7 Reasons to Use ShortStack for Instagram and Facebook Giveaways

Facebook and Instagram giveaways are effective marketing campaigns for almost any business. They’re often an easy way to bring in new followers, drive up engagement, provide a cache of user-generated content, and generate new leads. Even better, giveaways can provide these results for little cost.There’s one mistake a lot of businesses make with their Instagram and Facebook giveaways, however: they neglect to use contest software. Contest software like ShortStack is beneficial to businesses for many reasons, and in this post, we’re going to take a look at the 7 most important reasons to use ShortStack for your next giveaway.

1. Flexibility in publication

Do you want to publish the giveaway as a landing page/microsite or as a Facebook app? With ShortStack, you can do either -- or both. ShortStack’s templates are easy to embed, giving you full flexibility for how and where you publish your giveaway.

A link to your giveaway can be shared on any social platform and you can even have your giveaway display as a popup, using ShortStack's newest feature. This flexibility allows you to promote your giveaway anywhere and everywhere. You'll get more visibility and more contest entries, but every entry will funnel into a single database so you won’t have to track down the entries from multiple touch points.

2. Mobile responsiveness

No matter where you choose to publish your Facebook and Instagram giveaways, ShortStack’s templates are always mobile responsive.We understand the importance of mobile-friendly designs, so all of our templates are designed to work just as well on mobile devices as they do on a desktop. You’ll never lose a single potential entry because someone couldn't access the giveaway entry form via mobile. Ultimately this means better results for your giveaway.

3. Gorgeous, customizable templates to meet any goal

Speaking of ShortStack’s templates, we have gorgeous, premade templates that are available for every type of giveaway, contest or sweepstakes you could ever even dream of holding.Want to simply collect customer data and lead information quickly with a simple “enter for a chance to win” giveaway? Or would you rather collect high-quality user-generated content and increase both followers and engagement with an Instagram giveaway instead? Whatever goal you’re trying to accomplish, we’ve got a template ready for you to customize.

Our templates were designed with performance in mind, so every single one is optimized to get you the results you're after. They’re also all fully customizable, letting you create the exact giveaway you have in mind.

4. All the contest features you need

ShortStack’s templates are customizable, and being able to add functions like "refer-a-friend," autoresponders, and even scheduled and follow-up emails, gives you control over your giveaways in the short and long term. Using ShortStack's email marketing features, you can follow up and nurture leads long after the giveaway is over.

5. Verified contest entries

One of the biggest risks businesses and brands face when hosting contests is cheating. Contest fraud might involve entrants making up fake emails to try to get more entries, or ineligible users voting (such as people who are underage), even if your published rules forbid it. The last thing you want is to be accused of fraud or to have to deal with potential legal issues.

With ShortStack, you can set entry restrictions, including restrictions based on things like age, location, or how often someone can enter. We’ll help you attract the customers you want, and reduce the risk of fraud so you can focus on the potential customers who need your attention most.

6. Immediate source of user-generated content

Some giveaways are designed to increase user-generated content, and if you use ShortStack, you can even ask users to submit their photos, videos, and stories directly through your landing page. This means that you’ll have immediate access to an incredible store of UGC without having to hunt it down, saving you a ton of time.

7. Detailed analytics

Having access to detailed analytics in real-time is helpful in understanding more about the people who follow your brand. You can also track data that will help you assess how your giveaway is performing and be able to react quickly based on what you learn.

ShortStack’s analytics will show you key data on your giveaway, including:

• Number of unique views your giveaway has received
• Total number of views your giveaway has received
• Number of entries your giveaway has received
• Total number of shares your giveaway has received

The analytics will show you when the results come rolling in, and which traffic sources were most effective at getting you those views and entries. You can use this information while the giveaway is still live to optimize those channels and evaluate your progress towards your desired goals.

Final thoughts

Running a Facebook or Instagram giveaway is an excellent way to stay top-of-mind with your current fanbase and connect with new customers. Compared to most other marketing efforts -- including ads and sponsored influencer posts -- giveaways are also particularly cost efficient while still being effective at driving brand awareness and encouraging lead generation.

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