Create an Instagram Double-Click Contest
Now that you have your Instagram account set up, the easiest way to attract followers is to host a contest. And the easiest contest to host on Instagram is the “double click” give-away. Showcase a prize you’re willing to give away by posting an image of it on Instagram, but before you do, superimpose instructions and hashtags on the image. I’ve included an image example for a contest that is not real.
To promote an Instagram contest to customers and potential followers, you’ll need to do so outside of Instagram.
- Create a printed piece for the bookstore which includes your Instagram contest graphic. Be sure to include your user name, contest rules, and deadlines as well as prizes.
- Promote the same graphic through your Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Here are a few more things to keep in mind:
- Be sure to use a hashtag that will quickly identify your contest. (When I first designed the graphic for this pretend contest, I used the hashtag #fakestack. And then I realized just how wrong that was.)
- If you have the means, run a different contest weekly. It will keep traffic coming back to your Instagram feed. In addition to books, you could give away sidelines, tickets to an upcoming author event, or a free lunch (if you have a restaurant).
- Congratulate the winner on their Instagram feed by tagging them with their user name.
