How to Run an Instagram Challenge
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I am in the middle of my annual October Photo A Day Challenge on Instagram. I love doing Instagram Challenges! I do them several times a year and each month that I do them, I increase engagement on my account, gain new followers and build my brand. I got a few questions this month about how to run an Instagram challenge so I wanted to share what I’ve learned from running a few.
Why Should You Run an Instagram Challenge?
1. Increase Engagement on your Account
Challenges can galvanize participants and bring them out of lurking like nothing else can. It keeps them coming back to see what you post next, engaging with your content regularly throughout the challenge.
2. Establish authority in your Niche
Challenges are a perfect way to establish authority in your niche and help to establish your brand’s identity. Challenges help you to gain the trust of your audience.
3. Gain Followers
If done right, an Instagram challenge should encourage your challenge participants to follow your Instagram account. You are providing some type of value: entertainment, education, motivation etc. The challenge is like advertising.
How to Run An Instagram Challenge
1.Pick a Hashtag
Picking a great hashtag is one of the most important parts of the challenge. First, you need to make sure that the Hashtag is not in use. Second, make sure it is a hashtag that can be easily identified as part of your brand and easy to remember. I’ve used #everydayphotoaday #augusteyecandy and #eyecandyholidaychallenge. Each one uses some form of my blog name in it ( Everyday or Eyecandy) to make it easy to associate with my brand.
2. Pick simple relatable prompts
Keep it simple. You want them not to be too hard that participants don’t know what to post. One word prompts or simple popular phrases always work well. Like Sunday Funday, 8’clock, and Selfie to name a few. And keep it open ended enough so that not everyone will post the exact same thing. You want your participants to get creative.
3.Decide how long the challenge should be.
This depends on your audience and is likely something you will have to test out. You need at least a week to get and keep interest and no longer than 30 days to make it not seem like a chore.
4. Announce the Challenge
Let people know you are having a challenge! Talk about it on Instagram ( listing the prompts there in pretty graphic always works), share in your newsletter, share to Facebook, Twitter and on your blog! Go where your people are and make sure they know about it.
5. Engage
This is the most challenging part: Once you start your challenge, don’t forget to check in with your hashtag. Comment and like on the participants photos and encourage them to do the same. Doing so shows you are involved in your challenge and not just a bot throwing this up and leaving. Engagement motivates your participants to keep participating. And it’s just FUN.
What about you? Have you ever run an Instagram Challenge? Or participated in one? Questions?
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This is great information. Instagram challenges are a great tool if you know how to work them.
I’ve never done an Instagram challenge. If I do, I’m coming back here for your awesome advice, though!
I’ve never tried doing an Instagram challenge. What a great idea to get some more followers I think I’m definitely going to try this and see if I can get more interaction on my Instagram page.
I have participated in one but not for a while. I’d like to participate in one again but I seem to hear about them when they are half way over or more! I’ve never hosted one though. Thanks for the tips.
Instagram challenges are a great way to connect with your audience for sure. These are great tips on how to run one – thanks!
Great tips. Thanks for sharing the info.
As a somewhat newbie to Instagram, I find these tips insightful! I’ll use these to build my following.
Perfect instructions for anyone to follow. I have not seen many insta challenges lately. hopefully your post will inspire some.
Those are very informative tips. Will really help people grow their Instagram. Thanks for sharing!
This is such a good idea! I think this kind of interaction with your Instagram followers can be really helpful. Very good advice!
I’ve never run one of these but I know that yours are really successful and help engage your community! So definitely going to take these tips in mind! Thanks for sharing!
There are a few instagram challenges that I’ve loved following but I haven’t participated … I’m awful about remembering to do it every day. It’s probably a great way to increase followers though!
I have never had an instagram challege. Thanks for the inspiration on how do one.
this is something I have been wanting to try. thanks for the tips!
I ran one for many months – it was a lot of fun and made a lot of Instagram friends! It can be hard to keep up but oh so worth it!
These are great tips. I ran a challenge a while ago, but it was just too long and unfocused! I should try again!
I’ve been seeing these challenges appear more and more. I love how they seem to engage the audience and keeps them coming back for more.
Great tips! I don’t spend much time on Instagram. I’m sure it would be a good way to get more engaged followers.
Instagram is my favorite social media platform for personal use. I need to implement these strategies to make it perform well for my business also.
This is such great advice for Instagram. Social media can be confusing sometimes, this will be perfect for beginners.