Instagram giveaways have become a popular way for brands and influencers to engage audiences and grow their follower base. However, not all giveaways are conducted with transparency and honesty. Many companies resort to deceptive tactics—sometimes unknowingly—that damage trust and hurt their reputation in the long run. If you’ve ever participated in an Instagram giveaway or are planning to run one yourself, it’s essential to recognize and avoid these shady practices. Here are 11 common giveaway tactics that can seriously undermine your credibility.
1. Not Announcing the Winner Publicly
Some giveaways never publicly announce a winner and instead DM the winner privately. While the winner is technically notified, this approach leaves the rest of your audience without closure. Followers stay around hoping the winner will be announced but end up feeling ignored. This lack of transparency breeds distrust and disappointment.
2. Leaving Giveaways “Open” Indefinitely
Leaving giveaway posts active without announcing a winner or closing the contest creates confusion. People expect clear start and end dates, and ongoing giveaway posts with no updates look like a bait to keep followers unnecessarily. This strategy is unfair and frustrating.
3. Announcing Winners Only in Instagram Stories
Announcing the winner solely through Instagram Stories—a feature that disappears after 24 hours—is a sly way to avoid accountability. After the story vanishes, new visitors won’t know who won or if the giveaway really ended. This tactic hopes to retain followers for longer without delivering transparency.
4. Changing Giveaway Posts After Ending
Some accounts edit or completely change the caption of their giveaway posts after the contest ends, removing details about the event. This causes confusion for those who check back and erodes trust as followers can’t verify what actually happened.
5. Deleting Giveaway Posts Entirely
An even worse practice is deleting giveaway posts altogether once winners are picked. While this might clear up a feed, it’s a huge transparency issue. Followers who want to check contest details or confirm winners are left in the dark, questioning the legitimacy of the promotion.
6. Removing Tags of Accounts to Follow
In group giveaways involving multiple influencers or brands, the hosts often require participants to follow many accounts. Post-contest, these collaborations sometimes wipe out tags or mentions of accounts you were meant to follow. Since Instagram doesn’t show following chronologically, it becomes hard to remember or find these accounts later for unfollowing, trapping people into following accounts they no longer care about.
7. Not Selecting a Winner at All
Some giveaways never actually pick or notify a winner—just announcing the contest is closed and keeping all the new followers gained. This tactic is outright dishonest and can severely harm a brand’s reputation if discovered.
8. Not Sending Out Prizes to Winners
Even when a winner is selected, some brands fail to send the promised prize. This leaves winners frustrated and feeling scammed, often with no recourse. Such experiences spread negative word-of-mouth and damage trust for good.
9. Picking Winners Who Aren’t Random
Favoritism in winner selection—like choosing friends, family, or influential followers—while pretending the winner was picked randomly, is unethical. Though hard to prove, this practice undermines the spirit of fairness and transparency.
10. Ignoring Giveaway Rules When Selecting Winners
Picking a winner who didn’t follow all the entry rules, such as not following the account or skipping mandatory steps, is a lazy and shady shortcut. It betrays participants’ efforts and damages credibility.
11. Having Unclear or Inconsistent Entry Criteria
Some giveaways have confusing entry requirements—for example, saying that sharing a post is either mandatory or just for extra entries without clear guidelines. This ambiguity frustrates participants who don’t know exactly what qualifies them or how winners will be chosen.
Why Transparency Matters
All these shady giveaway practices boil down to a lack of transparency and respect for your audience. The more open and honest you are about your giveaway rules, timeline, and winner selection, the more trust you build. Followers who feel valued and respected are more likely to become loyal customers rather than just “numbers” on your follower list.
Final Thoughts
If you want your Instagram giveaways to genuinely boost your brand and connect with your audience, avoid these deceptive tactics at all costs. Run your contests ethically, communicate clearly, and honor your commitments. Your community will appreciate it, and your reputation will benefit in the long term.
Have you experienced any of these shady giveaway tactics? Or spotted others not listed here? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. Transparency isn’t just good etiquette—it’s the foundation of a healthy social media presence.
This article was inspired by insights from a popular social media expert highlighting common pitfalls in Instagram giveaways. Avoid these mistakes and create giveaways that truly engage and delight your followers.
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