# Giveaway post design: rules, prizes and a clear call [Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/giveaway-post-design) A giveaway post has four jobs: show the prize, explain how to enter, say when it closes and point to the rules. Most fail by trying to do all four in one crowded square. ## The short version - A giveaway post should show the prize first, then how to enter, then the closing date, with full rules in the caption or a linked page. - Instagram's promotion guidelines require official rules and a statement that the promotion is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by Instagram. - Instagram does not allow asking people to tag themselves in content they don't appear in. - A carousel works well for giveaways: the prize on page one, entry steps on page two and key terms on page three. - Prize promotion laws vary by country, so check local rules on eligibility, purchase requirements and drawing winners. Effective **giveaway post design** follows one order: the prize, how to enter, when it closes, where the rules are. The prize should be the biggest thing in the frame, ideally a clear photo of it. Entry steps come next, numbered and short. The closing date and time sit close by, with a time zone. The full terms go in the caption or on a linked page, because no one reads small print on an image, and platforms expect you to publish it properly. ## The hierarchy of a giveaway post People decide in a second whether a giveaway is for them, and that decision rests entirely on the prize. Everything else is secondary until they care. Design for that order. | Rank | Element | How it looks | | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | The prize | A clean photo or a large plain name: "A year of coffee" | | 2 | How to enter | Two or three numbered steps, one line each | | 3 | Closing date | "Closes Sunday 11 October, 8pm UK time" | | 4 | Rules pointer | "Full terms in the caption" or "Terms: link in bio" | | 5 | Brand | Your background and a small logo | Five elements, in order of size. If the closing date is as large as the prize, the post reads as admin rather than an offer. A portrait giveaway post headed Win a year of coffee, with the closing date and time underneath The prize is the headline. The deadline is right there, with a time zone, and nothing else competes. ## Write entry steps people can follow Every extra step costs entries, and confusing steps cost trust. Keep it to what you actually need, and write each step as an action. 1. **Follow the account** Name the exact handle, especially if you run more than one. 2. **Comment with one thing** Ask for something easy and specific: "your favourite brew", "which colour you'd pick". It makes comments worth reading. 3. **Optional: share to your story** Mark extras as optional. A compulsory share feels like a toll, and it puts off people who keep their stories personal. Avoid "tag five friends". Tagging friends in a comment is common, but long tag requirements fill your comments with noise and annoy the people tagged. One tag, if any, is plenty. The same clarity rules as any [announcement post](https://gradiently.design/guide/announcement-post-design) apply: one message, said plainly. ## Giveaway rules on Instagram and Facebook Platforms set their own requirements for promotions, on top of the law where you live. On Instagram, the [Promotion Guidelines](https://help.instagram.com/179379842258600) are the source to read. In short: - You are responsible for running the promotion lawfully, including official rules, terms and eligibility. - You must state that the promotion is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram. - You must not ask people to tag themselves in content they don't appear in, or tag content inaccurately. - On Facebook, people's personal timelines and friend connections must not be used to run the promotion, so "share on your timeline to enter" is not allowed. Your official rules should cover who can enter (age, countries), the start and end date and time, how the winner is chosen, how and when they'll be contacted, what the prize is exactly, and what happens if they don't reply. Laws on prize promotions differ between countries, including whether a purchase can be required, so check the rules where you and your entrants live. > **Put the disclaimer in the caption** A line such as "This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram" belongs in the caption with the terms, not on the image. ## Use a carousel for the details A carousel solves the crowded square. Page one is the prize, big and beautiful. Page two lists the entry steps. Page three carries the closing date, who can enter and where to find full terms. Readers who care swipe; everyone else still sees a clean offer in the feed. Carousel page one of a giveaway showing the prize, an autumn coffee bundle Page one shows the prize and nothing else. Carousel page two titled How to enter, listing follow, comment and the closing day Page two lists the steps, numbered and short, with the deadline repeated. Add a 1080×1920 story version to point people at the post. Keep the words in the middle band, and if you're using a countdown sticker for the closing time, leave room for it. [Countdown posts](https://gradiently.design/guide/countdown-post-design) and [Instagram carousel design](https://gradiently.design/guide/instagram-carousel-design) go deeper on each. ## Design mistakes that cost entries ### Avoid - "GIVEAWAY" in giant type, prize tiny underneath - Closing date with no time or time zone - Terms in 12 point text on the image - Confetti and starbursts over the prize photo - A prize your actual customers don't want ### Do - The prize as the headline - "Closes Sunday 11 October, 8pm UK time" - Full terms in the caption or a linked page - One calm background that is clearly yours - A prize from your own range, so entrants are likely buyers That last point is worth dwelling on. A giveaway for a generic gadget attracts people who want gadgets. A giveaway for your own product attracts people who want your product, and they are the followers worth having. For more ways to grow a local following, see [small business Instagram ideas](https://gradiently.design/guide/small-business-instagram). ## After the draw: announce the winner Close the loop publicly. A winner post, in the same design as the giveaway, shows the draw was real and gives the next giveaway credibility. Use the winner's handle only with their agreement, and say how the winner was chosen. A short [thank you post](https://gradiently.design/guide/thank-you-post) to everyone who entered keeps the goodwill going. Keeping the giveaway, the story, the carousel and the winner post in one look is easier when everything comes from a single design. In Gradiently, you design once on your Mark and make the post, story and carousel sizes from it, so the whole campaign matches. ## FAQ ### What should a giveaway post include? The prize, how to enter, the closing date and time with a time zone, and where to find the full rules, in that order of prominence. ### What are Instagram's rules for giveaways? You need official rules and eligibility terms, a statement that Instagram doesn't sponsor or run the promotion, and you must not ask people to tag themselves in content they don't appear in. ### Where should giveaway terms and conditions go? In the caption or on a linked page, not as small print on the image. The image should point to them. ### Can I ask people to share my giveaway on Facebook to enter? Not on their personal timeline. Facebook doesn't allow personal timelines or friend connections to be used to administer promotions. ### What size is an Instagram giveaway post? 1080×1350 for the feed post or carousel pages, and 1080×1920 for a story pointing to it.