It never fails – as soon as the “slow seasons” in photography hit I see post after post on social media where photographers are thinking about doing a Giveaway as a way to boost engagement and bookings.

While Giveaways can be a great way to grow your following and reach a wider audience, there are some key points you need to consider before jumping in.

1. Don’t Go Alone – Collaborate!

Ever thought about teaming up with other businesses to supercharge your growth? The key to a successful giveaway is a LARGE audience of NEW potential clients. Partnering with other brands who share your same audience is an ideal way to ensure your brand gets tons of new eyeballs.

But here’s the kicker: just teaming up isn’t enough. You gotta find vendors who are as pumped as you are about spreading the word. Because let’s be real, a half-hearted promotion isn’t gonna cut it. It’s all about that enthusiasm, so choose your vendors wisely.

Oh, and let’s not forget about setting the ground rules. Clear expectations and guidelines are the bread and butter of a successful collaboration. By laying it all out on the table, everyone knows what’s up, and things run smoothly.

2. Make is Easy!

How many times have you seen a giveaway online where they ask you to jump through a million hoops just to get entered ?‍♀️ – Follow these people, click this link, share this post here…it’s TOO much!

If you want your giveaway to get as many entries as possible, you have to keep it simple. The goal for all of my giveaways is to grow my email list (social media follows come second), so I have a simple sign-up form they fill out in order to enter. NO mandatory follows or shares.

To make it EVEN easier I use a keyword automation on social media to make this happen. Viewers just respond to my post with a Keyword and then they are sent a DM with the giveaway details and a link to sign-up…Easy-Peasy!

Using SIMPLE entry points ensures that you get the MOST signups possible.

3. Follow Up

Lastly, once the winner(s) have been selected, make sure you follow up with everyone else who entered. I like to offer them a one-time discount or bonus if they book a session or buy from me. Set a time limit for how long this special offer is available (If you use Flodesk for your email marketing they have built-in countdown timers to help with this).

Conclusion

Giveaways can be a great way to boost your email list or social media following when done correctly. If you want to hear me break down my latest giveaway results and ALL the bonus tips I share, check out the podcast episode below.