How to Do a Raffle on TikTok

Thinking about hosting a raffle on TikTok? It's one of the fastest ways to skyrocket your engagement, gain a burst of new followers, and create genuine excitement around your brand. This guide will walk you through every step of the process, from picking the perfect prize and setting clear rules to fairly choosing a winner and making the announcement.

Why Running a TikTok Raffle Is a Smart Move

Before getting into the how-to, let's look at the why. A well-run raffle isn't just about giving away free stuff, it's a strategic marketing tool. Giveaways and contests tap into a basic human desire to win, creating a powerful incentive for people to interact with your content. The benefits are clear and immediate:

• Boosted Engagement: Requirements like "like this video," "comment below," and "tag a friend" directly increase your video's engagement metrics. This signals to the TikTok algorithm that your content is valuable, pushing it out to more For You pages.
• Rapid Follower Growth: Making "follow our account" a mandatory entry rule is a straightforward and effective tactic for increasing your follower count. People who might have scrolled past your content now have a reason to hit that follow button.
• Increased Brand Awareness: When entrants tag their friends or share your video, they're introducing your brand to new audiences. This peer-to-peer recommendation is incredibly powerful and helps your account get discovered organically.
• Community Building: A raffle is a fun, interactive event for your audience. It shows you appreciate their support and gives them a reason to feel connected to your brand. The buzz and conversation in the comments section can create a real sense of community.

First, The Ground Rules: TikTok's Policies and Legal Basics

Jumping into a raffle without knowing the rules is a recipe for trouble. Both TikTok and local laws have guidelines you need to follow to keep things fair and avoid getting your account flagged. While this isn't legal advice, here are the general best practices you absolutely need to follow.

TikTok's Promotion Guidelines

TikTok has a Branded Content Policy that outlines the rules for running promotions. The key takeaways for your raffle are:

• No TikTok Endorsement: You must clearly state that TikTok is not sponsoring, endorsing, or associated with your giveaway in any way. This is a non-negotiable disclaimer.
• State the Rules Clearly: You are responsible for the official rules of your contest. This includes how to enter, eligibility requirements (like age and location), the prize, and the start and end dates.
• Be Honest and Transparent: Don't make false claims or mislead participants. The prize you advertise must be the prize you deliver. Announce the winner publicly and follow through on sending the prize.

Legal Considerations (The Important Stuff)

Contest laws vary significantly by country, state, and even city. It is your responsibility to understand and comply with the laws in your specific location and the locations of your target audience.

• "No Purchase Necessary": In most places (including the United States), if your giveaway requires a purchase to enter, it could be classified as an illegal lottery. Always offer a free method of entry. Rules like "follow us" and "comment below" are fine because they don't cost money.
• Write Official Rules: For larger raffles with valuable prizes, it's wise to write a full set of "Official Rules" and host them on a webpage you can link to. This document should detail every aspect of the giveaway.
• Age and Location Restrictions: Be clear about who is eligible. For example, "Open to US residents, 18+ only." This protects you and prevents confusion.

Step-by-Step: How to Launch Your TikTok Raffle

With the legal framework in mind, let's get to the fun part: setting up and launching your giveaway.

Step 1: Set a Clear Goal and Pick an Irresistible Prize

What do you want to achieve with this raffle? Your goal will shape your entry rules.

• Goal: More followers? Rule: Must follow your account.
• Goal: Higher engagement? Rule: Must like and comment.
• Goal: Increased reach? Rule: Tag three friends.

Once you have a goal, choose a prize that your ideal follower would actually want. A generic gift card might get lots of entries, but they won't be from your target audience. A good prize is:

• Relevant: If you're a beauty brand, the prize should be beauty products. A fitness coach? A set of workout gear or a free consultation. The prize should attract people who are genuinely interested in what you do.
• Desirable: It has to be valuable enough to motivate people to enter. A single sticker might not cut it, but a package of your best-selling products definitely will.
• Visual: Choose something that looks great on camera! You need to show off the prize in your video to get people excited.

Step 2: Define Simple and Clear Entry Rules

Complexity is the enemy of participation. Make your rules as simple and easy to follow as possible. A good rule of thumb is to limit the entry requirements to 2-4 steps. Here are the most common and effective entry methods on TikTok:

1. Follow Your Account: This should almost always be your first rule. It's the most direct way to grow your follower base.
2. Like the Video: An easy action that boosts the video's performance with the algorithm.
3. Comment on the Video: This significantly increases engagement. To make it more interactive, ask a specific question like, "Comment your favorite product of ours!" or a fun prompt.
4. Tag Friends: Asking entrants to tag one, two, or even three friends is powerful for reaching new users. Each tag is a personal recommendation.
5. Share the Video (Optional): You can ask people to share the video to their Story or repost it, though this is harder to track. It's better to keep the primary actions within the comments section.

Example Entry Rules: "To Enter the Giveaway: 1️⃣ FOLLOW us @YourUsername. 2️⃣ LIKE this video. 3️⃣ COMMENT below and TAG a friend!"

Step 3: Create an Engaging Raffle Video

Your video is your advertisement for the raffle. Don't just list the rules on a static screen. Make it dynamic and eye-catching:

• Show the Prize Immediately: Start the video by showing off the prize. Unbox it, demonstrate it, or hold it up to the camera. Make people want it in the first 3 seconds.
• Use a Strong Hook: Start with clear audio or a bold text overlay like "GIVEAWAY TIME!" or "I'm Giving This Away!"
• Keep it Short and Punchy: TikTok moves fast. Get straight to the point. Explain the prize and the rules quickly (under 30 seconds is ideal).
• Use Text Overlays: People often watch videos without sound. Put the rules directly on the screen so they're impossible to miss.
• Add a Verbal Call to Action: Verbally tell people what to do. "Follow the steps in the caption to enter and good luck!"
• Use Trending Audio: Including a trending sound can give your video an extra algorithmic boost, helping it reach a wider audience beyond your current followers.

Step 4: Write a Flawless Caption

Your caption is where all the official details live. It needs to be clear, organized, and include everything a participant needs to know. Use emojis to break up the text and make it easy to scan.

Your Caption Must Include:

• A Clear Headline: Start with something like ✨ [YOUR BRAND] GIVEAWAY! ✨
• The Prize: Clearly state what the winner will receive. (e.g., "The winner will get our entire Summer Skincare Collection!")
• The Entry Rules: List them out with numbered points or checklist emojis.
• Deadline: Give the exact date and time the contest closes. (e.g., "Giveaway closes on Friday, October 27th at 11:59 PM EST.")
• Winner Announcement: Tell people how and when the winner will be announced. (e.g., "The winner will be randomly selected and announced in our stories on Monday, October 30th!")
• Eligibility: Mention any location or age restrictions. (e.g., "Must be 18+ and a resident of the continental USA to enter.")
• The TikTok Disclaimer: Add the magic sentence. (e.g., "This promotion is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with TikTok.")

The Grand Finale: Picking and Announcing the Winner

Running the contest is one thing, wrapping it up fairly and transparently is what builds trust with your audience. Don't let your hard work go to waste with a sloppy finish.

Fair Ways to Pick a Winner

You need a random, unbiased way to select your winner. Picking your favorite comment is not fair and will hurt your credibility.

Option 1: Use a Free Online Comment Picker

There are several third-party websites that can randomly select a winner from the comments section of a TikTok video. You simply copy your video's URL, paste it into the tool, and it will randomly choose a commenter. This is often the easiest and most transparent method. Just be sure the tool filters out duplicate comments if you only want one entry per person.

Option 2: The Spreadsheet Method

This "old school" method works great and is completely free.

1. Export the comments from your video. You may need a third-party tool or browser extension to help with this.
2. Paste the usernames into a single column in a spreadsheet (like Google Sheets or Excel).
3. In the next column, use a random number function. In Google Sheets, a simple function works perfectly: =RAND()
4. Drag this formula down for all the rows with usernames.
5. Sort the entire sheet by the column with the random numbers. The username at the top of the list is your winner!

Before announcing, double-check that the selected winner followed all the rules (e.g., they are following you, they liked the video, etc.). If they didn't, move to the next person on the list.

How to Announce the Winner Transparently

The announcement is a content opportunity! Don't just hide it away.

• Create a Follow-Up Video: Make a new TikTok video announcing the winner. Use a screen recording of your selection process (like scrolling through the spreadsheet or using the comment picker tool) to show it was fair. Tag the winner's handle in the video and caption.
• Post to Your Story: A TikTok or Instagram Story announcement is a great way to tag and celebrate the winner.
• Reply to the Winning Comment: Go back to the original giveaway video and reply to the winner's comment with, "Congratulations! You're the winner! Please DM us to claim your prize."
• Update the Original Caption: Edit the caption of the raffle video to include "[GIVEAWAY CLOSED! The winner is @username. Thank you all for entering!]" This prevents confusion from people who see the video late.

And finally, actually send the prize! Posting a picture or video of you packaging and shipping the prize is a fantastic way to show you followed through, which builds incredible trust for your next raffle.

Final Thoughts

Running a TikTok raffle is a fantastic strategy that delivers tangible results when done correctly. It's all about having a clear goal, simple rules that encourage participation, a relevant prize that excites your audience, and a transparent process for picking the winner. By following the steps above, you're set to host a giveaway that not only gets you noticed but also builds a more engaged and loyal community.

As your account grows from successful raffles, keeping up with the flood of comments and planning your next big content piece can become a challenge. At Postbase, we designed our social media management tool for an environment exactly like this. Our unified inbox pulls your comments and DMs from all platforms into one place, so you can manage engagement without furiously switching between apps. Our visual content calendar also makes it simple to plan your next TikTok campaign, helping you stay organized so you can focus on creating great content instead of getting lost in spreadsheets.