Father's Day Giveaway Ideas for Small Businesses
Father's Day falls on Sunday, June 21 this year. That leaves you about eleven days, which is enough time to run a good giveaway if you start this week. It is not enough time to plan something elaborate, so this guide sticks to ideas you can set up in an afternoon.
One thing makes Father's Day giveaways a little different from most: the person entering usually isn't the person who will use the prize. People enter on behalf of a dad, grandpa, stepdad, uncle or the father figure in their life. That shapes everything, from the prize you pick to the way you word your post.
Start with the calendar, not the prize
Work backwards from June 21. If the prize is physical and you want it to arrive in time, you need a winner picked and confirmed with time left for shipping. A rough plan:
- June 10-11: Choose the prize, write the rules, create the post.
- June 11-15: Giveaway open. Remind people once or twice in stories.
- June 15 (evening): Close entries and pick the winner.
- June 16: Winner confirms their address. Pick a substitute if they don't respond by your deadline.
- June 17-20: Ship, or arrange local pickup.
If you can't guarantee delivery in time, say so in the rules. "Prize ships after the winner confirms" is honest and avoids disappointed messages on the Saturday before Father's Day.
Prize ideas that suit the occasion
The "done for you" gift
A ready-to-give bundle is the easiest win. A coffee roaster might put together beans, a mug and a pour-over cone. A barber shop could offer a cut and beard trim with a grooming kit. A bakery could bundle a cake with a handwritten card. The entrant gets a finished gift and nothing to figure out.
An experience instead of a thing
Local businesses have an advantage here. A round of golf lessons, a brewery tour, a fishing charter, a cooking class for two or a dinner voucher can't be bought from a big online store. Experiences also skip the shipping deadline problem entirely, because the voucher can be sent digitally.
Let the winner choose
Not every dad wants a grill tool set. A gift card or "pick any item under a set value" prize lets the winner match the gift to the person. It's less photogenic, so pair it with a photo of a few popular options.
A gift for the giver too
Try a "two of everything" prize: one for dad and one for the person who entered. It rewards the entrant directly and gives them a reason to share the post with siblings.
Entry prompts that get real comments
Comment-to-enter giveaways work best when the comment itself is fun to write. A few prompts that fit the day:
- "Tell us the best piece of advice your dad ever gave you."
- "What's the most 'dad' thing your dad does?"
- "Who's the father figure you'd give this to, and why?"
- "Describe your dad's perfect Sunday in three words."
These comments are often lovely to read, and they give you material for a thank-you post afterwards (ask permission before sharing anyone's comment outside the thread).
Be gentle in your wording, too. Father's Day can be hard for people who have lost a parent or have a difficult relationship with one. Phrases like "the dad or father figure in your life" or "someone who's been a dad to you" keep the door open for everyone.
Keep the draw clean
Heartfelt prompts tend to get long comment threads, and some people will comment several times to tell more than one story. Decide in advance whether that counts as multiple entries. Most brands go with one entry per person, and a duplicate filter handles that automatically when you pick the winner.
If you ask people to include a hashtag, such as #BestDadAdvice, the hashtag filter will only count comments that contain it. Both filters are available on the Free plan, which loads up to 600 comments.
Pick a substitute or two at the same time as your winner. With a tight deadline before June 21, you won't have time to wait days for a reply and then start over.
A quick checklist before you post
- Prize chosen, with a clear value and description.
- Start and end time written in the post, including time zone.
- Who can enter: age, location, and whether shipping is limited to certain countries.
- How to enter, in one sentence.
- How and when the winner will be contacted, and how long they have to reply.
- A note that the giveaway isn't sponsored or endorsed by the platform, if the platform's rules ask for one.
This is general guidance rather than legal advice. Giveaway rules vary by country and state, so check what applies where you are and read the promotion guidelines of the platform you're using.
Ready to pick your winner?
When your entries close, paste your post link into RaffleSelect, turn on the duplicate filter, and pick a winner and a backup in a couple of minutes. That leaves the rest of the week for wrapping and shipping.