How To Run a Successful TikTok Giveaway

TikTok has taken the world by storm. It’s evolved from a platform for lip syncing teenagers, to a creative outlet for those looking to escape Covid-19 lockdowns and everyday life. And with just over 1 billion monthly users, it’s safe to say TikTok is not disappearing any time soon.

However, it’s become far more than just a social media platform. Major brands, sports teams and even news sites have jumped on board to attract new fans. TikTok is a wonderful place for advertisers thanks to the convenience of the For You Page and popular hashtags.

Understanding how to run a successful TikTok competition could be your gateway to new followers and customers. With such a diverse demographic you can attract youth, while also catching the eye of those who avoid Facebook. Here’s why you should embrace the quirky social media platform.

TikTok: The Global Platform

TikTok’s unique feature of a For You feed (or FYP as often hashtagged) that is curated for relevant recommendations stands out against other social media platforms. There is a high chance for your content to appear in front of anyone and that is the accepted norm.

It’s a slight contrast to Meta owned Facebook and Instagram where we prefer a newsfeed or timeline with content we have specifically chosen to follow. On TikTok users expect everything to be random and will take the time to gauge what they’re watching.

Additionally, the global reach is huge. So even though some content may be curated by an algorithm, it’s still a random feed sharing content from across the globe. Your brand could reach international customers – if you so choose. Alternatively, you can stick to local users and still find yourself attracting plenty of new interest.

How You Can Run a Successful TikTok Giveaway

Know What your Goals Are

Before you even pick up a phone or camera to record your video, what are your goals? What message do you want to convey with a TikTok giveaway? You want to be clear and identify key achievements like increased website traffic, more social media engagement or new emails for your mailing list.

Your goal will impact the type of competition you run. For example, if it’s social media engagement, ask for likes, comments or duets. If you want to grow your mailing list, then you need to direct entrants to a link on your profile so they can go to your website or a third-party app.

Select a Quality Prize

A good competition needs a high quality prize.  As a small business you may have your own products to sell. Brands that sell services, such as plumbing or marketing, could give away third-party prizes like gaming consoles or smartphones. Or, it could be a big experience like concert tickets or a holiday.

Whatever the prize is, how is it going to benefit you? There’s no point giving away a car if you sell handmade jewellery. It lacks relevance and does nothing to draw people back to your site. 

And if you do want to retain followers who genuinely engage with your brand, it’s best to have a giveaway with a prize that reflects your business. It’s a fantastic way to attract more reviews and gain some additional promotion if the winner/s share your prize on their TikTok feed and social circles, too.

Decide How People Will Enter

There are several ways to collect entries. You could easily ask people to like and comment, or duet your video with their own. Third-party apps like ShortStack even allow you to collect useful data like email addresses by asking for TikTok videos to be uploaded as entries.

The way they enter will link to your end goal. That means if you want to grow your mailing list, don’t ask for people to comment with their emails. It lacks privacy and is far too inefficient. Instead, have them click on a link in your bio that takes them to a relevant landing page where you can securely collect information.

Embrace Hashtags and Sound

Hashtags are a perfect way to create virality on TikTok. A video with a trending hashtag appears on more phones, garnering more attention. And if anyone searches the hashtag, they will see all other videos it’s mentioned in. Creating your own unique – and simple – TikTok hashtag will benefit any competition.

Video duets is another great option as popular content creators are likely to interact with your posts. Every duet provides additional visibility to your brand, while showcasing personality and relatability.

Meanwhile, the use of a unique sound is incredibly beneficial. Just like a hashtag, TikTok users can search through other videos attached to a sound. Once again, it’s all about easy visibility. Just be sure to avoid any copyright infringements. The last thing you want is to be called out for using someone’s intellectual property. Creating your own sound, whether it’s a voice clip or copyright-free song, will benefit you far more.

Set Some Clear Rules

Like all social media platforms, anonymity can be a major hurdle. There will be TikTok users who do not share information publicly. Meanwhile, your giveaway will likely attract entrants under 18. That’s why you want to create a clear set of rules prior to launching any competition. Rules provide legal support and will protect you if any issues do arise.

Include key aspects such as: start and finish times, age limits, prize specifics, location eligibility, method of contact, entry criteria, etc. Link to this from your profile or competition entry page. And if this is new for you, platforms like SweepWidget help with drafting legal rules and terms & conditions. Alternatively, just search online.

Also check out the TikTok Terms of Service as you want to follow their guidelines.

Plan Your Promotion and Budget

TikTok will provide some organic reach, but you may need to rely on other paid and unpaid promotions.

Cross promote the competition on your other platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Send out an email or newsletter. You could even collaborate with a key content creator or influencer, although that could come with some additional expenses. If time is of the essence, Gadget User can create and host your giveaway for you. We can create viral giveaways and promote it to our existing audience made up of gadget enthusiasts. Powered through our platform you will be able to generate new entrants and buyers effortlessly. Entrants of the giveaway can be connected to your email CRM so you can keep the people who signed up to the giveaway and use it for your own perusal such as email blasts, promotional emails, welcome emails, etc.

If you are working with a budget, promoting your competition as a TikTok ad will be integral. TikTok for Business is a great resource where you can really hone in on the target audience you want to focus on.

Launch and Learn

With everything in place behind the scenes, it’s time to launch your TikTok giveaway!

To be successful, be sure to engage with entrants and users consistently. Follow up videos are always a plus on TikTok, too. You cannot sit back and expect success. Show some personality and feed off the engagement to create a fun and interactive competition that welcomes engagement.

Hopefully the positive sentiment leads to a successful competition for the winner/s and yourself.

Ultimately, the most important part is the end result. Analysing your overall results will help create a benchmark for future success. Highlight statistics linked to your goals (number of emails collected, total engagement) and aim to beat it next time.

Everything collected from a successful TikTok giveaway will help you create a more focused competition next time.  And if you feel like there is anything you want to do differently, just do it! TikTok evolves with every new trend and is the perfect social media platform for trialling creative giveaways.