Do you want to run a YouTube giveaway but don’t know how? Don’t worry, we’re here to help! In this article, we will walk you through the process of how to do a youtube giveaway. We’ll start by discussing the different types of youtube giveaways you can run, and then move on to discussing the rules and regulations you need to follow.
Step #1: Pick a YouTube Giveaway Type
When you run an internet video promotion on YouTube, your selection of the type of promotion is determined by your objectives. There are two types of promotions:
- Sweepstakes: The winner is selected through a random drawing. This is the best promotional structure when judging each entry is not possible or desired and are looking for greater participation. Sweepstakes are typically used when looking to increase followers, sales, views, or brand awareness.
- Contest — The winner is selected (judged) based on criteria. The judging criteria may include originality, use of the product, and adherence to objectives. Contests are typically used when looking to gather user-generated content and community engagement.
Whether it is a sweepstakes or a contest, choose the format that best fits your goals. For example, if you’re looking to increase sales or drive leads, a sweepstakes is the best option. If you want to build brand and community engagement, contests where entrants show product use could be a better fit.
Step #2: Set Your Goals
Do you want to increase sales? Drive leads? Boost engagement? Once you know what you want to achieve, it will be easier to pick between a sweepstakes or a contest for the giveaway.
Follow the SMART goals technique to make setting your video contest objectives simpler, as we’ll describe below:
- Specific: Make a clear, precise decision on what you want to get out of offering a YouTube giveaway. More followers, subscribers, traffic, and so on are all good options.
- Measurable: What metrics will you use to track your progress? Will you count the total number of followers gained, or will you use Google Analytics to keep track of clicks? Would you prefer to use a sweepstakes platform to make your promotion measurement easier?
- Attainable: Is it feasible to reach your objectives? It’s easier to achieve smaller goals. Ensure your goal is attainable during your selected promotional period.
- Relevant: Is it of interest to your target audience? There’s no sense in hosting a giveaway for an iPad if your customers are predominantly PC gamers.
- Timely: What’s the deadline for your contest? There should be a clear time frame for the promotion.
Step #3: Understand YouTube Rules
Next, you need to understand the laws, rules, and regulations around youtube giveaways. This includes things like choosing a prize that complies with Youtube’s guidelines and ensuring that your contest is fair and transparent.
Many YouTubers are so eager to expand their audiences that they ignore the official YouTube rules and legal requirements for running promotions.
For example, the terms of service for YouTube prohibit using copyrighted material.
Step #4: Choose Your YouTube Giveaway Prize
Once you have a good understanding of the basics, it’s time to start planning your YouTube giveaway. First, you need to decide on a prize and research its retail value. This is usually the most fun part of any contest, but it’s important not to get too carried away.
Remember that your prize should be relevant to your target audience and aligned with your goals.
For example, these are some of the most popular prizes:
- All expenses paid for vacations
- Cash prizes
- Tickets to events
If your channel is on the smaller side and you don’t have the budget to spend on expensive prizes, you can offer up these valuable prizes:
- Shoutouts to the winner(s) of a video with a small prize
- Include the winner’s name in the video credits
- One of your goods or a channel’s items
- A group of inexpensive items bundled together
- A one-on-one question and answer session
Whatever the prize is, make sure that your target audience wants it. For additional inspiration, look at these contest prize suggestions.
Step #5: Define Your Rules
Once you’ve chosen a type of youtube giveaway, it’s time to start planning. This includes defining your rules and guidelines, as well as picking a date for your contest. It’s important to be as clear and concise as possible when writing your rules so that there is no confusion amongst entrants.
Having a firm grasp on all of the rules will safeguard you against legal issues and provide clarity for the participants.
In the United States, you are required by law to have no purchase necessary to participate. If you’re unsure about anything, get legal advice to ensure that you’re doing things correctly.
Make sure your Official Rules mention:
- Eligibility — minimum age of participants
- States the promotion is offered in
- Entries — how many entire participants get
- Time Frame — When does the promotion start and end?
- Winners — how many?
- Drawings or Selections — how will the winner(s) be drawn or if selected, based on what criteria will they win?
Then you must choose which disclaimers you want to include with your contest to provide further information.
Finally, it’s time to run your YouTube giveaway! This involves promoting your contest or sweepstakes to your target audience and then selecting or drawing a winner. Be sure to announce the winner and send them their prize promptly.
By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to running a successful youtube giveaway!
Conclusion
If your channel isn’t growing as quickly as you’d like, a contest may provide the boost in subscribers and views you need. However, when it comes to running a YouTube contest, there’s a lot to consider.
For more information on how Sweeppea can help you with your next sweepstakes, contact us at support@sweeppea.com or call us at 305–505–5393.
