![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/5fb84c1cf12c8d17288e00d3_Using%20Contests%20to%20Gain%20Instagram%20Followers%20For%20CBD%20%E2%80%94%20Cannabis%20%E2%80%94%20Q2%202020.png)
Using Contests to Gain Instagram Followers For CBD
Key Findings
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/60c7bc0338e68af93665a498_Key%20Takeaways%20%E2%80%93%C2%A0Divider%20%E2%80%93%C2%A0Gradient.png)
Competitors are using free product giveaways on Instagram to generate awareness and build their audience: Both NuLeaf Naturals and CBDistillery saw significant spikes in weekly follower growth and far above-average post engagements when posting simple product giveaways requiring entrants to tag friends and follow their account.
What Brands Should Be Thinking About
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/60c7bc0338e68af93665a498_Key%20Takeaways%20%E2%80%93%C2%A0Divider%20%E2%80%93%C2%A0Gradient.png)
Consider running giveaways and engagement-based contests on Instagram to build your following and educate about key products: Cross-promote the giveaway on other social channels to increase reach, and consider implementing a similar contest format - simple and low-cost to run, and easy for new audiences to enter and get involved.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
CBDistillery saw +477% and +456% increases in average weekly IG followers in May and June after running giveaways contests aimed at generating awareness for new product releases and bestsellers.
![IG Followers Gained Per Week](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/60b52e9af92fc1eb7613368a_IG%20Followers%20gained%20per%20week.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
These two dramatic increases in weekly followers came as a result of CBDistillery running simple, easy to enter giveaway contests intended to build product awareness and reach new audiences - which received post engagements that were +1544% and +1155% above account average.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/60b52ee06013dec3f801be60_Posts.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
Similarly, NuLeaf Naturals saw a +580% increase in average weekly IG followers in July after running a giveaway following a near-identical contest format.
![IG Followers Gained Per week](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/60b52f2a95c18502ca268089_IG%20Followers%20Gained%20Per%20Week.png)
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/6095caa2cfa57d5d39bf75a6_Slide%20Divider.png)
The primary driver of this spike in weekly followers came as a result of NuLeaf running a giveaway contest to reinvigorate their IG following after several weeks of below average post performance, which generated +162% more engagements than their account average.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e459e61116466aa9af84140/60b52f6d6236ea31dd3efb45_NuLeaf.png)
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