7 Simple Contest Ideas Anyone Can Run (Even on a Busy Day)

Simple contest ideas are quick, low-effort giveaways that help brands boost engagement, grow followers, and collect leads with minimal setup. This guide covers seven of the easiest types you can run, including social media contests, caption contests, and photo contests.

Running a contest is one of the fastest ways to get more email subscribers and social media followers. However, I know how overwhelming it can feel to plan a campaign when you are already managing a busy schedule.

You might worry that you simply don’t have the time or resources to pull it off successfully. To help you out, I have compiled a list of simple contest ideas that anyone can run. These strategies are designed to be quick to set up so you can boost engagement without the stress.

Quick List of Simple Contest Ideas

Want to skip ahead? Here are some of the easiest contest ideas anyone can run. Click to jump to the one that fits your audience best:

• Social Media Contest: Ask followers to like, share, or follow to enter.
• Caption This: Post a funny photo and let your audience write a caption.
• Photo Contest: Ask people to submit photos using a hashtag.
• Fill in the Blank: Share a sentence with a missing word and ask for creative answers.
• Guessing Game: Have people guess a number, item, or answer to a question.
• Voting Contest: Let your audience vote on entries or favorite products.
• Short Video Challenge: Ask for quick videos around a specific theme.

Why Do Simple Contests Work So Well?

Simple contests work well because they have a low barrier to entry. This encourages more people to participate.

The easier it is to join, the higher the engagement and conversion rates tend to be.

For instance, one campaign offering five $20 gift certificates for Basil Thai Cuisine grew the restaurant’s email list by 52%. It also generated 105 reactions on Facebook, proving that even small rewards can drive strong results.

How to Choose the Right Simple Contest Idea

Not sure which one to try first? Think about how your audience already interacts with you. That’ll help you pick a contest that fits naturally.

• If they love photos: Try a hashtag photo contest or caption contest.
• If they prefer quick replies: Go with a guessing game or fill-in-the-blank.
• If you want shares or referrals: Use a “Refer a Friend” contest or short video challenge.

And if you’re just getting started, keep it easy — something you can post and manage in under 10 minutes.

Contest Type	Best For	Setup Time	Engagement Level
Caption Contest	Humor and quick comments	5 minutes	Medium
Photo Contest	User-generated content and hashtags	15 minutes	High
Guessing Game	Fast replies and interaction	2 minutes	Medium
Voting Contest	Repeat visits and community choice	10 minutes	High
Short Video Contest	Audiences active on TikTok or Reels	20 minutes	Very High

Simple Contest Ideas That Work

Now let’s look at some simple contest ideas that require a little more thought but are still easy to set up.

1. Social Media Contest

In my experience, a social media contest is one of the fastest ways to generate buzz. It’s a giveaway hosted on a platform like Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok where users enter by performing simple actions like liking, sharing, or following. I’ve found its simplicity keeps participation high because people can join directly on the platform in just a few seconds.

Why it works

• Fast likes, shares, and follows
• Social media accounts that hold contests grow their followers 70% faster on average
• Perfect for quick reach and visibility

How to run a social media contest

1. Pick the platform where your audience is most active (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc.).
2. Decide on the entry method — follow, like, share, or tag a friend.
3. Post the contest graphic or video with clear instructions.
4. Choose a winner randomly or reward the most creative entry.
5. Announce the winner on the same platform and thank participants.

For example, Mountain Warehouse asked users to follow them on Instagram to enter — a quick contest that drove more followers and brand awareness.

Want more details? Here’s a full walkthrough on how to run a social media contest step by step.

2. Fun Photo Caption Contest

This is one of my favorite formats because it’s so simple yet effective. A caption contest is an interactive giveaway where you post an image and ask your audience to submit a creative caption in the comments. I’ve found it sparks humor, encourages quick participation, and builds strong engagement through likes, replies, and shares.

Why it works

• Generates quick comments and replies
• High comment volume signals relevance to social algorithms, increasing organic reach
• Boosts visibility in social feeds through shares

How to run a caption contest

1. Choose a funny, surprising, or brand-related photo.
2. Post it on your chosen platform with the instructions: “Caption this photo to win!”
3. Encourage followers to comment with their best ideas.
4. Select a winner based on creativity or pick randomly.
5. Announce the winner publicly and thank all participants.

For example, here’s a Facebook caption contest that generated lots of funny entries and comments.

Need more inspiration? Check out these caption contest examples you can copy for your own audience.

3. Simple Photo Contest

We’ve seen great success with photo contests, which are user-generated content campaigns where participants submit photos based on a theme or hashtag. From my experience, it works well because people enjoy sharing personal photos, helping your brand collect authentic content and increase visibility. A key tip is to make the theme relevant to your brand to get the most impactful submissions.

Why it works

• Encourages user-generated content (UGC) which can increase web conversions by 29%
• Boosts reach with branded hashtags
• Creates a sense of community and connection

How to run a photo contest

1. Decide on a theme related to your brand or products (e.g., pets, plants, lifestyle).
2. Ask your audience to share their photos on social media using a specific hashtag.
3. Monitor the hashtag or entries to track participation.
4. Pick a winner based on creativity or select randomly.
5. Announce the winner and showcase some of the best entries.

For example, this pet brand ran a Twitter photo contest where dog owners submitted fun pet pictures using a hashtag.

If your audience enjoys sharing photos, this is one of the easiest contests to run. For setup help, see our guide on how to run a photo contest.

4. Fill in the Blank

I often use this type of contest when I need a quick engagement boost without much setup. It’s a simple giveaway where you post a sentence with a missing word and ask followers to complete it with creative answers in the comments. It works because it’s fast, fun, and encourages participation without requiring extra tools.

Why it works

• Taps into the psychological urge to complete a pattern for low-friction engagement
• Sparks creativity and conversation
• Easy to manage without extra setup

How to run a fill-in-the-blank contest

1. Create a simple sentence or phrase with one word missing.
2. Make sure it relates to your brand, product, or niche.
3. Post it on your chosen platform and ask people to comment with their answers.
4. Review responses and pick a winner based on creativity or choose randomly.
5. Announce the winner and highlight a few of the best replies.

Here’s an example of a Facebook fill-in-the-blank contest that generated lots of fun and creative answers.

This type of contest is perfect when you want quick replies without needing complex visuals or setup.

5. Guessing Game Contest

I find this format works well because it is so interactive. It’s a giveaway where participants try to guess a specific number, item, or answer to a question. This approach is engaging because it invites quick responses, builds anticipation for the reveal, and works across any audience or platform.

Why it works

• Interactive and fun for any audience
• Encourages quick comments and responses
• Creates anticipation as people wait for the answer

How to run a guessing game contest

1. Choose a question or item to guess, such as “How many items are in this jar?”
2. Make sure it’s relevant to your brand, product, or campaign theme.
3. Share a clear photo or clue and ask your audience to comment with their guesses.
4. Set a deadline for entries and reveal the correct answer at the end.
5. Select a winner from the closest correct guesses.

For example, here’s a guessing game contest where participants had to guess the number of items in a jar, which drove plenty of comments and interactions.

Use this format when you want something fast, fun, and interactive that gets people thinking and commenting right away.

6. Voting Contest

What I like about voting contests is how they get the whole community involved. It’s a multi-stage giveaway where we first collect user submissions, like photos or ideas, and then ask our audience to vote for their favorite entry. This format drives strong engagement by encouraging participation, sharing, and repeat visits to check results.

Why it works

• Encourages both participation and sharing
• Collects Zero-Party Data by revealing specific customer preferences
• Makes your audience feel directly involved in the outcome

How to run a voting contest

1. Pick a theme and ask your audience to submit content or entries.
2. Collect submissions and showcase them on your website or social media.
3. Ask your audience to vote for their favorite entry or product.
4. Keep voting open for a set period to build anticipation.
5. Announce the winner and highlight the most popular choices.

For example, Flanigans ran a Twitter voting contest asking their audience to pick their favorite menu item, which generated plenty of engagement and shares.

To make this easy, you can use a social media poll or a simple survey plugin. This format is ideal when you want your audience to feel invested and excited about the results.

7. Short Video Contest

If your audience is on TikTok or Instagram, I highly recommend a short video contest. It’s a user-generated content campaign where participants create and share brief videos on a specific theme. This format works well because, in my experience, video content naturally earns higher engagement and helps brands reach wider audiences with authentic, shareable clips.

Why it works

• Short-form video has the highest ROI of any social media marketing strategy
• Perfect for audiences active on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts
• Creates authentic, shareable content around your brand or cause

How to run a short video contest

1. Pick a theme that’s fun, clear, and easy to film.
2. Ask participants to post short videos on their social channel with a unique hashtag.
3. Make sure to give clear rules on length, topic, and deadline.
4. Track entries using the hashtag or submission form.
5. Select and announce a winner, then share some of the best videos with your audience.

For example, the University of Malaya ran a TikTok video contest to raise awareness about prostate cancer, showing how short clips can spread important messages while boosting engagement.

If your audience is already creating short videos, this contest is a natural fit. For more setup help, check out our guide on how to run a video contest.

Best Prize Ideas for Simple Contests

Choosing the right prize is vital for success, but it doesn’t need to be expensive. Small, relevant prizes often outperform large, generic ones because they attract a targeted audience.

Prize Type	Best Used For
Gift Cards ($25-$50)	General Reach & Engagement
Free Product or Service	Brand Awareness
Exclusive Discount	Sales Conversion
Shoutouts or Features	Community Building

My key advice is to offer something your target audience genuinely values. That will always generate better results than a prize that is simply expensive.

How to Run Simple Contest Ideas on Your Website

From my experience, the best way to run a contest is directly from your own website. While social media is great for promotion, hosting the giveaway on your site gives you full control over the design, entries, and—most importantly—the data you collect.

This approach is crucial for building your own email list and ensuring compliance with privacy rules like GDPR. For this, I use a dedicated giveaway plugin like RafflePress. It’s a WordPress plugin our team built specifically to create and manage online contests with a simple drag-and-drop builder.

I find RafflePress makes it easy to launch contests in minutes. We use its pre-built templates, customize entry actions like following or commenting, and track all participants from one central dashboard. Its mobile-friendly design also ensures our contests look great on any device.

By hosting contests on our own website, we keep complete ownership of our data, strengthen our brand’s credibility, and offer a smooth experience for participants.

For detailed steps, see our full guide on how to create an online contest in WordPress using RafflePress.

Simple Contest Ideas FAQs

Want even more ideas? Here are a few bonus collections you can explore based on the season, platform, or campaign type.

• Video Contest Ideas
• Twitter Giveaway Ideas
• Social Media Contest Ideas
• Photography Giveaway Ideas
• Instagram Story Giveaway Ideas
• Facebook Giveaway Ideas
• Small Business Giveaway Ideas
• Easter Giveaway Ideas
• Halloween Giveaway Ideas
• Summer Contest Ideas

Run Your Simple Contest with Confidence

From my experience, simple contests are one of the most effective tools for quickly boosting engagement and growing an audience. By choosing a format that fits your brand and using a dedicated tool like RafflePress, you can confidently launch and manage a successful giveaway directly from your website, while maintaining full control over your data.

Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to follow us on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook for more great tips and tutorials.