In-store prize wheel week
Difficulty: MediumBest on: In store
- Concept
- Put a tablet on the counter and let every visitor spin a prize wheel once a day during launch week. Most slices are small wins, and one slice is the big prize. It gets people through the door and gives regulars a reason to come back.
- How to enter
- Anyone who comes in can spin once per day, and no purchase is needed. Set the odds and stock for each prize before you open, and show the odds on a sign next to the tablet.
- Prize idea
- Small rewards like a free sample or 10% off, plus one $100 gift card as the top slice (about $150 to $250 for the week).
- Avoid
- Don't hide the odds or nudge the wheel toward small prizes. Show the real chances and keep count of the prize stock.
Neighbor business bundle
Difficulty: MediumBest on: Instagram Collab post
- Concept
- Team up with two or three shops on your street and give away one bundle with something from each. Every business announces it, so each of you reaches the others' customers. An Instagram Collab post puts the same post and comments on every account.
- How to enter
- Comment on the Collab post with your favorite local spot. Following the hosts is optional. Before launch, agree in writing who draws, who contacts the winner and who delivers each part.
- Prize idea
- A local bundle: a $40 dinner voucher, a $30 candle and a $30 haircut voucher (about $100 in total).
- Avoid
- Don't leave prize delivery vague. Write down who sends what and by when, so the winner isn't left waiting.
Email sign-up giveaway
Difficulty: EasyBest on: Website and email
- Concept
- Run the giveaway through your newsletter sign-up form instead of a social post. You end up with addresses you own, which keep working after the giveaway ends. Draw from the new sign-ups at the end of the month.
- How to enter
- Sign up through the form on the website before the 30th. Export the new sign-ups as a CSV file, upload it to the winner generator and draw. The form says clearly that entrants join the newsletter and can leave any time.
- Prize idea
- A product bundle from your best sellers (about $60 to $90), so the list fills with people who like what you sell.
- Avoid
- Don't add people to the list without telling them. Put the newsletter sign-up in plain words on the form.
Guess the count jar
Difficulty: EasyBest on: In store and Instagram
- Concept
- Fill a jar with something you sell, like buttons, beans or sweets, and put it by the register. People guess how many are inside, and the closest guess wins. Post a photo each day to keep it on people's minds.
- How to enter
- Write a guess and a first name on a slip at the counter, or comment a guess under the jar post. One guess per person. If two guesses tie, draw one of them at random.
- Prize idea
- The jar itself plus a $25 gift card (about $35 to $45 in total).
- Avoid
- Don't count the jar after the guesses come in. Count it first, write the number down and seal it in an envelope.
Anniversary memory draw
Difficulty: EasyBest on: Instagram and Facebook
- Concept
- Mark your shop's anniversary with a one-week giveaway that thanks the people who got you there. Share a short story about your first year and ask followers for their first visit or first order. The comments double as warm stories you can reread on hard days.
- How to enter
- Comment with your first visit or first order before the end of the week. One entry per person. Draw one winner at random from the comments.
- Prize idea
- A year of small treats: a $10 voucher for each month (about $120 in total).
- Avoid
- Don't turn someone's memory into an ad without asking. Get their OK before you quote a comment anywhere else.
Donate a prize to a charity raffle
Difficulty: EasyBest on: Local events
- Concept
- Give a prize to a school, church or charity raffle in your town instead of running your own giveaway. The nonprofit sells the tickets and keeps the money. Your business is thanked in front of a local crowd for the cost of one prize.
- How to enter
- The nonprofit runs the ticket sales and the draw. Ask how they pick winners, and point them to free printable tickets and a public draw if they need them.
- Prize idea
- A gift basket of your products (about $80 to $120), with your shop's name on the card.
- Avoid
- Don't sell chances in your own business's name. Paid raffles are regulated; in many places only charities and nonprofits can run them. Let the nonprofit run that part.
Behind-the-counter caption contest
Difficulty: EasyBest on: Instagram
- Concept
- Post a funny photo from behind the counter and ask for the best caption. You judge the entries with set criteria, so it's a contest rather than a random draw. Captions bring out your regulars' sense of humor.
- How to enter
- Comment one caption by Friday at noon. Two staff members score each caption for humor, fit and originality, and the top score wins.
- Prize idea
- A $30 gift card and the winning caption printed on a counter sign (about $35 in total).
- Avoid
- Don't pick your friend's caption. Score every entry the same way and keep the scores in case someone asks.
Launch countdown giveaway
Difficulty: MediumBest on: Instagram Stories and website
- Concept
- Pair a new product launch with a short giveaway that ends the moment the product goes on sale. A countdown gives people a reason to check back. The winner gets the new item before anyone else.
- How to enter
- Comment with a question about the new product before the countdown ends. Draw the winner live as the launch starts and answer the best questions in the same post.
- Prize idea
- The new product plus a $20 add-on (about $50 to $80, depending on the product).
- Avoid
- Don't end the giveaway at midnight on a weekend. Pick an end time when you can draw and announce straight away.
Vote on the next product
Difficulty: MediumBest on: Instagram Stories
- Concept
- Let customers choose the next flavor, color or product you stock with a bracket of Story polls. On the last day, the giveaway runs on the results post. You learn what people want before you order.
- How to enter
- Vote in the daily Story polls for fun, then comment your final pick on the results post to enter. Votes don't change the odds; each person gets one entry.
- Prize idea
- The first batch of the winning product plus a $25 voucher (about $40 to $60).
- Avoid
- Don't promise to stock the winner if supply is uncertain. Say you will consider the top pick.
Twelve days of small prizes
Difficulty: HardBest on: Instagram or Facebook
- Concept
- Give away one small prize a day for twelve days before a holiday, with a bigger prize on the last day. Daily winners bring people back to your page. Small prizes are also easier to budget than one large one.
- How to enter
- Comment on each day's post to enter that day's draw. Draw each evening, exclude earlier winners, and post the winner the next morning with the new prize.
- Prize idea
- Eleven $15 prizes and one $100 bundle on the last day (about $265 in total).
- Avoid
- Don't skip a day or announce late. Schedule the posts in advance and keep a spare prize ready.
Questions and answers
How much should a small business spend on a giveaway prize?
Spend about what one or two new regular customers are worth to you. For many shops that is $50 to $150 in retail value. A prize from your own stock costs you less than its retail price and attracts people who want what you sell.
Can I require a purchase to enter?
A required purchase can change the legal status of a giveaway, so most free giveaways avoid it. If you want purchase-based entries, offer a free way to enter with the same chance.
Can I give prizes or entries to customers who leave a review?
No. Google's review policy doesn't allow businesses to offer incentives such as free goods or discounts for reviews, and it removes incentivized reviews. Ask happy customers for honest reviews separately, with no prize attached.
How long should a small business giveaway run?
One week is a good default. It's long enough for regulars to see it and short enough to keep interest. Put the end date and time in the first post, and use a giveaway countdown if you want a reminder people can open.
How do I pick the winner fairly?
Put every entry in one list and draw at random with the giveaway picker. Save the draw record link, so you can show anyone how the winner was chosen.
Comment with your favorite product
Difficulty: EasyBest on: Instagram