How To Run A Twitter / X Contest
Learn how to run a successful Twitter / X contest with this helpful guide.
- Grow your followers quickly with shareable content
- Boost engagement through retweets, likes, and replies
- Collect valuable user-generated content and feedback
- Increase brand visibility with hashtags and shares
- Turn new followers into long-term customers with Gleam
Running a Twitter / X contest is one of the fastest ways to grow followers, boost engagement, promote products, and collect user-generated content.
Follow these steps to plan, launch, and wrap your campaign with confidence.
Decide what “success” looks like before you choose a format.
- Awareness & reach → quick, low-friction actions on-platform
- UGC & conversation → replies or hashtag submissions
- Leads & multi-action growth → in-app contest with data capture
Write your goal in one line (e.g., “Collect 500 emails and 300 new follows in 14 days”) to guide every decision that follows.
There are two main approaches to running a contest. You can host it directly on Twitter / X for speed and simplicity, or use Gleam to capture more lasting value.
Direct contests happen entirely on the platform, so entry is effortless.
Typical formats:
- Retweet to enter
- Like or follow to win
- Tweet with a hashtag
- Reply to a tweet
Trade-off: X won’t share emails or personal data, so these are best for short awareness spikes rather than long-term CRM growth.
One of the simplest approaches is a classic retweet-to-win:
You’ll need a fair method to track entries and randomly select a winner.
If you want lasting value, send entrants to a Gleam widget.
This lets you:
- Capture emails and contact details
- Stack multiple actions per entrant (follow + retweet + hashtag)
- Auto-validate entries and draw winners
- Store UGC in a gallery
With Gleam, administering entries, drawing winners, and collecting email addresses are handled for you.
Looking at the demo above you should notice how you can ask your users to do a lot more than you can ask them to do in a single tweet, and this example barely scratches the surface of all the entry actions available with Gleam.
Pick a prize that attracts the right audience (not just freebie hunters) and matches the effort you’re asking for.
- Your own products
- Gift vouchers
- Unique experiences (meet & greets, limited editions, trips, merch)
Rule of thumb: the more actions you require, the more valuable the prize should be.
- Identify what motivates your target audience to enter
- Select a prize directly linked to your brand or product
- Scale prize value based on the number of actions required
- Add exclusivity with limited editions or unique experiences
- Double-check the prize is relevant to your ideal customer
Configure the key elements:
- Entry actions: follows, retweets, hashtag usage, replies
- Creative: hero image, prize visuals, concise copy
- Eligibility: regions, age limits, employee exclusions
- Timing: start/end dates, winner announcement date
Keep copy clear and action-oriented.
Use one call-to-action per screen where possible.
Protect yourself and create fairness.
Include:
- Promoter name and contact details
- Start/end dates and submission deadlines
- Who can enter (age, region, exclusions)
- How to enter (exact steps)
- Winner selection method and notification
- Claim window and delivery specifics
- Full prize description and caveats
If you run your competition with Gleam all you have to do to set up your terms and conditions is write them out and watch as they are automatically embedded in your widget.
- Write rules in plain language that anyone can understand
- Include contest dates, deadlines, and eligibility upfront
- Explain exactly how people can enter and what counts as valid
- State how winners will be selected and how they’ll be contacted
- Publish prize details and delivery process to avoid confusion
Drive entries with a focused distribution plan:
-
Post it on Twitter / X
The single best way to promote your Twitter / X contest is simply by regularly Tweeting about it. Remember to always include images to make your Tweets eye-catching and visually engaging, and always use relevant hashtags to try to get some extra attention. -
Announce it to your subscribers
As well as sharing your contest with all of your Twitter / X followers, you'll also want to make sure everyone on your mailing list is aware of your contest. -
Cross-promote on other social networks
In addition to promoting your contest on Twitter / X it's also a good idea to spread word about your campaign across any other social media networks you're active on such as Facebook and Instagram. -
Use partners
Partnering up with another brand or an influencer is a great way to expose your contest (and brand) to an audience who may not be familiar with you. -
Use Twitter / X Ads
If you have the budget for it, using Twitter / X's targeted ads can be another great way to gain huge exposure from a relevant audience who would otherwise not be exposed to your contest or brand. -
Embed it on your own site
If you run a contest with Gleam then you have the option of embedding your competition into your own website.
Check out our in depth guide for all the information you need on promoting your giveaway.
Choose a fair, transparent method:
- Frictionless contests: gather eligible entries and randomly select a winner.
- In-app contests: let Gleam automate random draws and eligibility checks.
- Photo/UGC contests: you may judge on quality; Gleam helps organise entries.
Find out everything you need to know about how you can draw contest winners with Gleam.
Once you've chosen your winner you'll need to publicly announce who it is and congratulate them for their victory.
In the immediate aftermath of your contest you don't want to neglect the other entrants, so consider using your announcement as an opportunity to offer all your users a bonus reward or promote your other upcoming contests.
Keep momentum going as soon as the contest ends:
- Post engaging content tailored to new followers
- Share product education or customer stories
- Run a limited-time offer to convert interest into sales
For e-commerce, a short post-contest sale can turn goodwill into measurable revenue while attention is highest.
Use visuals, encourage photo submissions, and include hashtags to increase visibility and interaction.
To run a Twitter giveaway, post a tweet with your prize and entry instructions, ask users to follow and retweet, and use a tool like Gleam to track and verify entries.
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