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Guides · 5 min read

Run an Instagram giveaway that follows the rules

Giveaways are great for growth, until one breaks Instagram’s promotion guidelines. A checklist for running one the right way.

By the AUTODMs team ·

A good giveaway brings comments, followers and DMs. A bad one brings complaints. Here’s a checklist to keep yours on the right side of Instagram’s promotion guidelines.

Before you post

  • Write official rules: who can enter, the end date, how the winner is picked and what they win.
  • Check the local laws on contests where your audience lives.
  • Include a statement that the promotion isn’t sponsored, endorsed or run by Instagram.

In the post

  • Make the entry action clear: “Comment AUTUMN to enter.”
  • Don’t ask people to tag themselves or others in content they don’t appear in.
  • Link the rules, or send them by DM when someone enters.

With AUTODMs

Use the Giveaway template. Every entrant gets a DM confirming their entry and a link to the rules, and is tagged automatically. When the giveaway ends, pick a random winner from the tag and message everyone the result.

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