5 Giveaways that every music fan will love

Giveaways can be a great way to connect with your fans and offer them a chance to own a piece of your art or merchandise to cherish. They can seem daunting if you’ve never done one, but we’re here to help!

by Sammy Hakim of Bandzoogle

There’s a lot to think about, from deciding which items to give away, to how your fans will enter their names to win, or even how to ensure sure your fans will love being a part of it.  

A giveaway is a powerful way to involve your fans in your journey. We compiled these five tips to help get you started.

1. Make it personal

As a musician, doing a giveaway is a great way to connect with your fanbase and give them something that could stay with them forever. Especially if it’s something personal! 

This could be as simple as adding an autograph to whatever you’re giving away, or as involved as writing a personalized letter or recording a video for the winner. You can set up items on a dedicated landing page on your website, and have your fans enter their email address in exchange for a chance to receive a specific, customized item. Include an image or two to show them what they’ll be getting, to stir interest.

No matter what you decide to give away, making it something personalized will create a lasting memory for both you and your winning participant. 

2. Join forces with a brand you love

Think of your target audience; What’s their demographic? Do you love a brand that fits your audience’s taste?  If so, you may want to consider doing a brand giveaway. 

Collaborating with a brand that you and your fanbase know and love provides another mutual connection  for you to share.

It may be difficult to reach out to a brand and ask to collaborate with them, but it never hurts. Remember: if you have a fanbase that fits their target audience, you may have something to offer them in return, such as helping promote a new product in their line, or reach potential new customers.

Collaboration doesn’t necessarily mean you have to create something from scratch. brand partnerships are popular these days, and there are plenty of brands big and small out there looking for ways to reach a wider audience. Finding one willing to offer you some items to include in your giveaway may take just a few emails. 

Brand collaborating could mean giving your fan something you didn’t make, but it’s still an item you love and enjoy. Chances are your fans would, as well.

3. Go with exclusives

What better way to get fans involved in a good giveaway than offering up some exclusive items? These can be items created just for the giveaway, merch favorites that are sold out of stock in your store, or even exclusive add-ons (which we’ll get into next!). 

T-shirts for example are always a fan favorite, and can turn your supporters into walking billboards for your music. If you’ve set up print-on-demand merch, you can create t-shirts or other items with your band name or logo quickly without having to store products. That way, you can create an exclusive item only for your giveaway, or bring back an item that your fans have bought in the past.

Giving fans a chance to get something they may or may not be able to get later will have them rearing to get those entries going! And those lucky winners will have won something to cherish forever. 

While we’re on the topic of exclusives, using your music website as the platform for your giveaways can help increase the traffic and impressions. Additionally, any interested fans can quickly pop in to take a look at your merch store or join your mailing list so they can be up to date on any future giveaways or releases.

4. Include add-ons

What makes a giveaway more fun than including special add-on items? This is a fun tactic because the giveaway could be a traditional set up, or a special automatic entry for purchasers from your merch store. However you decide to set it up, the idea is pretty straightforward: add some free stickers or small items to some lucky winner’s orders, or if you’re doing a traditional giveaway, add a few surprise items for whoever gets picked. Stickers and small items with your band name or branding will be seen by more people than just the winner, which is a great way to spread the word about your music.

You can also make it exclusive and give away things like polaroids, handwritten lyrics, or even just a small letter of thanks. 

5. Make it fun

Most importantly, create a giveaway that’s fun and will make your fans want to participate. While there are always the classic ‘tag yourself,’ ‘tag a friend,’ and other simple entries, the world is your oyster here–so why not brainstorm another way to take entries? If many artists are doing giveaways, approaching this step creatively can make you stand out from the crowd.

Some ideas for entry submissions could be to complete an unfinished lyric for your latest song in an Instagram story, or dueting a TikTok video about how your music has affected someone. Consider creative options for interaction– this makes the entry experience fun, and creates a memorable experience for your fans. 

Giveaway prizes offer your fans tangible pieces of their connection with you. Whether you end up going the personal route, or collaborating with a brand you like, your fans are sure to love it. 

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Sammy Hakim is an up and coming young songwriter based in Los Angeles. In May 2018 she graduated from Berklee College of Music with a Major in songwriting and a focus in music business. These days she spends most of her time in songwriting sessions with artists all over the country.