MARKETING
10 Inspiring Instagram Contests That Caught Our Attention
Instagram is huge.
It has more than 1 billion users and is the third most popular social media site today.
But Instagram isn’t all about pretty photos and clever art.
In fact, it’s becoming a huge marketing platform where Fortune 500 companies are stepping into the scene.
With all these big companies vying for the attention of users, how can you put your brand forward in the feed so it receives acclaim and attention on Instagram?
The answer is through running an Instagram contest.
Why Run an Instagram Contest?
There are many ways you can advertise on Instagram. You can buy ads. Write copy. Post photos of products.
But nothing comes close to running an Instagram contest.
Why? Because of user engagement.
When you run an Instagram contest, you make a way for users to engage with your brand. They take photos with your product, tag friends, and spread the word about your company.
What’s the best way to run an Instagram contest?
10 Inspiring Brands That Did Instagram Contests Right
Instead of coming up with a generic how-to, let’s look into 10 successful Instagram contest campaigns.
Ready to be inspired?
1. Love One Today’s Avocado Contest
Love One Today promotes a delicious way of life through eating avocados.
To gain buzz online, it launched the AvoFruitFull contest.
Instagram users were encouraged to submit a photo of their own beautiful avocado creations.
Users who got the most likes on their photos won great prizes such as themed water bottles, a food processor, and even a Vitamix blender!
Tip: Offering giveaways that resonate with your followers’ interests (like a Vitamix blender for health-conscious people) is a great way to get your contest going.
2. Stoka Bar’s Boatload of Giveaways
Who wouldn’t grab the chance to win 40 free treat bars?
Stoka Bars are crunchy, delicious, and best of all – low on carbs.
Here’s the contest Stoka Bar did to gain more followers.
Tip: If your Instagram page is new, a contest is a great way to gain new followers.
3. Pink Lime Look’s Good Hair Day Contest
Pink Lime Look gave contestants the chance to be themselves in their entries.
To join the contest, users submitted photos of themselves sporting their favorite hairstyles.
They could choose whatever background they liked for the entry.
All contestants had to do was use Pink Lime Look’s hashtag for the chance to win.
Pretty simple, considering the prize was a $500 makeover!
Tip: If you’re giving out a valuable prize, make sure to mention how much it’s worth for the chance to grab more attention.
4. Lifebox Food and Punks and Chancers Collab Contest
Organic materials and ingredients are essential to anyone who’s health-conscious or vegan.
Take a look at how Lifebox Food and Punks and Chancers ran their collaboration contest on Instagram.
All users had to do was follow the two companies, like the post, and tag a friend.
The prize?
A cool sweater, a tote bag, and a delicious box of vegan food.
Tip: Collaborating with another company for your Instagram contest is an effective way to gain more followers. It’s great if the company you collaborate with already has its own strong base of followers.
5. How to Make Trouble by Simon and Schuster
Unique contests that ask users for stories almost always steal the show on Instagram.
Here’s the perfect example of how it’s done.
The contest encouraged users to comment with their own personal “troublemaking” strategies.
The prize?
Cecile Richard’s new book, a tote bag, cute pins, and a bookmark.
That’s a lot in exchange of a story!
Tip: One of the reasons people are on Instagram is because they love to share their lives with others. If you ask for their stories in exchange of cool prizes? You’ll have a sure hit.
6. Valdo Prosecco’s Trip to Italy
Who wouldn’t want to win a spectacular trip to one of the most beautiful countries in the world?
With its contest, Valdo Prosecco made the trip an enticing prize.
All users had to do was take a photo of a cocktail they’d made with Valdo Prosecco.
They then shared their secret recipe as a caption with a hashtag.
The winner was picked out of the 25 top-voted photos.
Tip: Whenever you can, encourage contestants to be creative. Also, letting users vote for top photos is a great way to promote engagement with your brand.
7. Melissa Corser’s Makeup Giveaway
Makeup and nails are the perfect combination for girls who love to get glamorous.
Melissa Corser gave Instagram users the chance to win both with her contest.
What made this contest different was that users could enter as many times as they wanted.
The result?
More tagged friends, engagement, and exposure.
Tip: Who says contestants can only enter a contest once? When you give them unlimited entries, you get massive engagement in return.
8. Fushi’s New Product Launch
When Fushi launched its Biovedic skincare solution, it took to Instagram with a contest.
The prize?
A full set of Ayurvedic skin products for healthier, more beautiful skin.
Tip: If you’re launching a new product, running an Instagram contest and giving the product away as a prize is a huge way to promote it.
9. Shockingly Healthy’s Contest for Free Tickets
For those into the healthy lifestyle, there are few things as exciting as a Green Living Show.
What Shockingly Healthy did was capitalize on that interest with two sets of free tickets for the show.
Tip: Are there any events in your area that would interest your followers? If so, offering free passes or tickets as prizes is a great way to increase engagement with your brand.
10. Domino’s Super Fan Contest
Domino’s contest offered a huge prize to users who could prove they were “super fans” of its pizza.
The prize? $10,000!
To add to the fun, the contest allowed users to be creative.
They had to prove they weren’t only fans, but super fans of Domino’s.
Tip: The more creative your contest is, the better! If you can give a big cash prize, it won’t hurt your chances of getting thousands of engagements, either.
How to Create an Instagram Contest That Goes Viral
Instagram is huge, and it opens the door to massive marketing opportunities for you.
Also, running an Instagram contest promises you user engagement, attention, and interest.
All you need to do is find out what works and how to set up your Instagram contest.
Remember, allow users to be creative and tell their stories.
Keep in mind why people use Instagram at all: to take stunning photos, be spontaneous, and share their lives with others.
There’s a ton of prize ideas you can select as giveaways. These can be cash, new products, unique knick-knacks, and anything related to your business.
When you’ve set up a contest that follows these cool tips, all you need to do is sit back and wait for the follows and shares to start pouring in!
Image Credits
All screenshots taken by author, November 2019
MARKETING
YouTube Ad Specs, Sizes, and Examples [2024 Update]
Introduction
With billions of users each month, YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine and top website for video content. This makes it a great place for advertising. To succeed, advertisers need to follow the correct YouTube ad specifications. These rules help your ad reach more viewers, increasing the chance of gaining new customers and boosting brand awareness.
Types of YouTube Ads
Video Ads
- Description: These play before, during, or after a YouTube video on computers or mobile devices.
- Types:
- In-stream ads: Can be skippable or non-skippable.
- Bumper ads: Non-skippable, short ads that play before, during, or after a video.
Display Ads
- Description: These appear in different spots on YouTube and usually use text or static images.
- Note: YouTube does not support display image ads directly on its app, but these can be targeted to YouTube.com through Google Display Network (GDN).
Companion Banners
- Description: Appears to the right of the YouTube player on desktop.
- Requirement: Must be purchased alongside In-stream ads, Bumper ads, or In-feed ads.
In-feed Ads
- Description: Resemble videos with images, headlines, and text. They link to a public or unlisted YouTube video.
Outstream Ads
- Description: Mobile-only video ads that play outside of YouTube, on websites and apps within the Google video partner network.
Masthead Ads
- Description: Premium, high-visibility banner ads displayed at the top of the YouTube homepage for both desktop and mobile users.
YouTube Ad Specs by Type
Skippable In-stream Video Ads
- Placement: Before, during, or after a YouTube video.
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
- Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
- Square: 1080 x 1080px
- Aspect Ratio:
- Horizontal: 16:9
- Vertical: 9:16
- Square: 1:1
- Length:
- Awareness: 15-20 seconds
- Consideration: 2-3 minutes
- Action: 15-20 seconds
Non-skippable In-stream Video Ads
- Description: Must be watched completely before the main video.
- Length: 15 seconds (or 20 seconds in certain markets).
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
- Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
- Square: 1080 x 1080px
- Aspect Ratio:
- Horizontal: 16:9
- Vertical: 9:16
- Square: 1:1
Bumper Ads
- Length: Maximum 6 seconds.
- File Format: MP4, Quicktime, AVI, ASF, Windows Media, or MPEG.
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 640 x 360px
- Vertical: 480 x 360px
In-feed Ads
- Description: Show alongside YouTube content, like search results or the Home feed.
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
- Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
- Square: 1080 x 1080px
- Aspect Ratio:
- Horizontal: 16:9
- Square: 1:1
- Length:
- Awareness: 15-20 seconds
- Consideration: 2-3 minutes
- Headline/Description:
- Headline: Up to 2 lines, 40 characters per line
- Description: Up to 2 lines, 35 characters per line
Display Ads
- Description: Static images or animated media that appear on YouTube next to video suggestions, in search results, or on the homepage.
- Image Size: 300×60 pixels.
- File Type: GIF, JPG, PNG.
- File Size: Max 150KB.
- Max Animation Length: 30 seconds.
Outstream Ads
- Description: Mobile-only video ads that appear on websites and apps within the Google video partner network, not on YouTube itself.
- Logo Specs:
- Square: 1:1 (200 x 200px).
- File Type: JPG, GIF, PNG.
- Max Size: 200KB.
Masthead Ads
- Description: High-visibility ads at the top of the YouTube homepage.
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 or higher.
- File Type: JPG or PNG (without transparency).
Conclusion
YouTube offers a variety of ad formats to reach audiences effectively in 2024. Whether you want to build brand awareness, drive conversions, or target specific demographics, YouTube provides a dynamic platform for your advertising needs. Always follow Google’s advertising policies and the technical ad specs to ensure your ads perform their best. Ready to start using YouTube ads? Contact us today to get started!
MARKETING
Why We Are Always ‘Clicking to Buy’, According to Psychologists
Amazon pillows.
MARKETING
A deeper dive into data, personalization and Copilots
Salesforce launched a collection of new, generative AI-related products at Connections in Chicago this week. They included new Einstein Copilots for marketers and merchants and Einstein Personalization.
To better understand, not only the potential impact of the new products, but the evolving Salesforce architecture, we sat down with Bobby Jania, CMO, Marketing Cloud.
Dig deeper: Salesforce piles on the Einstein Copilots
Salesforce’s evolving architecture
It’s hard to deny that Salesforce likes coming up with new names for platforms and products (what happened to Customer 360?) and this can sometimes make the observer wonder if something is brand new, or old but with a brand new name. In particular, what exactly is Einstein 1 and how is it related to Salesforce Data Cloud?
“Data Cloud is built on the Einstein 1 platform,” Jania explained. “The Einstein 1 platform is our entire Salesforce platform and that includes products like Sales Cloud, Service Cloud — that it includes the original idea of Salesforce not just being in the cloud, but being multi-tenancy.”
Data Cloud — not an acquisition, of course — was built natively on that platform. It was the first product built on Hyperforce, Salesforce’s new cloud infrastructure architecture. “Since Data Cloud was on what we now call the Einstein 1 platform from Day One, it has always natively connected to, and been able to read anything in Sales Cloud, Service Cloud [and so on]. On top of that, we can now bring in, not only structured but unstructured data.”
That’s a significant progression from the position, several years ago, when Salesforce had stitched together a platform around various acquisitions (ExactTarget, for example) that didn’t necessarily talk to each other.
“At times, what we would do is have a kind of behind-the-scenes flow where data from one product could be moved into another product,” said Jania, “but in many of those cases the data would then be in both, whereas now the data is in Data Cloud. Tableau will run natively off Data Cloud; Commerce Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud — they’re all going to the same operational customer profile.” They’re not copying the data from Data Cloud, Jania confirmed.
Another thing to know is tit’s possible for Salesforce customers to import their own datasets into Data Cloud. “We wanted to create a federated data model,” said Jania. “If you’re using Snowflake, for example, we more or less virtually sit on your data lake. The value we add is that we will look at all your data and help you form these operational customer profiles.”
Let’s learn more about Einstein Copilot
“Copilot means that I have an assistant with me in the tool where I need to be working that contextually knows what I am trying to do and helps me at every step of the process,” Jania said.
For marketers, this might begin with a campaign brief developed with Copilot’s assistance, the identification of an audience based on the brief, and then the development of email or other content. “What’s really cool is the idea of Einstein Studio where our customers will create actions [for Copilot] that we hadn’t even thought about.”
Here’s a key insight (back to nomenclature). We reported on Copilot for markets, Copilot for merchants, Copilot for shoppers. It turns out, however, that there is just one Copilot, Einstein Copilot, and these are use cases. “There’s just one Copilot, we just add these for a little clarity; we’re going to talk about marketing use cases, about shoppers’ use cases. These are actions for the marketing use cases we built out of the box; you can build your own.”
It’s surely going to take a little time for marketers to learn to work easily with Copilot. “There’s always time for adoption,” Jania agreed. “What is directly connected with this is, this is my ninth Connections and this one has the most hands-on training that I’ve seen since 2014 — and a lot of that is getting people using Data Cloud, using these tools rather than just being given a demo.”
What’s new about Einstein Personalization
Salesforce Einstein has been around since 2016 and many of the use cases seem to have involved personalization in various forms. What’s new?
“Einstein Personalization is a real-time decision engine and it’s going to choose next-best-action, next-best-offer. What is new is that it’s a service now that runs natively on top of Data Cloud.” A lot of real-time decision engines need their own set of data that might actually be a subset of data. “Einstein Personalization is going to look holistically at a customer and recommend a next-best-action that could be natively surfaced in Service Cloud, Sales Cloud or Marketing Cloud.”
Finally, trust
One feature of the presentations at Connections was the reassurance that, although public LLMs like ChatGPT could be selected for application to customer data, none of that data would be retained by the LLMs. Is this just a matter of written agreements? No, not just that, said Jania.
“In the Einstein Trust Layer, all of the data, when it connects to an LLM, runs through our gateway. If there was a prompt that had personally identifiable information — a credit card number, an email address — at a mimum, all that is stripped out. The LLMs do not store the output; we store the output for auditing back in Salesforce. Any output that comes back through our gateway is logged in our system; it runs through a toxicity model; and only at the end do we put PII data back into the answer. There are real pieces beyond a handshake that this data is safe.”
Daily Search Forum Recap: October 9, 2024
Daily Search Forum Recap: October 10, 2024
Daily Search Forum Recap: October 11, 2024
I Lead a Company Built Through Decades of Acquisitions. Here’s a Key to Making Them Successful
The 100 Most Searched People on Google in 2024
20 Best Online Course Platforms in 2024 (Detailed Guide)
Automattic sends WP Engine its own cease-and-desist over WordPress trademark infringement
What The Google Antitrust Verdict Could Mean For The Future Of SEO
The 11 Best SEO Books You Must Read Today
DOJ May Breakup Google, Ranking Volatility, Quick View Theft, Google Web Creator Event, Google Ads & More Search News
-
SEARCHENGINES7 days ago
Daily Search Forum Recap: October 9, 2024
-
SEARCHENGINES5 days ago
Daily Search Forum Recap: October 10, 2024
-
SEARCHENGINES4 days ago
Daily Search Forum Recap: October 11, 2024
-
AFFILIATE MARKETING6 days agoI Lead a Company Built Through Decades of Acquisitions. Here’s a Key to Making Them Successful
-
SEO7 days agoThe 100 Most Searched People on Google in 2024
-
WORDPRESS6 days ago20 Best Online Course Platforms in 2024 (Detailed Guide)
-
WORDPRESS5 days agoAutomattic sends WP Engine its own cease-and-desist over WordPress trademark infringement
-
SEO5 days agoWhat The Google Antitrust Verdict Could Mean For The Future Of SEO