How to Run a Giveaway That Actually Grows Your Business

26 June 2026·2 min read

Quick answer: A giveaway grows your business when the prize attracts your ideal customer (not just freebie-hunters), the entry steps build something you keep (follows, emails, tags), and you have a plan to nurture entrants afterward. Give away something you sell, keep entry simple, and follow up — otherwise you get a spike of randoms who vanish. 🎁

Giveaways can grow your audience fast — or fill it with people who only wanted free stuff. The difference is all in the setup. Here's how to run one that actually helps your business. 💖

Why most giveaways fail

The classic mistake is giving away a generic prize (a big gift card, an iPad) to maximise entries. You'll get a flood of entrants — but they followed for the prize, not you, and they unfollow the moment it's over. Reach without relevance is worthless. 🌴

The rules of a giveaway that works

Prize = what you sell. Give away your product or service so only interested people enter.
Entry builds your assets. Follow + tag friends + (ideally) join your email list.
Keep it simple. Too many steps kills entries.
Set a clear deadline. Urgency drives action.
Follow up. Have a plan to nurture everyone who entered.

💡 Capture emails, not just follows. A follow is rented; an email is owned. If your giveaway grows your list, you can nurture entrants long after the winner's drawn.

A simple giveaway formula

Pick a prize your ideal customer wants (something you offer).
Set entry steps: follow, like, tag a friend (or two).
Bonus entry for joining your email list — that's the real win.
Promote it across posts, Stories and email for the full window.
Announce the winner, then welcome everyone else with an offer.

Don't forget

✅ Check the platform's promotion rules and add a disclaimer
✅ Pick winners fairly and transparently
✅ Have a post-giveaway offer ready for non-winners

Frequently asked questions

How do I run a giveaway that grows my business?

Give away something you actually sell so you attract ideal customers, make entry steps that build your audience (follow, tag, join your email list), keep it simple, set a deadline, and follow up with entrants afterward.

Why do giveaways attract the wrong followers?

Usually because the prize is too generic — a big gift card attracts freebie-hunters who unfollow once it ends. Giving away your own product or service attracts people genuinely interested in what you do.

Should a giveaway collect emails?

Ideally yes. Follows can disappear, but an email list is yours to nurture. Adding an email sign-up as a bonus entry turns a short spike into long-term audience growth.

How long should a giveaway run?

Around a week is a good sweet spot — long enough to spread the word, short enough to keep urgency. Promote it consistently across the whole window, not just on day one.

Keep reading 🤍

Written by

Kate, founder of Chronically Online

I help Gold Coast and Brisbane businesses grow with branding, websites and marketing that actually works.

Work with me ✦