Choose a Once you have some good ones pick a winner, you need a hashtag provider who offers fast loading be sure to update your landing tracking tool (such as Piqora). A mobile-friendly landing pages page, possibly replacing your own good hashtag tracking tool will and can provide ongoing support photos. A contest management provide a list of participants, their throughout the contest, especially tool (such as Piqora) can make photo entries, allow you to see if you are new to Instagram this easy. participants on a certain day of the contests.

Since Instagram is a mobile-based network, it’s extremely important that your landing page be mobile friendly, including making it easy for Piqora’s hashtag tracking software captures data on Unique participants to click through and Users, Potential Impressions, Photos, Likes and Comments. follow your brand on Instagram.

share this ebook 9 piqora.com 3 Designing Your Contest How to select the best theme, prize, contest hashtag, and judge/select a winner

Choose an Appropriate to post any photo. While that is Theme / Challenge incredibly easy to enter, it does not My Habit’s substantial prize consisted of a $1500 A good rule to remember is give you relevant and branded UGC gift card and a trip to New York for a photo shoot. that the more challenging assets to use in future marketing. photo requirements are, the less Additionally, if the photos are having a grand-prize combined gift card to your store — you participation you are going to get. completely undifferentiated they are with several prizes for runners up. already know your fans like your Some photo challenges can be much less likely to be viral. Contest Participants like winning and being brand, right? Or if you’re a resort, logistically difficult. For example, photos, when seen together as a rewarded, and the more shots give away a one-night stay resort snapping pictures of the moon at stream, should tell a story, and the they have to win the more likely package for two. You get the idea. midnight or taking a picture of the theme behind the contest should they are to participate and make it clouds from your window seat. be evident from the photo entries. through every step of the contest. How valuable should the prize be For example, pictures of a pre-game Offering a great prize is a way in order to maximize participation? However, if the submission criteria tailgate party with friends is a great to break away from the pack. It’s The more valuable the better. In are too broad you may end up with story and a very coherent theme. always a good idea to choose a Piqora’s research on Pinterest photo entries that are not relevant prize that you think will resonate contests we found that prizes well with the interests and likes of valued at between $1000-$5000 to your brand and inhibit your ability Select a Relevant and your fans. So if you’re an online generated 3x more participation to retell the contest’s story. We Valuable Prize have seen contests that ask users To maximize participation consider clothing company, offer a $500 than prizes valued at $500-$1000,

share this ebook 10 piqora.com and 5x more than prizes worth less Based on creativity, originality than $500. and relevance of the entry to the contest rules Choose The Right Hashtag These judged contests are a Your fans need a way to submit great way to source a special photos, and picking the right selection of UGC photos that Instagram hashtag to promote are relevant to your brand as part of your contest is or campaign theme. The critical. When selecting your participation rate might be lower contest hashtag, two important but the quality of photos might considerations to keep in be much higher. This is a great mind are: winner selection strategy as it Broadway Nails’s #imPRESSrevolution fingernail painting contest was judged by two celebrities: Fashionista Alli Simpson and nail expert Katie Cazorla yields limited but high quality Is your chosen hashtag original and creative photos, brandable/ownable? • Incorporate your brand’s Choosing the right hashtag doesn’t enabling you to republish those While you can’t really “own” a slogan have to be overly complicated. Just photos and tell a visual story hashtag on Instagram, or any • Abbreviate your brand name remember that you’re asking fans about your brand. social network for that matter, (if appropriate – i.e., to type it into their mobile devices take some time to choose a Lululemon each time they snap a photo to TIP: Increase the reach and hashtag that is not likely to becomes #Lulu) participate. Making your hashtags impact of your contest by be used by anyone else. If the • Incorporate the name of catchy and easy for them to using celebrity judges. Not only hashtag is not unique, you your contest (What Are remember will help you maximize will they be endorsing your may end up picking a winner Your Habits? becomes the number of photos you receive. contest and brand, they will also who just happened to use that #thisismyhabit) promote your contest to their hashtag for some other purpose • Use dates and places for Best Practices on Winner Selection own audiences, significantly and was not really a contest campaigns at live events (i.e., There are three ways to pick a increasing the reach of your participant. #CanucksGame6) winner: promotion. share this ebook 11 piqora.com At Random of a user’s influence and as such the best contest entries and to fatigue. Random selection of winners are not in your participant’s announcing winners on all your is a great way to drive a huge control. Fewer users will marketing channels, the buzz will Allowing Entries on Twitter amount of participation and get participate if they don’t believe build on itself and keep growing. We have come across several lots of photos. Random selection they have the same chance of Daily prizes also mean more contests that allow their signals equal chances of winning, winning as the other person when participation and even more participants to enter either via and paired with multiple prizes both entries are similar in quality. entries from participants as they Instagram or Twitter. Instagram is a great way to get a lot of take multiple shots at winning and Twitter are fundamentally participants. More participants Weekly/Daily Prizes something. Long-running contests different. While Instagram is a does mean you may have to Weekly or daily prizes are a great should have a place in your overall place users are sharing their life do more work moderating and way to keep the contest buzz contest and community strategy moments in a very visual and selecting the best photos before going strong for a long time. but should not be overdone. Lots creative way, Twitter is more of publishing them. However, if your If you are consistently sharing of long-running contests may lead a place for real-time news and brand is new on Instagram and you conversation. Because of this, are looking to build a community an Instagram photo contest is and grow your followers, this easy- best served when it’s limited to to-enter contest type is your Instagram. Twitter feeds move best bet. very fast and only 1.4% of tweets are retweeted, so it’s hard to Based on the # of likes – The grow your twitter followers via a photo with the most likes is photo contest that is based on chosen as the winner Instagram. Our recommendation While appealing on the surface, is to keep the community and this might be the least effective content strategy separate for

way of getting participants. For their Crazy About Pets photo contest, Petco gave away two $500 each network. This is because likes can be gift cards weekly: Oce to the winner, and another to their animal charity organization of choice. unpredictable: They are a function share this ebook 12 piqora.com 4

hosting a contest soon. Do this by Promote, posting a photo of the creative on Promote, Promote Instagram. Use Up to Six Additional Cross-channel promotion and active engagement Hashtags When You Promote during the contest is key to success Your Contest On Instagram In Piqora’s research into Instagram hashtags, we found that there Promote Your Contest Heavily Email is another great channel are substantial incremental and Across Channels for promoting your contest. Over The participation rate of your 50% of email opens happen increases in likes as more contest is directly proportional on mobile and can to lead to hashtags are added, up to as to how well you spread the word. speedy participation, so be sure many as seven hashtags. So, Leveraging all existing channels to your contest’s landing page is aim to add six hashtags on top let your audience know about the mobile friendly. Depending on of the contest’s official hashtag contest is a very important step, your contest goals, you can also when you promote your contest and posting on Facebook, Twitter consider paid media options such on Instagram. Note that it is not When it comes to promoting your and Instagram is the bare minimum. as Promoted Posts on Facebook advisable to ask users to add Instagram photo contests, posting (or any other Facebook ads), or more than one hashtag; although about it on your other social channels is the bare minimum. Consider reminding your audience Promoted Tweets on Twitter. it could increase reach, the higher a few times during the contest barrier to entry would be likely Over 50% of email opens to reduce participation and to boost participation. Sharing Prep your audience before the happen on mobile and the best photo entry of the day contest by generating buzz. negate any potential benefits. can to lead to speedy participation, so be sure or week is a great way to reward Before your contest officially For additional research findings your contest’s landing on hashtags, and tips on how participants and keep the contest starts, let followers know that page is mobile friendly. buzz going strong. your business is going to be to select and use hashtags for

share this ebook 13 piqora.com they called on fashion bloggers, own, so it can be money very well including highly influential spent. How to find Influencers? Instagammer Chiara Ferragni, who Start by looking at the most has 1.2M followers. influential users who are using hashtags that are relevant to your Many of them have such a large brand and business vertical. audience that they can command a high price, and some are even Of course, not all brands can represented by agents. But afford to pay top dollar for this form of paid media can fashionistas like Chiara Ferragni supercharge a contest, especially – but that does not mean they for smaller brands who have can’t leverage Influencers. Alyson Based on a study of 150,000 Instagram posts from 200 brands, Piqora found that adding 7-8 hashtags can increase likes by 200% or more. limited organic reach of their Haley, an influential Instagrammer,

your campaigns, download the You can also have them promote Instagram Hashtag Report. your contest via their own Instagram account and their other Maximize Reach and Impact by social channels. Leveraging Influencers Increase the reach and impact There are dozens of extremely of your promotion by getting influential Instagram users in Influencers to promote your photo Fashion and Beauty, but they contests. You can have them serve exist in most other verticals as a guest poster on your account as well. Influencers have been – they would be effectively leveraged successfully by brands endorsing your contest and this large and small. When Giorgio When Giorgio Armani launched the perfume Si, they called on the highly influential Instagammer Chiara Ferragni, who has 1.2M followers. will likely increase participation. Armani launched the perfume Si, share this ebook 14 piqora.com post an image with your contest’s official rules. Alternatively, post a high quality photo of your contest prize and use the photo caption to explain the rules and list other contest details.

submitted three photos to Hobo Alternatively, post a high quality Bags’s Carry This Wear That photo of your contest prize and photo contest, garnering a total use the photo caption to explain of 1314 likes and reaching tens of the rules and list other contest thousands of Instagram users in details, like the start and end dates the process. She also promoted and how you’ll be selecting the the contest to her network by winner. Either way, this photo will reposting the contest rules, be a great resource for entrants Alyson Haley, an influential Instagram user seen here in Piqora’s dashboard, including a URL to the landing to refer back to if they have posted three photos for Hobo Bags’s contest, netting a total of 1314 likes. page. And as a bonus, her pics questions about your contest. make for some great UGC! So whether or not you intend to TIP: Update your Instagram Bio pay them, identify and build Temporarily update your relationships with Influencers in Instagram bio during the advance of your contest because timeframe of your Instagram if your contest is good enough, photo contest. Use the space you may be able to substantially to include a call to action, your increase the reach of your contest contest hashtag, and any web links without spending a dime. that are relevant to your contest. Doing this notifies all users who TIP: On the first day of your visit your Instagram profile of Instagram contest, post an image your contest and can help drive Hobo Bags gave away a designer handbag for their contest. It’s a good idea to post a picture of the prize at the outset. with your contest’s official rules. more entries.

share this ebook 15 piqora.com 5 Driving Contest Engagement Creating a virtual home and distributing the best UGC ongoing is key to maximizing participation

Give Your Contest a Home Share Your Best Fan Photos If you want to truly give your fans We’ve seen many campaigns a memorable brand experience, miss the opportunity to share give your contest a place to live fan photos through a brand’s

online where fans can view other own social networks (Twitter For their Booties fan submissions as well as their and Facebook). When your and Besties contest, Piperlime own. In many cases, brands have audience goes out of their way used Piqora’s promotions been hesitant to aggregate and to snap a photo for your brand, platform to build display contest submissions from sharing their submissions with a responsive landing page Instagram because of the potential your wider audience serves two that showcases for undesirable content to appear purposes. First, it makes your fans contest entries. in the gallery, which could have feel rewarded for participating a negative impact for the brand. and, second, it helps promote sharing fan photos through your fan submissions. You can skip With tools like Piqora that offer your campaign and increase brand’s social networks, don’t the boilerplate “Thanks for photo moderation for aggregating participation. forget to like and comment on fan participating” message and hashtagged photos, this risk is submissions through Instagram demonstrate a more genuine diminished. Giving your contest/ Engage Your Audience and even follow users back. approach by customizing your campaign a place to live online If you are running a photo contest The great thing about using a comments for each photo. (web, mobile, and Facebook) on Instagram, make sure you’re visual platform like Instagram is Your fans will appreciate these enables you to increase the reach of engaging with fans directly that it allows you to personalize more than the copy and paste and awareness about your campaign. through Instagram. In addition to and tailor your comments on standardized message.

share this ebook 16 piqora.com 6 Measuring Success Success metrics for photo contests and common causes of poor performance

KPIs for Instagram Contests Follower Growth, Comments you were hoping for. For was selected not at random Like with promotions on other and Likes. example, you wanted lots of but by a panel of judges. The social networks, the most new followers but the winner latter can create the perception successful brands on Instagram Possible Explanations for run photo contests on a regular Underperforming Contests basis. You may not do everything As we’ve seen in the previous perfectly your first go-round, but examples, many marketers are if you learn from your successes doing a great job with Instagram and failures you will ascend the photo contests and are getting learning curve more quickly. So, results. Still, since most marketers how do you know if your contest are new to Instagram contests, was as success, where you fell not every one is going to be a short, and how you could have grand slam. If you’re not satisfied done better? Of course, you will with the results you got, here want to compare your results are our top seven causes of to the objectives you defined at underperforming Instagram the outset, but if you are using contests (in no particular order): Instagram analytics software 1 The contest was not designed Piqora’s Instagram promotions platform includes granular tracking and you can look at established social in a way that maximized the analytics for contests, including Participants, Media, Comments and Likes. KPIs like Reach, Impressions, likelihood of getting the results

share this ebook 17 piqora.com that the contest will be difficult 3 your contest’s theme was not 5 The prize was too small. This smaller brands. Next time be to win and participation may creative/compelling enough to is a common cause of an sure to leverage every possible be decreased as a result. motivate people to participate. underperforming contest. If channel you have access 2 on the other hand, maybe you Next time try something your prize was worth less than to: email, all social channels got a lot of new followers but different. $500, try a prize that is valued including your , , didn’t get as much great UGC 4 The barrier to entry was too at $1000 or more and you’ll Influencers and advertising as you were hoping for. Next high. This can easily happen if most likely see better results. if necessary. time you may want to raise the you ask participants to submit 6 you didn’t promote your 7 The contest’s rules were not content bar by having a panel a photo that has too many contest enough. This is a clearly explained on Instagram of judges select the winner. complex requirements. common cause, especially with and elsewhere.

The Adult Swim Channel’s Comic-Con Costume Photo Contest required participants to put on a costume, a high barrier to entry that may have reduced participation. The image promoting the contest on Instagram didn’t explain the contest at all – only a link was provided to a landing page. There, it was not clearly explained that entrants should use the contest hashtag, #adultswimcontest. As a result, the hashtag was used only 50 times, making it difficult for photo entries to be accessed by Instagram users. For a brand that has 4.2m Facebook fans and 38k Instagram followers, that’s disappointing.

share this ebook 18 piqora.com about piqora THE COMPLETE MARKETING SUITE FOR PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM AND TUMBLR

Piqora helps brands build communites on Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr, the top three interest-based visual networks. We are the only Social Analytics company that provides support for all of the big three visual networks.

But we aren’t stopping there: We are on our way to TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE mapping the entire Visual Web. INDUSTRY’S ONLY COMPLETE We work with hundreds of major brands and retailers MARKETING SUITE including Crate & Barrel, Gilt, ZGallerie, Hautelook, Steve FOR THE VISUAL WEB, CALL Madden, Piperlime, Etsy and many more. 866-857-8433 OR EMAIL [email protected]

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