It’s no secret that people love free things–in particular, they love winning free things. Running a contest or giveaway on your social media platform can be an easy way of boosting your profile while building community with your audience.
However, interacting with your viewers this way isn’t worth much if you can’t leverage it to bring you revenue or grow your reach. That’s where a contest tool comes in, so you can focus on the bigger details of your business without sweating the small stuff.
Let’s look at the best social media contest tools of 2024, as well as the benefits of running a contest on social media!
Top 5 Social Media Contest Tools for 2024
Leveraging one of the best social media contest tools can be a great way to invite ease into building your profile–which can easily become overwhelming and stressful if you aren’t careful. Here👇are the top five tools for running contests in 2024:
1. SweepWidget
This tool allows the user to leverage contests on up to 30 different social media platforms, ranging from Facebook to Discord, Patreon, and more. SweepWidget also offers an array of different contest types to choose from, including leaderboard competitions, viral giveaways, newsletter giveaways, and more.
Best of all, it offers a tiered payment system, so you can choose the depth to which you choose to engage with the platform–and there is even a free option! This contest tool can effortlessly funnel your audience to email signup forms, landing pages, and more.
2. ViralKit
With ViralKit’s AI integrations, you no longer have to feel stumped about how to create engaging contests for your viewers. Another huge benefit of this platform is that it works seamlessly with scores of social media platforms–from all the major players to some up-and-coming options as well.
It also offers “intelligent” contest running that blocks spam or false entries, among other security features. ViralKit also offers the ability to download audience data through organized CSV files so you can collect warm leads. It offers free and paid options.
3. Woorise
Woorise is perhaps best known for its extensive suite of Facebook integrations–though it is also compatible with most major social media sites. Perhaps one of the best features of Woorise is the ability to track shares and comments from your viewers, allowing you to more accurately assess engagement and top contestants.
You can even target locations around the world with contests specific to that region through their geo-targeting tool! Plus, through their extremely user-friendly drag-and-drop system, Woorise is great for beginners.
4. ShortStack
ShortStack provides a user-friendly interface complete with a slew of templates to choose from. This platform is ideal for retweet contests, hashtag contests, comment to enter contests, and more.
ShortStack also allows the user the ability to create additional content like landing pages, so you can direct your participants to branded locations to share their information effortlessly.
5. Gleam
While Gleam is more tailored toward giveaways, it separates the process into four apps for user clarity: Gallery, Capture, Competitions, and Rewards. Notably, it offers verified entry to social media platforms that ensures your viewers have an easier time participating.
Gleam even offers a dedicated WordPress plugin, so you can offer your sweepstakes on your WordPress website as well as a plethora of social media platforms. Gleam can cost as little as $10 a month, though it does offer more specialized features for higher-tiered payment plans.
Benefits of Running a Contest or Giveaway on Social Media
Ultimately, the decision of which of these best social media contest tools you’ll rely on for your business’ growth is a personal one, built on budget concerns, features, and preferences. Before you can choose which tool is best for your needs, however, you’ll need to consider the benefits of running a contest on social media in the first place!
Let’s dig into the top three reasons why this strategy is advantageous.
1. Boosts Audience Engagement
Not only are contests and giveaways an effective way to increase engagement for existing audience members, but they’re also a great way to call in new viewers. This not only encourages your audience to engage with your content in fun, fresh ways, but it also helps to build a sense of trust and community within your followers.
While gathering information from your audience members–whether through a gathered email list or demographic data–is important, it’s important to remember that building your relationship with your audience is more powerful than the numbers alone.
2. Encourages Viewers to Follow Along
Especially for extended contests or giveaways, casual viewers have more of an incentive to stick around for the completion of the contest. This content strategy can help inspire new viewers to subscribe while building loyalty with your existing followers, essentially warming leads for your products or services. This is also a great idea for breathing fresh life into your content strategy!
3. Develops Awareness
Make sure you create shareable contests to increase your reach with new audience members. These results are amplified when you leverage your contests or giveaways across multiple social media platforms, encouraging folks to make a purchase, subscribe to your newsletter, or even just follow your social media channels. You never know who you might be able to attract to your page by offering incentives to follow your brand.
Summary
Creating thoughtful contests and giveaways that will resonate with your target audience is a fantastic tool to leverage to give your online presence a boost–whatever social media platforms you prefer.
Even if you’re working with a limited budget, there are ample social media contest tools you can work with for free or quite cheaply–with results that contribute to your ongoing goal of expansion. So, why wait to get started? Launch a successful social media contest and watch as your engagement soars!
