Are you stuck trying to come up with a social media contest idea that doesn’t feel like 2017?
Well, you need to come up with more than just a basic “tag and win” formula. Because social media marketing is getting saturated day by day. People are getting bored easily, they want something that connects with them on a deeper level.
In fact, according to a 2024 report from Sprout Social, 63% of consumers say they engage more with brands that offer personalized, interactive content.
So, what are the trending social media contest ideas that really spark engagement with the audience? Well, you can unveil a bunch of effective social contests by reading the blog below:
1. The “Before & After” Contest
Best for: Beauty, fitness, wellness, and home decor brands.
People trust people!! This is one of the best lead contests that invites your followers to share their personal transformation stories using your products or services. Whether it’s fitness progress, beauty results, or home renovation, the “Before & After” challenge is a great way to show authentic results.
How to execute this effective social contests?
- Ask your followers to post their transformations using a branded hashtag (e.g., #GlowWithXYZ).
- Reward the most creative or impactful story with a prize (like a product bundle or a gift card).
- Share the top transformations on your feed or story to create more engagement.
What is the outcome:
This type of social media giveaways taps into storytelling and sparks trust among the new visitors, and they turn into potential buyers. It’s also a powerful way to incorporate user-generated content that makes your followers feel like they are a part of your brand’s
journey.
2. “Share Your Story” Contest
Best for: Any brand with a community-driven product or mission.
If you want to build a long-lasting relationship with your customer. Then invite your followers to share their experiences with your brand and turn a simple contest into something much more valuable. A personal story can build emotional connections that last long after the contest ends.
How to execute this online contests for brand:
- Encourage users to post a story or video about how your product helped them or made a difference in their lives.
- Pick a few winning stories and reward them with a prize that resonates with your community.
- Feature these stories on your social media to show appreciation.
How does it benefit you?
People love hearing stories, and when you ask your audience to share their real-life experiences with your product/ services, this will create a strong attraction towards your business. Making the prize feel like a real celebration of their journey.
3. “Design It With Us” Contest
Best for: Product-based businesses looking to involve their community.
Make your followers feel invested in the brand’s success with interactive marketing. The “ design with us” social media contest allows your followers to help design or select new products, colors, or features for your brand.
How to execute this interactive marketing?
- Post different design options or ideas and ask followers to vote using Instagram polls or stories.
- Or, run a submission contest where followers submit their designs, and the community votes for the winner.
- Offer the winning designer a free product or collaboration opportunity.
What’s in it for you?
You can not only boost engagement with contests but also create excitement and anticipation about anything you launch. Plus, these types of Online contests for brand encourages deeper interaction.
4. “Caption This” Contest
Best for: Fun, creative, and humorous brands.
You don’t have to plan on a huge level when you can apply simple marketing tactics of posting a funny meme or a quirky image that relates to your brand and ask your followers to come up with the best caption. Everyone loves a good laugh, and this contest is a great way to attract local audience.
Steps to execute this social media contest?
- Step 1: Post an engaging, attention-grabbing image.
- Step 2: Ask your followers to submit their best captions in the comments.
- Step 3: Reply to every comment and then pick a winner based on humour.
How does it benefit you?
This contest encourages interaction and can result in a flood of comments. Social media algorithms love comments, and more comments mean more visibility.
5. “Guess & Win” Contest
Best for: Startups to introduce their brand engagingly!
If you are a startup company that has zero audience, then this “guess the product” is one of the Best lead contests ideas to introduce your brand! Share a zoomed-in photo or mysterious description of one of your products (a new launch), and ask followers to guess what it is.
As the guesses start rolling in, the algorithm picks up on the engagement and starts pushing your post to more feeds. More visibility, more curiosity, more traffic, all without spending a dirham.
How to run it?
- A startup brand can post a blurred-out image of a new serum.
- Add a mysterious caption that asks the audience to guess the product.
- You can also use polls on stories / or comment responses.
- Offer some incentive to right guessers.
- Don’t forget to reveal the answer after 24, 48 hrs to build suspense
Why it works?
Curiosity drives clicks. This taps into natural human behavior, “our need to know and be right”. Plus, it subtly promotes your product without sounding salesy.
Check out our blog on Top Performance Marketing Strategies for Startups in 2025
6. Brand Trivia Game
Best For: Brands suffering from low reach/conversion!
If your brand is dead on reach, then this brand trivie or quiz is the best way to make audience know you. Ask followers fun, factual questions about your brand, products, or values. People love testing their knowledge, especially when a reward is involved.
How to run it:
- Ask audience on social media platforms like on Instagram Stories, quizzes, or Reels.
- Make questions easy enough to answer with a quick browse of your page
- Reward 2–3 random correct entries with discount codes or freebie.
Why it works:
You’re training your audience to know you. The more familiar they are with your brand, the more likely they’ll buy from you.
7. “Pick Your Personality” Quiz Contest
Best for: Know your audience
Create a Buzzfeed-style quiz (e.g., “What product matches your personality?”) on a social media platform like Instagram and tie the outcome to a product or service. For example, if you have a fashion brand, launch a quiz called “Which Summer Look Are You?” with 4 outfit types and styling tips. Entrants submit their email to get results + enter to win the look.
How to run it?
- Ask catchy quiz questions on social platforms and on Typeform or Interact.
- Immediately reply to every response you get. This makes them feel that they are important for your brand)
- Collect emails for social lead gen.
Why it works?
Quizzes are fun, and people love learning about themselves. And in return, you also get to know about your audience preferences. It’s also a sneaky-smart way to segment your audience based on preferences.
8. Micro-Influencer Collaboration Giveaway
Best for: Brands looking to tap into new audiences without a huge budget.
Collaborating with micro-influencers is a cost-effective way to reach new customers and run a successful social media campaign strategy. For example, a makeup brand could team up with a micro-influencer to host a giveaway where followers must follow both accounts, tag friends, and share the post.
How to execute:
- Find a micro-influencer whose audience aligns with your brand.
- Have the influencer co-host the giveaway on their platform, promoting your brand.
- Run performance based influencer marketing campaigns and reward based on results. This motivates influencer to bring their A-game.
Why it works:
Micro-influencers is one of the effective marketing tactics! Why? Bacause these influencers have highly engaged followers which mean you target valuable leads. You’ll expand your reach and attract social lead gen.
9. Reels or TikTok Duet Challenge
Best for: Younger audiences or brands focused on short-form video content.
If you’re looking to go viral or create content that gets noticed, the TikTok or Instagram Duet challenge is one of the most fun and engaging ways to do it. Your brand could challenge followers to do a workout routine in a duet with one of their trainers using a branded hashtag.
How to execute:
- Post a video and ask followers to create duets or reactions to it.
- Offer prizes for creativity, most engaged posts, or fun interactions.
- Use a branded hashtag to track entries and boost exposure.
Why it works:
This will boost your reach to the next level. It’s an easy way to go viral, engage new followers, and show the fun side of your brand.
10. Milestone Celebration Contest
Best for: Brands hitting a major milestone (e.g., followers, years in business).
Celebrate big milestones with your audience. Whether it’s hitting 10k followers, a year of business, or an anniversary, this contest shows your appreciation. It’s the best way to show acknowledgement to them and arrange a giveaway so that their relation with your brand strengthens more.
How to execute:
- Share a post about your milestone and thank your followers.
- Ask them to comment on their favorite product or experience with your brand.
- Pick random winners or offer prizes for congratulating your brand on their stories.
Why it works:
This creates excitement and community connection, reminding followers why they love your brand.
Final Thoughts!
There you have it! 10 creative social media contests that can bring in real leads. Each of these ideas can be adapted to suit your brand’s voice and goals. Your brand deserves more than just vanity impressions, it deserves a relation of trust with your brand.
At Code Rushers, we help brands create social media giveaways that go beyond just “likes” and actually convert followers into long-term customers. Whether you’re building your first contest or refining your social media campaign strategy, we’re here to help you execute it seamlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a campaign on platforms like Instagram or Facebook where users complete actions (like, tag, share) to win prizes.
7–10 days creates urgency, while 2–4 weeks helps build more buzz and reach.
Yes! mention eligibility, entry methods, winner selection, and comply with platform guidelines.
Enable email or phone verification, use CAPTCHAs, and limit one entry per person/IP.
