Why give away free tickets to your event?

There is increasing competition on social media. You have to compete with the other events on people's newsfeeds, and the organic reach of your posts decreases.

So how does your event get to the top of the newsfeed?

One option is to invest in paid social media advertising , and we definitely recommend that you do so. But there's an even better (and often cheaper) way to get noticed: ticket giveaway contests.

People prefer to click that “Like,” “Comment,” or “Share” button if you're offering them the chance to win something cool.

As soon as there is more interaction with your message, your message will be seen more often. So that more interactions follow, and then you get a snowball effect.

So in short, ticket giveaways work. That's why everyone does it. In this article we are going to investigate how you can get your share.

Things to consider before entering a ticket giveaway contest

There are a few things to keep in mind before we talk about social media giveaway ideas and creative social media contests.

1. What is the purpose of the giveaway?

You should have a clear goal in mind before setting up a giveaway. Do you want more recipients of your newsletter? Are you trying to sell tickets? Or do you want your content to be shared everywhere?

Tip: Read this guide on how to set goals for your social media giveaways .

2. What kind of giveaway works best?

Sweepstakes are easy to enter and the winner will be chosen at random. Entrants must perform specific actions (such as “taking the best selfie”) and the winner will be selected based on that action.

Tip: This guide details all the different components that make giveaways successful .

3. What are the rules?

As with other gambling, there are rules to keep in mind. You have to obey the law , and the rules of individual social media platforms .

Tip: Learn about the different rules involved in contests and sweepstakes .

4. When should you do the giveaway?

Timing is everything with giveaways. Give yourself enough time to send the tickets before the event starts. Make sure you have the contact information of the winners.

5. How will you promote the giveaway?

The ticket giveaway should be part of your overall marketing strategy. Mention it in your newsletters, social media live streams, and elsewhere where it can generate hype.

Tip: Here are some ways to promote your giveaway on Instagram (can also be used for other platforms).

Get More - Sell Tickets Online

6. Can you handle the entries?

Finally, it is important that you are ready for a very large increase in interactions. You will get many comments and questions. Someone has to answer everything quickly.

The 13 Best Ticket Giveaway Ideas for Events

Once you've done some research and decided on an approach, it's time to set up the ticket giveaway. Let's look at some of the best (and simplest) ticket giveaway ideas.

1. Win by liking

This method of giveaways works for sweepstakes and is by far the easiest for your audience. All they have to do is like your post, and then you pick a winner at random.

2. Post a comment to win

Another simple giveaway is asking people to comment under your post. You can ask them to comment with a specific word or something more creative.

3. Share to win

This type of contest is no longer allowed on Facebook, but you can use it on other platforms. Ask people to share (or retweet) your post for a chance to win.

4. Tag a friend to win

As with the share to win giveaway, this is no longer an option on Facebook. But on Instagram and other platforms. And it's a good way to reach even more people.

5. Like and comment to win

If you want more, you can also ask people to like your post and comment. This ensures twice the engagement, so it's a good way to increase your reach.

6. Contest Caption

Captioning contests are a great way to connect with your audience. And it also ensures that you no longer have to write a caption. Post an image and ask people to submit their caption suggestions in the comments.

7. Fill in Contest Blanks

Similar to the contest above, but in this case you've already written the caption and you're missing one word. Ask people to pass on their best guess or creative suggestions in the comments.

8. Photo Contest

Photo contests require a little more engagement from your audience, but it can be very rewarding. Ask them to upload their best photo (via PM or on your timeline) and then pick the winner.

9. Video Contest

Looks like a photo contest, but with video (of course!). Video contests can also be a great way to create a promotional video with different people talking about your event in their fan videos.

10. Quiz Contest

Everyone loves a good quiz, so ask your audience something interesting and let them submit their answers to win. You can also make it a little easier with a multiple choice quiz.

11. Crowdsourcing contests

Crowdsourcing is a great tool for all businesses and also works as a competition. Ask your audience for help coming up with a new event logo or slogan…or whatever you need.

12. Hashtag Contest

If you have a hashtag for your event, you can start a hashtag contest. Have your audience post a status, comment, photo, or video with the hashtag to win.

13. Choose your favorite (fill in) match

If you're hosting a conference or music festival, you can set up a contest where people tell you who their favorite speaker or band is coming to your event.

Ticket giveaway ideas for event: Facebook is still one of the best platforms for giveaways.
Facebook is still one of the best platforms for giveaways.
Bonus tip for Facebook giveaway contests
Before we wrap up, let's just say that Facebook hasn't taken away certain contest privileges without giving anything in return.

You can't ask people to “Like” your page, share your post, or tag a friend to enter, but you can use their dedicated Contest App for a professional giveaway.

Ready to boost your reach?
You now have 13 great giveaway ideas and know what to think about before you start.

Ticket giveaways are a great way to get social media attention for your event. It can even be cheaper than paid social media ads.

Let us know what you think in the comments!