We run giveaways and contests the right way by starting with a clear goal, writing real rules and required platform disclosures, using a prize that fits your actual customers, and building a follow-up plan, and yes, they still work when you judge them by lead quality and bookings, not follower spikes.
Giveaways still pull results for Orlando and Central Florida businesses when the offer is local and relevant, like “free lawn treatment for one yard in our service area” or “a $200 credit toward your next closing photo package,” and when entry routes people into a simple next step (email opt-in, DM keyword, or a short form). What stopped working is the old “win an iPad, tag 3 friends” style. It attracts people who never buy, and it can cause platform headaches.
Giveaway vs contest, what you are really running
| Type | How winners are picked | Best use | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giveaway (usually a sweepstakes) | Chance, random draw | List growth, awareness, seasonal promos | No purchase required, clear odds language, clean rules, platform release language |
| Contest (skill based) | Judging criteria (skill) | UGC, reviews, before-and-after stories, local buzz | Publish judging criteria, keep judging notes, avoid “random” elements |
| Hybrid | Skill finalists, then random draw | High participation plus fair selection | Spell out every step so nobody feels tricked |
Our practical setup that avoids problems
1) Pick one outcome. For most local services, we aim for one of these: email leads for a slow month, appointment requests for a specific service, or UGC you can reuse. If you want entries to go to a form, a dedicated landing page usually converts better than sending people to your home page, and this breakdown helps: website vs. webpage vs. landing page.
2) Choose a prize that filters for buyers. Your own service credit, an upgrade, or a local bundle works better than generic electronics. A dental office might give a “new patient package” only if it fits your clinical policies, a pest control company might offer a one-time treatment within your zip codes, and a real estate team might offer a staging consult or a gift card tied to a closing milestone. Keep the prize value realistic and easy to deliver.
3) Write rules first, then the post. At minimum, include: sponsor (your business), start and end date with Eastern Time, eligibility (age and location), how to enter, entry limits, how winners are chosen, when you will announce, prize details and approximate value, how you will contact winners, how long they have to respond, and a privacy note if you are collecting emails or phone numbers. Instagram’s promotion rules also require a release of Instagram by entrants and a statement that the promo is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with Instagram.
4) Stay on the right side of Florida rules. Florida has extra requirements for certain game promotions when the total announced prize value goes over $5,000, including filing with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at least 7 days before the promo starts, a $100 filing fee, and either a trust account or a surety bond covering the prize value, plus a winners list submission after winners are picked. Most local giveaways stay under that threshold, but it matters if you stack multiple prizes or run a big holiday promo.
5) Avoid entry methods that create trouble. We do not ask people to tag themselves in photos they are not in. We also avoid “share this to your Story to enter” as a required step because it tends to attract junk entries and can trigger policy issues. A safer pattern is “comment with your favorite local spot” plus an optional bonus entry via email form.
6) Plan the follow-up before launch. The real payoff is what happens after the winner. We set an automatic reply or DM that thanks entrants and offers a small consolation perk with a deadline, like a limited-time discount or free add-on for bookings in the next 7 to 14 days.
How we judge if it worked: entries from your service area, cost per lead (if you boosted it), booked calls, coupon redemptions, and how many entrants became email or SMS subscribers. If you want a simple measurement checklist, this page gives a clean framework you can borrow: SEO metrics to track.
If you want us to build and run the whole promotion (rules copy, post creative, comment moderation, and the follow-up sequence), our social media marketing service is built for that workflow.
If your best result would come from people submitting photos or short videos, our UGC content service can shape the prompt, gather usable entries, and turn the winners into ads you can run after the promo ends.
