Welcome to The YYJ Scroll! Where we give you a peek inside everything we’ve learned managing social media for businesses in Victoria, BC.
This week, we are sharing everything you need to know to craft your next social media giveaway. Including industry tips from local professionals, and real live examples.
In this issue:
Industry Insight from Heather Pace, the creator behind (@sweetlyraw), and owner of Sweetly Raw Desserts: her top tip for getting more eyes on your giveaway
The main event: A 9-step guide to running a giveaway that actually works
Along the way: Three live local giveaways that are doing it right - don’t forget to enter!
Bonus Scroll: Our magic bullet for taking your giveaway to the next level
Let’s dive in:
Industry Insight
As one of the best-known local content creators in Victoria, she’s built her platform on collaboration, consistency, and community: Heather is the founder of Sweetly Raw Desserts and the face behind @sweetlyraw an account filled with vibrant, local food and drink, and a loyal engaged following to match.
“Make sure to get people to like, follow, and tag friends in order to enter. It’s a great way to reach new followers!”
She’s right—it’s not just about the number of entries, it’s about the engagement. Getting people to like, follow, and tag friends doesn’t just boost visibility—it creates momentum. Every comment, share, and tag signals interest and expands your reach to new, relevant audiences. That kind of activity is what turns a giveaway into a real growth opportunity, not just a short-term spike.
The more energy you build around your post, the more the algorithm (and your community) will reward you for it.
And Here’s Your Guide:
Step 1: Start with Your Goal
Gaining followers is great, but only if they’re engaged. You want to attract people who share your values, resemble your ideal clients, and will stick around after the giveaway ends.
Common goals include:
Growing your social media following
Re-engaging your existing client base
Building relationships with other local businesses
Promoting a new product or service
Building an email list of potential buyers
Get clear on your intention before you move forward. Write it down and build every part of your giveaway around it.
Step 2: Choose Your Prize
If the prize isn’t valuable, or requires the winner to spend money or jump through hoops, it won’t generate the excitement (or entries) you're hoping for.
Your prize should:
Be completely free, with no strings attached
Have a perceived or actual value of at least $250
Appeal directly to your target audience
Be easy to claim—no tight restrictions, location limits, or timing barriers
Avoid uncertainty or conditions that make people hesitate.
Step 3: Collaborate with Local Businesses
If you’re still growing your audience, collaborating with other businesses can amplify your reach and your credibility.
Benefits include:
Exposure to new but relevant audiences
Shared promotional efforts
Increased perceived value of the prize
Choose businesses that complement (not compete with) yours, and align on values and customer experience.
Step 4: Plan the Mechanics
Make it clear and easy to enter with all the rules and opportunities in the caption. Dont get too complex about it, the more effort it takes, the fewer people will follow through (unless the prize is really incredible)
Tie your entry requirements to your goals. Want more followers? Ask them to follow. Want email signups? Offer a bonus entry for subscribing.
Common entry actions:
Follow: Have users follow all accounts involved.
Like & Comment: Boosts engagement and visibility.
Tag a Friend: Expands reach to similar audiences.
Share to Stories: Often used as a bonus entry; it requires effort but can dramatically increase reach.
Email Signup: Ideal if list-building is a main goal. Consider a secondary prize or bonus entry for subscribers.
Timing tip:
One week is usually perfect. Two weeks can work for bigger prizes—but only if you keep promoting consistently.
Step 5: Be A Good Vibe
Your wording sets the tone. Keep it warm, inclusive, and grateful. Celebrate holidays that matter to your audience.
Focus on:
Giving back to your audience
Celebrating your community
Uplifting your partners
If people feel warm and fuzzy when they come across your content, they will start associating those good feelings with your brand. This will build trust and likability.
Step 6: Consider Paid Strategies for Extra Reach
If you’re ready to invest a little to maximize your impact, paid promotion can go a long way.
Options include:
Instagram/Facebook boosts: Reach a targeted local audience that is similar to those who already follow you.
Sponsoring posts through local media: Many outlets offer affordable, high-visibility options for sponsored giveaways. We love @vancouverislandbuzz!
Step 7: Don’t Drop the Ball After the Winner is Chosen
Your winner isn’t the finish line, it’s the start of a great impression.
Follow through with:
A personal, enthusiastic message
Prompt delivery of the prize
A follow-up to see how they liked it
Encouraging them to share their experience
A positive handoff turns your giveaway into lasting goodwill and word-of-mouth hype.
Step 8: Engage With Everyone Who Entered
Show appreciation beyond the winner.
Post a thank-you in your feed and stories
Share fun highlights: DMs, UGC, or thoughtful comments
Offer a small gesture like a discount code, freebie, or early access to a launch
This helps turn one-time participants into ongoing supporters—and shows you value your entire community.
Step 9: Review Your Results
Don’t skip this step. Reflection helps you improve for next time.
Track:
Follower growth (and retention)
Reach and impressions
Likes, comments, shares, and saves
Story views and interactions
Email signups
Link clicks or referral traffic
Note what worked—prize choice, partner selection, content style, or timing—and what could be better. The more you learn, the better your next giveaway will perform.
Final Thoughts: A Giveaway Is More Than a Tactic
A well-executed giveaway is more than a numbers game—it’s an opportunity to:
Build real relationships with your audience
Support and uplift fellow local businesses
Create positive brand energy
Showcase what it’s like to work with or buy from you
When done with intention, generosity, and community in mind, a giveaway becomes something much more powerful than a marketing strategy—it becomes a connection point.
Bonus Scroll: Don’t Overlook Influencers
Don’t underestimate the power of local influencers to amplify your giveaway. There are creators in every niche from food, to fitness, to DIY, who have built loyal, engaged followings. With the right fit, a simple story share, mention, or co-post can dramatically expand your reach.
Just keep in mind: most influencers know the value of their reach, and there will likely be a cost involved in having them promote your content. If it’s outside your budget, that’s totally okay, just be respectful, thank them for their time, and keep the door open for future collaborations. Kindness goes a long way.
That’s a wrap for the first edition of The YYJ Scroll. Thanks for being here at the beginning, we’re just getting started.
Whether you're planning your next giveaway or just picking up a few ideas for later, we hope this week’s scroll gave you something useful. This post will stay on our newsletter landing page if you need it for future reference!
See you next Saturday where we will dive into one of the most common problems our clients face: Facebook Page loss.
Stay connected,
Tiffany & Anna
Heron Media