Penny Dower Hunt, 25 September, 2025
Thinking about running a giveaway on your website? Smart move. Giveaways are one of the easiest ways to get people excited about your brand, grow your social media following, and send fresh traffic to your online store or project.
The trick, though, isn’t just about what prize you offer. Sure, people love freebies. But the real magic happens when you set up your giveaway in a way that drives long-term results: more followers, more visits, and more buzz around your business.
Let’s break it down.
Why Giveaways Work So Well
If you’ve ever seen a giveaway pop up in your feed and thought “I should enter that,” you already know the appeal. But from a business point of view, giveaways are much more than a fun promotion:
• Traffic Spike - People rush to your website to join.
• Social Media Boost - Entry rules often involve liking, following, or sharing. That spreads your name further.
• Email List Growth - Perfect chance to collect emails from people genuinely interested in what you do.
• Engagement - Asking users to comment, tag friends, or interact increases visibility on platforms like Instagram or Facebook.
• Brand Awareness - Even those who don’t win walk away knowing your brand exists.
So yes, the prize is important, but it’s really just the carrot. The structure of your giveaway is what makes it a growth engine.
The Not-So-Fun Side of Giveaways
Now, here’s where some people get stuck. Running a giveaway might sound simple: create a form, collect entries, pick a winner. Easy, right? Not exactly. Here’s what usually happens if you try to DIY it:
• Picking winners manually feels shady (and people notice).
• Data protection laws like GDPR suddenly become a headache.
• Bots and duplicate entries mess with your results.
• Tracking hundreds of entries in a spreadsheet gets messy fast.
• Building your own custom system eats up time and money.
That’s why it’s worth using a dedicated tool.
Meet Socialman: A Smarter Way to Run Giveaways
Instead of wrestling with forms or building something from scratch, you can use Socialman - a SaaS platform designed to make giveaways practically run themselves. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Create Your Giveaway
Log into Socialman and set up your contest. You can choose what people need to do to enter: follow your Instagram, like your Facebook page, visit your website, sign up for your newsletter, etc.
Step 2: Grab the Embed Code
Socialman gives you a little piece of embed code (just like embedding a YouTube video). Copy it.
Step 3: Drop It Into Your Website
Paste the code where you want the widget to appear — homepage, landing page, blog post, anywhere. The widget instantly appears and blends in with your site.
Step 4: WordPress Users? Even Easier
If you’re on WordPress, you don’t even need to touch code. Just install the Socialman WordPress Giveaway Plugin and drop the widget in with a couple of clicks. Done.
Why Bother With a Tool Like Socialman?
Here’s why Socialman beats old-school forms or DIY setups:
• It’s hands-free - Once you’ve set it up, it just works. No spreadsheets, no manual checks.
• Fair winner selection - The platform handles it, so no one thinks the contest was “rigged.”
• GDPR compliant - Your users’ data stays safe and legal. No nasty surprises.
• Spam-proof - Built-in protections stop fake entries and bots.
• Saves money - Building your own giveaway tool would cost a fortune. This does the job right away.
• Much better than forms - A form just collects names. Socialman actively drives social media actions and engagement.
Tips to Make Your Giveaway Pop
Okay, so you’ve got the tech sorted. Now how do you make sure your giveaway gets results?
1. Pick actions that match your goals - Want more Instagram followers? Make “follow us on Instagram” a required step. Growing your email list? Reward signups.
2. Shout it from the rooftops - Share it across all your channels: email, social media, homepage banners. The more eyes, the better.
3. Keep it simple - Don’t pile on too many tasks. A few easy actions are better than 10 confusing ones.
4. Follow up afterwards - Announce the winner, thank everyone, and keep engaging your new audience. That’s where the real value is.
Wrapping It Up
Running a giveaway can be a quick win for traffic, followers, and brand buzz — but only if you do it right. Don’t waste time building complicated systems or trying to manage it all manually.
With a tool like Socialman, you can launch a professional-looking, fair, and fully compliant giveaway in minutes. That means less stress for you and more results for your business.
So, what are you waiting for? Your next batch of followers, subscribers, and customers might just be one giveaway away.