19+ eye-opening statistics about giveaways & contests

With the sharp increase in social media usage, the rapid growth of influencers was unstoppable. Therefore, since influencers have become crucial people in social media, digital marketing has started to develop giveaway strategies. When they are used correctly, the benefits of giveaways cannot be ignored.

In this article, you will read about 19+ mind-altering social media giveaway statistics that will help you organize better your giveaways & contests. After seeing the concrete proofs of giveaways, you will be able to learn the key points and what to pay attention to in giveaways & contests before starting one.

Do giveaways really have an impact on marketing success?

The answer to the question about the impact of giveaways is a big yes. All the statistics prove the success of using giveaways and contests if they are used correctly. Since social media has become a part of our lives, you can use it in marketing effectively and potentially to strengthen your company.

Both people and companies have their own reason for participating or starting these giveaways. You can require people to complete some basic steps to enter the giveaway. These steps might include the following: 

This is a great way to engage with a community, gain followers or subscribers, and grow your email list. 

19+ giveaway and contest statistics to look at before starting your giveaway marketing campaign

These statistics will persuade you if you are considering starting a giveaway or contest but do not know whether you should do it. Before getting started, taking an example of the previous strategies in giveaways will make it more effective. As forms.app, we listed giveaway and contest statistics to help you create a better way to promote your giveaway:

1. Giveaways made up 91% of posts with more than 1000 comments

Research done on an Instagram contest proves that Instagram giveaways made up 91% of all the posts in the research with more than 1000 comments. This means that giveaways bring a high engagement rate super fast. 

2. Nearly 55 million Americans participate in these sorts of contests each year

According to research, around 55 million Americans participate in these sorts of contests each year. When you consider its effect on marketing, you can say that social media contests significantly affect the marketing strategy. 

3. Giveaway email conversion rates are higher

Comparing email marketing, giveaway emails have the most significant average open rate (45%). Most importantly, you will be able to give accounts a chance to win the preferred ones. In this way, your giveaway will be more successful.    

4. Your company can easily collect 70% quickly followers

If you run an Instagram sweepstake or giveaway, you can increase the number of your company’s account’s followers on the platform 70% more quickly than if you didn’t. As you increase the number of followers, you will reach more people!

5. Instagram contests make up 0.56% of giveaways

Although we discussed the increase in digital marketing, only 0.56% of giveaways make up Instagram contests. The more you run a giveaway or contest via any social media platform, the more you have a chance in the market.

6. Contests on Instagram receive 64x more comments and 3.5x more likes

If you run a brand new business, running contests on Instagram might receive much higher engagement rates than normal uploads. While you can get 64x more comments, you can also collect 3.5x more likes!

7. All around the world, Instagram is the 8th most-visited site

If Instagram is ranked 8th in the magic internet world, you might have more chances on Instagram. You can also organize contests on other social media platforms like TikTok, Twitter, or YouTube. However, Instagram will be the most fruitful one for your company. 

8. India currently has 249 million users

While finding your target audience, you better remember that India is number 1 among all countries. If you are indecisive about what kind of content you will create, doing it according to India will bring you more!

9. Gen Zers make up more than one-third of social media influencers

We can say that nearly all Gen Z use social media. Consequently, they make up more than one-third of social media influencers. Before starting a giveaway, you should consider and use this fact by using the Gen Z language in the giveaway process.

10. Display advertisements that retarget website users to increase their likelihood of conversion by 70%

This 70% means that displaying advertising is much more likely to convert customers after revisiting your business’ website. Do not forget that most of the contests are seen via these ads. You can share your contests via advertisements and increase the number of participants.

11. #entertainmet has 535 billion views on TikTok!

Entertainment is the most preferred hashtag genre, according to TikTok. The number of times this topic has been viewed is 535 billion. So, using this hashtag will help promote your product on TikTok via giveaways. The second hashtag is dance, which has 191 billion views. It can also help you while running giveaways in a fun way.

12. 70% of people shop after seeing it on YouTube

As reported by Google, 70% of users have purchased from a company after watching it on YouTube. It demonstrates that YouTube significantly impacts marketing and is a platform people rely on. Running your giveaway on a reliable buyer platform will increase your sales percentage.

13. Most social media giveaways last no longer than 7 days

As we discussed before, there are tons of pros to giveaways. Another pro of the giveaways is making a profit in a short time, like 7 days. 

14. Videos outperformed text and even picture uploads by up to 59%

Designing the process of giveaways is essential. Az Buzzsmo states you have a 59% more chance if you create your giveaways via videos instead of posting pictures will be way much more effective. You will notice the difference.

15. Autofill increase the rate of participation by 199%

According to the research, when users were given to opportunity to autofill in the info from social media pages, conversion rates increased by 199 percent. Do not hesitate to use “autofill the form” in the contest process because it will make the process super quick. People do not waste time filling in such data, but when you use auto-filling, more people will attend your contest.

16. In 2023, 35% of users will use Instagram to shop

The statistic, done between 2019 and 2023, has some interesting results. With a high percentage (35%), Instagram proved its power in marketing. This percentage leaves behind other platforms like Pinterest or TikTok. It means that Instagram is always one step ahead compared to others. You might use Instagram for your own favor. 

17. Social media accounts were made up of 53.9% women, 46.1% males

According to a report on Statista, 53.9% of social media accounts in the US were female, and 46.1% were male as of January 2023. The chart shows the superiority of women, so regard this fact while running contests.

18. 22% of Gen Z consumers were influenced

As the statistic proves, the 22% percentage dramatically impacts your sales rate if you use influencers and giveaways correctly. So, cooperating with influencers by running giveaways will increase your sales because influencers have a huge impact on Gen Z.

19. Access to YouTube is used by 52% of internet users globally on a monthly basis

This 52% proves that YouTube can still be used as a marketing tool today for companies to grow. The number proves the considerable usage of the platform. In addition, over the last 4 years, YouTube’s revenue has increased by over 30%, so do not underestimate the power of YouTube for giveaways.  

How to start your own giveaway: Step by step

Since we have reviewed social media giveaway statistics, now, you can make up your mind and decide where to start. This process is critical because without following any strategy, the process will be complicated. After following the steps below, you can create your own giveaway entry form to conclude the event correctly. 

1 - Set objectives

At the end of this process, what do you want? For instance, do you want to promote your latest product or service? Or do you want to increase the awareness of your brand? After deciding on your aim, you can follow the steps.

2 - Choose a giveaway method

You should pay attention while finding your own method throughout the process. Your company should regard some aspects like the choice of social media platform, length of the giveaway, etc. Or, consider what you will provide to the second or third accounts. You may supply them with gift cards or smaller gifts. 

3 - Promote your giveaway

This step is the one in which you will take action. Using influencers to promote your service or product is one of them. The choice of the influencer is crucial. To give an example, if you want to introduce your new lipstick via a photo contest, you should choose an influencer who is interested in the makeup field. Otherwise, a food influencer cannot help you reach the correct target audience, right?

4 - Analyze the results

After the event, you should analyze your company’s uptrend results.  Did the giveaway increase brand awareness or accomplish the giveaway KPIs? You can compare the data before and after the giveaway or contest. The most crucial part is knowing whether you achieve the goal you determine in the first place.

Wrapping it up

In light of all these statics, the benefits of giveaways in the digital marketing world are undeniable. Companies should keep up with today’s marketing world and adapt to the latest marketing strategies not to get lost in the market and prove themselves. All these giveaways or contests benefit each side: companies, influencers, and the winner's accounts. Follow up on some steps discussed, and increasing your success becomes inevitable.