winter holiday giveaway ideas contest sweepstakes

6 Winter Giveaway Ideas You’ll Want to Steal

The best winter giveaway ideas increase website traffic and brand awareness during the holiday season. Companies like Kylie Cosmetics and Fendy Beauty host giveaways that get millions of views, likes, and comments. But, how do they accomplish such a feat?  Beauty brands use a robust social media marketing strategy involving influencers and regular people to get the word out. 

High-quality prize images and videos combined with a compelling social media caption encourage fans to comment on a post for a chance to win. Each interaction, such as tagging a friend or liking the post, expands a brand’s reach

As a result, the products or brand is at the top of consumers’ minds when it’s time to buy gifts for themselves or others. Explore various marketing campaigns from well-known companies and learn how to transform your next contest or giveaway.

1. Kylie Cosmetics: Leader in Cross-Platform Engagement

Kylie Cosmetics leads the market in engagement across multiple platforms, according to Statista. In addition, they rank number one when it comes to Instagram followers. Of course, it helps to have collections signed by Kylie Jenner, but they also stand out for best use of user-generated content (UGC). 

Kylie Cosmetics showcases videos and images from fans on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. They tag the individual, use product-specific hashtags, and even retweet messages from people who post about various products. 

And when it comes to giveaways, Kylie Cosmetics relies on its complex web of Instagram influencers to get the word out. Along with posting the giveaway on its social channels, various influencers promote the prizes by promising to follow the winner. 

Key Takeaways

Although your brand may not have a famous face, you can still increase engagement. While all of Kylie Cosmetic’s giveaway ideas differ, here are some ways you can emulate its success:

  • Create hashtags for popular beauty product lines
  • Use a social listening tool to identify UGC
  • Team up with influencers or micro-influencers to expand your reach
  • Host contests on Instagram but promote them on Twitter and Facebook too
  • Share customer videos and testimonials extensively

2. ColourPop: Host a Giveaway on Facebook

ColourPop ranks number two on the list of leading consumer beauty brands by user engagement. Its social media game is strong, with hundreds of followers posting selfies in response to ColourPop asking them to drop their favorite look. In return, ColourPop shares UGC giving fans the recognition they crave. 

Like Kylie Cosmetics, ColourPop collaborates with influencers when hosting giveaways and launching products. According to Vogue Business, an October giveaway garnered over 170,000 likes and 75,000 comments. ColourPop hosts contests on Facebook and Instagram and cross-promotes them on all social media platforms.  

Key Takeaways

Along with asking questions and sharing UGC, ColourPop uses a giveaway to showcase its latest product launches. Turn your giveaway ideas into promotional tools by applying ColourPop’s methods :

  • Reward multiple winners with products and gift cards
  • Have influencers host giveaways with a requirement to follow your brand
  • Offer extra contest entries for tagging a friend or interacting on another social channel
  • Share giveaway promotions regularly, such as every month like ColourPop 

3. Fenty Beauty: Stand Out on Instagram

Fenty Beauty earns third place for social media engagement thanks to its strategy of sharing testimonials and reviews from fans, industry professionals, and models. Before product launches, the company drops YouTube tutorials and hosts live virtual events. 

The beauty brand also shares an occasional giveaway on Instagram. Fenty Beauty partners with other brands for larger rewards and sponsored giveaways to expand their audience. Fenty Beauty’s last Instagram giveaway generated 30,574 comments and 111,813 likes, compared to 7,000 to 60,0000 likes on an average post. 

Key Takeaways

Make your next social media promotion a show stopper by using Fenty Beauty’s marketing campaign tricks. Amplify your giveaway ideas by:

  • Keeping the barrier to entry low by requiring them to follow your brand and like the post
  • Creating a giveaway photo that stands out on your feed yet fits your aesthetics
  • Joining other brands to host a giveaway with bigger prizes
  • Using Instagram Reels to promote your giveaway with a video
  • Reminding fans before your contest is about to end

4. Huda Beauty: Add Transparency With Giveaway Blog Posts

With 49.5 million Instagram followers, Huda Beauty is a top player in the social media arena. The beauty brand ranks fourth for engagement across platforms and fills its feeds with before and after photos and 100% real skin images. Plus, Huda Beauty mixes in a healthy dose of client testimonials. 

Huda Beauty giveaways include Instagram competitions, such as asking fans to share a no-makeup selfie and cash giveaways to help followers during the holiday season. While you can catch the promotions on social media, including YouTube, Huda Beauty also dedicates a blog category to giveaways. 

Each blog post discusses the prizes, why they’re hosting the giveaway and provides a list of winners after the promotion ends. This extra step shows customers that the giveaway isn’t a marketing ploy. It increases trust and confidence in Huda Beauty while growing its loyal fan base. 

Key Takeaways

Instill confidence in your followers by sharing customer reviews and adding content related to your promotion. Doing so provides transparency about your giveaway process and shows real people win your coveted prizes. Personalize your giveaway ideas by:

  • Blogging about your giveaways, prizes, and winners
  • Creating a branded hashtag just for your giveaways
  • Requiring entrants to repost the initial giveaway post on their social feed
  • Promote your contest and products on YouTube

5. Tata Harper: Stylish Giveaway Landing Pages

Tata Harper’s light and airy photos accompany advice for different skin types, ages, and even repurposing Tata products. Tata Harper attracts and retains a loyal social media following by mixing in client education and question and answer (Q&A) sessions with high-quality photos and video on Instagram. 

You’ll also get a look at how the company creates products, including an unpolished photo of the founder holding her child while mixing up a batch of face oil. This personal approach extends to its occasional giveaways as well. 

Tata Harper bundles products from multiple brands to create a compelling prize package. Then they develop an on-brand landing page, and every person who enters is automatically signed up for Tata Harper’s email list with newsletters and special offers. 

Key Takeaways

Tata Harper proves that giveaways don’t have to be overly promotional or fancy. Instead, you can keep it simple and build your email list. Incorporate these ideas into your next contest:

  • Host infrequent, holiday-related giveaways 
  • Make sure your landing page matches your Instagram feed aesthetics
  • Add entrants to your email list and send value-added messages
  • Bundle prizes based on your giveaway or campaign theme

6. Sephora: Host a Hashtag Contest 

Sephora ranks in the top 10 when it comes to social media engagement. The brand offers shoppable Instagram posts and partners with charities so fans can use their beauty rewards for a good cause. Sephora displays client stories and tip sheets while celebrating social media holidays with fun infographics along with unboxing videos. 

By mixing up its content, Sephora appeals to a variety of users across several platforms. The company also uses a hashtag contest to drive views and expand its reach. 

The giveaway posts ask fans to share a photo on their social media page accompanied by the branded hashtag. This makes it easy to pick a contest winner, and people searching for the hashtag can check out content made by individual users, not professionals. 

Key Takeaways

Like Tata Harper, Sephora doesn’t host many of its own giveaways. Instead, bloggers and influencers spread the word through sponsored contests. But, when Sephora shares a promotion, the brand boosts engagement using:

  • A branded hashtag related to the season
  • Fan photos of Sephora products
  • Multiple content types

Use Winter Giveaway Ideas to Complement Your Holiday Campaigns

Adding giveaways to your marketing mix drives website traffic and increases brand awareness. Boost holiday sales by selecting winter giveaway ideas that appeal to your target market. Promote your contest on multiple social media platforms and share user-generated content alongside high-quality photos on your social pages. 

Need help executing your winter giveaway ideas?

Turn your winter giveaway ideas into reality with help from Woobox. Contact the Woobox team from 9 am to 5 pm PST, Monday through Friday at 1-360-450-5200 and via support@woobox.com.