13 Original Social Media Giveaway Ideas to Get Inspired

If you do it right, giveaways don’t just remain a surface-level tactic. Instead, they act as a tool to build real momentum for brand awareness, engagement, and even measurable conversions.

Social media giveaways work on the principle of reciprocity — the idea that giving people something valuable (or the chance to win) makes them more likely to engage, share, and eventually convert.

What can you achieve with this?

• Brand awareness
• Lead generation
• Customer engagement.

So, if you plan to launch a giveaway for your brand, check out these 13 ideas to get inspired.

1. Run Partnership Giveaways

It's a type of giveaway in which two or more complementary brands collaborate to pool resources, increase audience reach, and deliver a more compelling prize.

Example: Dunkin’ Donuts x Saucony

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Saucony’s running shoes with Dunkin’ Donuts' iconic branding offered limited-edition “Dunkin’-themed sneakers” during the Boston Marathon's launch in 2019. 

Best Practices:

Choose complementary partners

• Partner with brands with the same target audience but offer non-competing products.

Create a unified theme with shared visuals

• Develop cohesive branding for the giveaway (e.g., custom product packaging, visuals, or hashtags).
• Ensure both brands promote the same theme and message across platforms to maintain consistency.

Clearly define responsibilities for the promotion

• Establish clear guidelines for each partner's contribution (e.g., social media promotions and email campaigns).
• Divide content creation, prize contribution, and logistics for seamless execution.

2. Early Access/Exclusive Content Giveaway

Give participants a chance to gain exclusive access to content, products, or experiences before they are publicly available.

Leverage the power of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) with this social media giveaway tactic where exclusivity drives engagement.

Example: Spotify Early Access for Artists

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Spotify asked listeners to pre-save a new single by The Grand Arson, ‘All In My Head.’ This song was released on Spotify in 2024, and those who ‘pre-saved’ it were considered for the contest, with a chance to win official merchandise. 

Best Practices:

Offer genuine exclusivity to maintain perceived value

• Limit early access to a select group (e.g., VIP customers, first 100 sign-ups) to maintain the perceived value.

Leverage FOMO to generate urgency

• To create urgency, use countdowns, teaser campaigns, and messages like “Be the first to experience…”  
• Limit access to a certain time to promote “…early access to our latest collection before it sells out!”

3. Refer-a-Friend Giveaway

Participants can invite their friends to join the platform for which they are rewarded. It can also be tailored for different goals, such as following your brand or making a purchase.

This technique turns your audience into brand advocates, leveraging their networks to amplify reach.

Example: Dropbox’s Referral Program

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Dropbox incentivized both the referrer and the referee, which led to quick growth with minimal marketing costs and a 60% increase in sign-ups.

Best Practices:

Simplify the referral process

• Make sharing easy with tools like unique referral links, pre-written messages, or one-click invites that can be shared via social media, email, etc.

Offer tiered rewards to increase engagement

• Use escalating rewards to motivate more referrals. For instance, Refer to one friend and win a $5 gift card OR refer five friends for a $30 voucher.

Track and validate referrals with unique links

• Implement referral tracking tools such as referral codes, UTM links, or dedicated dashboards to ensure fair participation.

4. Email Sign-Up Giveaway

An Email Sign-Up Giveaway requires participants to subscribe to your email list to enter. Users enter this giveaway and provide you with high-quality leads, in exchange for a valuable reward.

Example: Hydroflask Giveaway

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This was a giveaway in which participants entered for a chance to win $1200 worth of Hydroflask products. Upon clicking the link on their social media account’s bio, users were redirected to a page to enter the contest.

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This allowed them to build an email list while offering 15% off on the first order.

Best Practices:

Promote giveaway across different channels

• Use social media ads and explore some e-commerce UX and website design examples to embed web pop-ups.

Create a valuable reward to motivate participation

• The giveaway prize should connect with your target audience, so make it aspirational (e.g., with discounts, travel vouchers, and product bundles).

Leverage double opt-in for better list quality

• Use a double opt-in process to confirm email subscriptions for your newsletter and filter out bots or low-quality leads.

5. Survey or Feedback Giveaway

A survey or feedback giveaway incentivizes participants to share their opinions through surveys in exchange for a reward or entry into a giveaway. This way, valuable customer insights can be collected while rewarding participants for their time and input. Multilingual surveys can be particularly effective in reaching a wider audience and gathering diverse perspectives.

Example: Asphalte’s survey on what sort of products to manufacture

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Asphalte, a fashion brand, ran a survey asking customers which products they wanted the brand to manufacture next. Participants who successfully completed the survey were given a $20 credit for the chosen product when ordered.

This strategy engaged their audience and provided valuable insights into customer preferences, making it an effective example of social media marketing for fashion brands. Asphalte strengthened brand loyalty by involving their customers in product decisions while driving future sales.

Best Practices:

Keep the survey short

• Limit the survey to 5-10 questions to respect participants’ time and prevent drop-offs.

Show that you value customer opinion

• Offer some tangible rewards to your customers — discount codes, product credits, giveaway entries, etc.

6. Limited-Time Flash Giveaway

A Flash Giveaway is a time-sensitive contest (usually 24 hours or less) that can be a major lead magnet to drive quick, high-volume participation.

Example: Lexington Skin Studio

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This skin studio ran a giveaway contest with a time limit for users to win a gift card. The quick turnaround and simple rules created hype and maximized visibility.

Best Practices:

Create hype in advance to maximize participation

• Announce the flash giveaway with teaser posts, countdowns, or stories to build anticipation.

Share emails and social posts as reminders

• Drive a sense of urgency to streamline participation. For this, you may be required to integrate automation tools for marketing to schedule countdown posts, track entry data, and even send last-minute reminders through social media ads.

Use time-sensitive language to drive urgency

• In the copy, use phrases like “Last Chance,” “Hurry,” or “Ends in 24 Hours” to highlight the giveaway's limited-time nature.

7. Hashtag Giveaway

A #hashtag giveaway requires participants to submit entries using a specific branded hashtag. Amplify user-generated content (UGC) to drive campaign visibility and simplify the task of tracking entries.

Example: The #ShareACoke campaign by Coca-Cola

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The #ShareACoke campaign encouraged users to share photos of personalized Coke bottles. Users were asked to use a particular hashtag to boost social media metrics, which helped create a massive UGC.

Best Practices: 

Create a unique and memorable hashtag

• Keep the hashtag short and easy to remember.

Engage actively with submissions

• Like, comment, and reshare participants’ posts to show appreciation and keep the momentum alive.

Demonstrate user content

• Top social media, website, or email campaign submissions should feature participants’ content to boost their excitement and inspire others to join.

8. Mystery Box Giveaway

A Mystery Box Giveaway intrigues participants by offering a surprise box filled with products. The exact contents are unknown until revealed to tap into curiosity and excitement.

Example: Portland Leather’s Mystery Box Giveaway

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Portland Leather invited participants by asking them to like the post, follow their account, and tag friends in the comments.

The prize? A 4-item mystery box with surprise leather products, which may include any of these:

• Journals & Thinkin' Pads
• Wallets & Coin Pouches
• Key Chains & Tassels
• Coasters
• Passport Covers & Luggage Tags
• Camera Straps
• Mug Huggers
• Pencil Cases

Best Practices:

Give clues about what the box contains

• Drop hints about the type of products or the potential value without giving away much.

Include and share at least one high-value item

• Promote the presence of a premium product to attract participation.

Reveal the mystery publicly after results

• Share the contents of the mystery box on social media once the winner is announced as you reveal winners and mystery items.

9. Seasonal Giveaway

Tie the campaign to a specific holiday or seasonal event like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, etc. It should resonate with the festive spirit so that the brand aligns with timely themes to leverage consumer spending during holidays.

Example: Bath & Body Works’ Christmas Giveaway

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Bath & Body Works ran a holiday-themed giveaway offering festive gift sets.

This Instagram campaign celebrated Christmas and featured beautifully curated, holiday-branded sets to boost sales and engagement. In addition, using an Instagram giveaway picker can help maximize participation and excitement during such festive campaigns.

Best Practices:

Create festive-themed prizes

• Design your giveaways around seasonal products or themes

Promote early to deliver before the holidays

• Launch the campaign early so winners receive their prizes in time for gifting.

10. Photo Contest Giveaway

Let participants submit creative photos based on a theme as part of a photo contest giveaway. The contest usually features your product, and the user creates the content to stand a chance of winning by showing their creativity.

Example: ILIFE Robot’s #CleanwithILIFE Contest

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ILIFE invited users to share photos of their “ILIFE moments” using branded hashtags like #CleanwithILIFE and #ILIFE. Participants were to share photos on Instagram or TikTok, showcasing their robot vacuums in action.

Best Practices:

Encourage creativity

• Give participants a fun, open-ended theme to inspire unique entries.

Set a realistic threshold for prizes

• If participation relies on submissions, set a realistic minimum entry requirement to validate the giveaway.

11. Caption-This Giveaway

A “caption-this” giveaway campaign asks participants to create a caption for a selected photo or video. This is to spark creativity, encourage humor, and drive meaningful audience engagement.

Example: GoPro’s Caption Contest

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GoPro asked users to submit the most creative captions to get a chance to win GoPro gear. 

Best Practices:

Encourage humor and relevance

• Ask participants to match the tone of your brand — funny, inspiring, or quirky.

Engage the audience with a sense of community

• Repost the best captions to celebrate participants and encourage more entries.

12. Share Your Story Giveaway

Invite participants to share their personal experiences or success stories tied to a specific theme.

You’ll get more entries because storytelling creates authentic emotional connections, builds trust, and provides powerful user-generated content for brands.

Example: Upwork’s #UpworkSuccess Contest

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Upwork asked freelancers to share their personal success stories on Instagram using #UpworkSuccess to mark their entry into the campaign. Users shared their professional journeys, inspiring others to hire freelancers and use Upwork as a career growth and achievement platform.

Best Practices:

Set a theme for stories

• Define a clear theme that aligns with your brand goals. For example: “Share your success story with [brand/product] and inspire others!”

Promote through relevant channels

• Share the campaign across email, social media, and relevant forums where your audience is active.

13. Vote to Win Giveaway

A vote-to-win giveaway invites participants to vote on products, features, or designs for a chance to win. It's one way to foster audience participation, provide valuable feedback, and make customers feel involved in decision-making.

Example: Birchbox’s Vote for an Exclusive Set Contest

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Birchbox’s vote for an exclusive set contest asked participants to vote for their favorite three products to create a custom Birchbox exclusive set.

Best Practices:

Provide clear voting instructions

• Use polls, surveys, or comment-based voting.

Tie votes to future decisions

• Let participants know their votes matter as you highlight how they influence the outcome.

It’s Time to Plan Your Giveaway!

Now that you have 13 cool social media giveaway ideas, it's time to kickstart a campaign and begin implementing some of these tactics.

Remember, giveaways aren’t just about free stuff. It's about how you pick up the correct tactic to build connections, create a buzz, and make your audience feel like they’re part of something exciting.

Are you preparing to run a giveaway campaign? Then, make sure they mix fun with purpose — something people actually want to engage with.

Try to keep it simple and valuable for your audience.

About the Author

Taher Batterywala Ranking Bell at SEO & Growth Content Marketer

Taher is an SEO and Growth Content Marketer at Ranking Bell. Having spent 7+ years in B2B marketing, he creates and executes strategies that drive scalable organic growth for B2B and SaaS companies.

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