Instagram Reels Giveaways: Getting More Comments on Short Video
A Reel can travel further than a regular post, landing in front of people who've never heard of you. That makes it a tempting format for a giveaway. The catch is that Reels viewers move fast. If they don't understand the offer in the first few seconds, they're gone, and a view that doesn't become a comment doesn't become an entry.
Here's how to build a Reels giveaway around that reality.
The first three seconds: show the prize
Don't open with a long intro. Open with the prize, in motion. Unboxing it, pouring it, wearing it, using it. Put a short on-screen caption over the top so people watching without sound get it immediately, something like "Giveaway: win this" (just remember it's a video caption, so keep it short and readable).
A few openers that tend to hold attention:
- A hand pulling the prize out of a box.
- A quick before-and-after, if your product suits it.
- A "we made too many of these" setup with a stack of products.
- You, holding the prize up to the camera, saying "Want this? Here's how to win it."
Keep the entry instruction to one action
Every extra step loses people. On a Reel, the best entry method is the simplest: comment to enter. If you want more than that, keep it to one addition, like tagging a friend or including a hashtag.
Say the instruction out loud in the video, put it on screen, and repeat it in the first line of the caption. Three places, same words.
Give people something to say
"Comment to enter" works, but "comment your answer" works better. A question gives viewers a reason to type something real, and real comments make your Reel look lively to the next person who scrolls past. Try:
- "Which color would you pick?" (show three options in the video)
- "Tell us where you'd take this."
- "What should we name our next flavor?"
- "Finish this sentence: my morning isn't complete without..."
Avoid questions that need a long answer. One word or one emoji should be enough to take part.
A simple 20-second script
- 0-3 s: Prize on screen, caption "Giveaway."
- 3-10 s: Show the prize from a couple of angles, or show it in use.
- 10-16 s: "To enter, comment your favorite [option] below."
- 16-20 s: "Winner picked at random on [day]. Rules in the caption."
Short and clear beats clever. You can always make a second Reel later in the week as a reminder.
The caption: rules without the wall of text
The caption is where the details live. Lead with the action, then the essentials:
"GIVEAWAY: Comment your favorite scent to enter. One entry per person. Open to [countries], 18+. Ends [day, time, time zone]. Winner picked at random and contacted by DM from this account only. Not sponsored or endorsed by Instagram."
Pin a comment that repeats the entry instruction, so latecomers who skip the caption still see it.
Keep the momentum going
- Reply to early comments. A busy comment section invites more comments.
- Share the Reel to your story with a reminder sticker or countdown sticker for the end time.
- Post a "last chance" story a few hours before closing.
- Don't change the rules halfway. If you need to clarify something, add it to the caption and pinned comment without moving the goalposts.
Picking the winner from a Reel
Reels comments are picked the same way as any Instagram post. Paste the Reel's link into the Instagram giveaway picker and load the comments. Then:
- Turn on the duplicate filter if it's one entry per person. Reels often get people commenting several times.
- Use the hashtag filter if your rules required a hashtag.
- Add staff or past winners to the block list (Silver plan and up) if your rules exclude them.
- Pick a couple of substitutes in case the winner doesn't reply.
The Free plan loads up to 600 comments. If a Reel takes off and you get more than that, Silver loads up to 2,000 and Gold up to 5,000. See pricing for details.
Make the reveal a Reel too
Close the loop with a short reveal video: a screen recording of the draw, or the countdown animation on the Gold plan. A reveal Reel shows the draw was fair, congratulates the winner, and reminds everyone who didn't win that there will be another chance.
Ready? Film your prize, write one clear instruction, and when entries close, pick your winner with the Instagram giveaway tool.