a single source, nothing corroborates it

Build the entry rule so entrants recruit more

A giveaway that only asks for a follow buys one action per person. Requiring a tag, awarding extra entries for further tags, or making the winning condition the comment nobody has liked turns every entrant into a recruiter, and keeping the whole thing on-platform in concentrated bursts is what gets it trending.

The method

1. 01

   Design a giveaway whose winning condition is the comment nobody has liked, which drives comments and simultaneously gives everyone a reason to like each other's entries.

2. 02

   Expect this mechanic to work at very different prize sizes, so test it cheaply before spending on a headline item.

3. 03

   Structure the entry mechanic so each entrant recruits others: require a tag, then award extra entries for more tags and for resharing to stories.

4. 04

   Make the entry requirement a public post with your hashtag, so every entrant is also placing an ad for you.

5. 05

   Run the entry mechanic inside the social platform instead of sending people to a competition page, so the activity is visible and compounds.

What it returned

• $400

  Reported outcomes: a signed Messi shirt brought 574k new followers, a $400 phone drew 5.2M views, and a supermarket meal deal produced 136k retweets.

• 1

  The post drew 1.9M comments, roughly 1,900 times her usual level.

• 55,000

  Entrants tweeted why a loved one deserved a Volvo XC60 using a branded hashtag; over 55,000 people used it

• The mechanic exploits two separate engagement signals at once, since entrants like rivals' comments specifically to disqualify them.

Sources

• How Volvo won the Super Bowl (without running an ad)Harry Dry · Marketing Examples · How Volvo won the Super Bowl (without running an ad) · undated
• £8k Instagram Giveaway → 1M followersHarry Dry · Marketing Examples · £8k Instagram Giveaway → 1M followers · undated
• A crafty social media giveawayHarry Dry · Marketing Examples · A crafty social media giveaway · undated