A Simple Giveaway Checklist: Before, During and After

Giveaways have a lot of small moving parts. Most problems people run into, such as an unclear deadline, an ineligible winner or a prize that can't be shipped, come from one small step being skipped.

This checklist covers the whole process in three stages. Save it, copy it into your notes app, or print it, and work through it every time you run a giveaway.

Before: planning and setup

The prize

• Choose a prize your audience actually wants, ideally connected to what you do.
• Decide how many winners there will be.
• Have the prize in hand, or know exactly when it will be ready.
• Work out shipping: cost, packaging, how long it takes and where you can send it.

The rules

• Entry method, such as "comment on this post".
• How many entries per person.
• Any required hashtag or keyword.
• Start and end date, time and time zone.
• Eligibility: age, location, and who's excluded (staff, family, partners).
• How the winner is picked: for example, at random from eligible comments.
• How and when the winner is contacted, and from which account.
• How long the winner has to respond before a substitute is chosen.
• A statement that the giveaway isn't sponsored or run by the platform, if the platform asks for one.

Check the current promotion guidelines of the platform you're using and the rules where you and your entrants live. This checklist is general guidance, not legal advice.

The post

• Clear image or video of the prize.
• Entry method and end date visible in the image, video or first slide, as well as the caption.
• A line saying you'll never ask winners for payment or passwords.
• A pinned comment with the deadline and a link to full rules, if they're long.

The tools

• Check which RaffleSelect plan you need. Free loads up to 600 comments, Silver up to 2,000, Gold up to 5,000 and Platinum is unlimited. See the pricing page.
• If you'll combine posts across platforms, you'll need Platinum's multi-network option.
• If you want a countdown and branding on the reveal, you'll need Gold or Platinum.

During: while the giveaway is live

• Reply to questions in the comments, especially about eligibility and shipping.
• Watch for impersonator accounts replying to entrants, and report and block them.
• Remind people of the deadline in a story or follow-up post near the end.
• Note any accounts that need excluding, such as staff, partners or clear rule-breakers.
• Don't change the rules mid-way. If you must, announce the change publicly.

The draw itself

Once the deadline passes, run the draw soon after. In RaffleSelect:

1. Select the platform and the post (or posts, for a multi-network draw).
2. Turn on the duplicate filter if it's one entry per person.
3. Turn on the hashtag filter if entries had to include one.
4. Add excluded accounts to the block list (Silver and up).
5. Add bonus entries only if your rules said certain people get extra chances (Silver and up).
6. Set the number of winners and substitutes.
7. Turn on the countdown and branding if you're on Gold or Platinum and want them.
8. Screen-record the draw if you plan to share it.
9. Save or download the winner certificate.

After filters are applied, every eligible entry has an equal chance of being picked.

After: announcing and following up

The winner

• Check the winner meets the eligibility rules.
• Contact them from your main account, using the method in your rules.
• Ask only for what you need to deliver the prize, such as a shipping address.
• If they don't respond in time, or aren't eligible, move to the first substitute.

Everyone else

• Announce the winner publicly, with the certificate or a recording of the draw.
• Thank everyone who entered.
• Offer non-winners something small if you can, like a discount or early access.
• Delete or hide any scam replies that appear after the announcement.

The prize

• Pack it carefully, with a thank-you note.
• Ship it with tracking if possible, and share the tracking with the winner.
• Ask, without pressure, whether they'd be happy to share a photo when it arrives.

Your notes

• Write down what went well and what didn't.
• Note how many genuine comments you got and whether new followers stayed.
• Record any questions people kept asking, so you can answer them in the next caption.

Keep it, reuse it

The first time through, this list might feel long. By the third giveaway, most of it becomes habit. The point isn't to make giveaways complicated. It's to make sure nothing important gets forgotten.

When you reach the draw step, start your giveaway on RaffleSelect.