How to run an Instagram giveaway

Running a t-shirt giveaway on Instagram is one of the easiest ways to grow your following, build an email list, reward your fans, and build hype around your brand.

Why don't more people do it? Because it can be a logistical nightmare. You need to order t-shirts, collect entries, pick winners (fairly), notify the winners, pack and ship the prizes. One misstep along the way and you can easily cause more damage to your brand and followers than you helped.

We created Give for you. Now, managing a giveaway is no longer a logistical headache. You focus on the fun part—creating buzz—while Give handles entry collection, random winner selection, and prize fulfillment.

How much do we charge for this service? Nothing! You pay the same price for your shirts that you'd normally pay if you were placing a custom order.

Here’s how to launch your first t-shirt giveaway using Instagram + Give:

Step 1: Create your Giveaway page with Give

Start by visiting stickermule.com/give and setting up your giveaway.

1. Create a giveaway
2. Select a prize. Choose from previous t-shirts or custom hot sauce you've ordered.
3. Set the rules. Choose how many winners and how long the giveaway will last.
4. Checkout

Step 2: Craft your Instagram post

Create an eye-catching post or reel that announces the giveaway. Make sure it clearly explains:

• The prize (include a mockup or product photo)
• How to enter (e.g. “Click the link in bio to enter!”)
• When it ends
• Any other requirements (e.g. “Follow us” or “Tag a friend”)

Here’s a simple caption template to get you started:

Giveaway time! We’re giving away 3 of our brand new t-shirts. To enter, hit the link in our bio! Ends Friday at midnight. No purchase necessary. U.S. only.

Add relevant hashtags like #giveaway, #freestuff, #contest, and your brand-specific tags to maximize reach.

Step 3: Share the link in your bio or Stories

Paste your Give link in your Instagram bio or use a “link in bio” service like Linktree or Beacons. You can also add the link to your Instagram Stories with the sticker feature.

If you’re running ads or using other social channels (X, Facebook, Threads), this same link works across platforms.

Step 4: Let Give handle the hard part

Once your followers click the link, Give takes care of the rest:

• We'll collect entries (no form-building required)
• We'll handle fair random selection
• We'll notify the winner(s) via email
• We'll send them their prize

You don’t need to track DMs, spreadsheets, or random comment pickers. Everything’s taken care of for you.

You'll receive a list of list of all the emails entered in your giveaway. Making this the easiest way to quickly build or grow your email list.

Step 5: Announce the winner + re-engage

When your giveaway ends, we'll post the winner(s) and thank everyone for entering. A few ideas:

• Share a story or post announcing the winner
• Offer a discount code to non-winners
• Link to your next giveaway or product drop

Building long-term engagement is key—Give makes it easy to run repeat giveaways, so your fans always have something to look forward to.

Final thoughts

Instagram giveaways are a proven way to grow your brand—but only if they’re easy to run. With Give, you don’t need to be a contest expert or build a landing page from scratch. It’s the fastest, cleanest way to run giveaways that work.

Head to stickermule.com/give to launch your first giveaway in minutes.