Instagram vs Facebook Competitions: Which Platform Wins in 2025?

Instagram vs Facebook Competitions: Which Platform Wins in 2025?

As a UK comper, you've likely noticed that Instagram and Facebook dominate the social media competition landscape. Both platforms host thousands of giveaways each month, but they operate very differently. Understanding these differences can significantly impact your winning potential.

This comprehensive guide compares Instagram competitions against Facebook giveaways, examining entry methods, competition types, audience demographics, and most importantly - where you're most likely to win.

The Current State of Social Media Competitions in the UK

Social media competitions have evolved dramatically over the past few years. What started as simple "like and share" giveaways has transformed into sophisticated marketing campaigns with varied entry requirements and prize values.

Both Instagram and Facebook remain powerhouses for UK competitions, but they serve different purposes for brands and offer distinct opportunities for compers. The platform you choose can affect everything from the types of prizes you encounter to your actual odds of winning.

Instagram Competitions: The Visual Platform

How Instagram Competitions Work

Instagram competitions typically revolve around visual content and engagement. The platform's photo-first nature means brands often request creative entries or simple engagement actions.

Common Instagram Entry Requirements:

• Follow the brand's account
• Like the competition post
• Tag friends in comments (usually 1-3 friends)
• Share the post to your story (with or without tags)
• Use specific hashtags
• Create user-generated content (photos or reels)
• Answer questions in comments

Advantages of Instagram Competitions

Higher Competition Volume

Instagram hosts significantly more competitions than Facebook, particularly from:

• Influencers and content creators
• Fashion and beauty brands
• Lifestyle and wellness companies
• Food and beverage brands
• Travel companies

Faster Entry Process

Most Instagram competitions require simple actions that take seconds: follow, like, comment. You can enter dozens of competitions in the time it takes to complete one Facebook competition with extensive entry requirements.

Younger Brand Focus

Instagram competitions often feature prizes appealing to younger demographics, including tech gadgets, fashion items, beauty products, and experience days.

Story Features Enable Quick Sharing

Sharing to your Instagram story is seamless and doesn't clutter your main feed, making it easier to enter share-based competitions without annoying your followers.

Disadvantages of Instagram Competitions

Significantly Higher Competition

The ease of entry means popular Instagram competitions can attract tens of thousands of entries. Major influencer giveaways regularly exceed 100,000 participants.

Verification Challenges

Brands struggle to verify story shares unless you tag them, and comment sections can be difficult to monitor for compliance, potentially leading to invalid entries being counted.

Fake Accounts and Bots

Instagram's platform is more susceptible to fake accounts and automated entries, which can dilute your odds even if these entries are eventually disqualified.

Limited Post Visibility

Instagram's algorithm means your entry comments may not be visible to the brand unless you're among the first commenters or receive engagement on your comment.

Facebook Giveaways: The Community Platform

How Facebook Competitions Work

Facebook competitions leverage the platform's community features and diverse content types. They often require more substantial engagement than Instagram equivalents.

Common Facebook Entry Requirements:

• Like the brand's page
• Like or react to the competition post
• Share the post publicly
• Comment with answers, tags, or creative responses
• Join Facebook groups
• Complete forms or surveys
• Watch videos completely
• Visit external websites or landing pages

Advantages of Facebook Giveaways UK

Better Entry Verification

Facebook's public sharing feature allows brands to easily verify entries. When you share publicly, brands can see your share in their search, making entry verification more reliable and reducing invalid entries.

Broader Demographics

Facebook attracts a wider age range than Instagram, meaning competitions often feature prizes appealing to families, parents, and older demographics:

• Family days out
• Home appliances and furniture
• Grocery vouchers and meal kits
• Gardening and DIY products
• Holiday packages

Local Business Opportunities

Facebook is particularly strong for local business competitions, including:

• Independent restaurants and cafés
• Regional attractions and experiences
• Local retailers and services
• Community events and festivals

More Detailed Competition Information

Facebook's format allows for longer posts with comprehensive terms and conditions, giving you clearer information about eligibility, prize details, and winner selection methods.

Disadvantages of Facebook Giveaways

Privacy Concerns with Public Sharing

Many compers feel uncomfortable making shares public, as it reveals their competition activity to friends and family. However, this is essential - brands cannot verify private or friends-only shares, making your entry invalid.

More Time-Consuming Entries

Facebook competitions often require more effort: reading longer posts, answering questions thoughtfully, or completing multi-step entry processes.

Lower Overall Volume

While Facebook hosts many competitions, the overall volume is lower than Instagram, particularly from influencers and emerging brands.

Algorithm Limitations

Facebook's algorithm may not show you all competitions from pages you follow unless you regularly engage with their content or have notifications enabled.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Competition Volume

Winner: Instagram

Instagram hosts a higher daily volume of competitions, particularly from influencers, beauty brands, and lifestyle companies. If quantity is your priority, Instagram offers more opportunities.

Entry Speed

Winner: Instagram

Instagram's typical entry requirements (follow, like, tag) take seconds. Facebook competitions often require reading longer posts, crafting thoughtful comments, or completing external forms.

Winning Odds

Winner: Situational

Neither platform offers definitively better odds. Instagram has more competitions but also more entrants per competition. Facebook has fewer competitions but often with fewer participants, especially for local or niche prizes.

Your personal winning odds depend on:

• The specific competition's popularity
• Brand follower count and reach
• Prize value and appeal
• Entry requirement complexity
• Your demographics matching the target audience

Prize Variety

Winner: Tie

Both platforms offer diverse prizes, but with different focuses:

• Instagram: Tech, fashion, beauty, experiences, travel
• Facebook: Family products, home goods, local experiences, groceries

Entry Verification

Winner: Facebook

Facebook's public sharing feature allows brands to reliably verify entries, reducing the inclusion of invalid entries in the final draw. Instagram's story shares and comments are harder to verify comprehensively.

Community and Communication

Winner: Facebook

Facebook groups, detailed comments, and page interactions create better community engagement. Many UK compers use Facebook groups to share competition finds and tips.

Platform-Specific Winning Strategies

Maximising Your Instagram Competition Success

1. Focus on Smaller Accounts

Target competitions from brands with 1,000-50,000 followers rather than major accounts with millions. The entry-to-follower ratio is often more favourable.

2. Enter Early

Instagram's algorithm favours recent content. Entering within the first few hours increases your comment's visibility and shows genuine engagement.

3. Use Genuine Tags

When tagging friends, choose people who might genuinely be interested in the prize. Brands increasingly check for authentic engagement rather than serial competition tags.

4. Optimise Your Profile

Ensure your profile appears genuine: include a profile photo, bio, and regular posts. Brands often filter out accounts that look like competition-only profiles.

5. Engage Beyond the Competition

Like other posts from the brand and engage with their content regularly. Brands sometimes favour active community members.

6. Share to Stories Correctly

When competitions require story shares, always tag the brand and keep the share visible for the entire competition duration.

Maximising Your Facebook Giveaway Success

1. Always Share Publicly

This cannot be overstated: brands can only verify public shares. To make shares public:

• Click the share button
• Select "Share Now (Public)" or choose "Share" and set audience to "Public"
• Verify the globe icon appears next to your share timestamp

Private or friends-only shares make your entry invisible and invalid.

2. Craft Quality Comments

For competitions requiring comments or answers, take time to write thoughtful responses. Brands increasingly use engagement quality as a selection criterion.

3. Join Competition Groups

UK comping communities on Facebook share new competitions daily. Join active groups like "UK Competitions and Giveaways" to discover opportunities.

4. Set Up Notifications

For brands that run regular competitions, enable post notifications to see new giveaways immediately.

5. Target Local Competitions

Local business competitions on Facebook often have significantly fewer entries. Search for competitions from businesses in your area.

6. Complete All Entry Steps

Facebook competitions often have multiple requirements. Ensure you've completed every step: like the page, like the post, share publicly, and comment if required.

Which Platform Should You Choose?

Choose Instagram If You:

• Want maximum competition volume
• Prefer quick, simple entries
• Are interested in fashion, beauty, tech, or lifestyle prizes
• Have time to enter multiple competitions daily
• Are comfortable with higher competition levels
• Prefer visual content and engagement

Choose Facebook If You:

• Value quality over quantity
• Prefer family-oriented or practical prizes
• Want better entry verification and potentially fairer odds
• Are interested in local business competitions
• Don't mind spending more time per entry
• Want to engage with comping communities

The Best Strategy: Use Both Platforms

For serious UK compers, the optimal approach is using both platforms strategically:

Morning Routine: Instagram

Spend 15-20 minutes entering quick Instagram competitions during your morning coffee or commute.

Evening Session: Facebook

Dedicate 30-45 minutes to Facebook competitions requiring more attention and thoughtful entries.

Track Your Results

Maintain a simple spreadsheet tracking:

• Platform used
• Brand name
• Prize value
• Entry date
• Result (win/loss)

After 3-6 months, analyse where you're winning most frequently and adjust your time allocation accordingly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid on Both Platforms

Instagram Mistakes

• Using the same friend tags repeatedly (brands notice and may disqualify)
• Entering from obvious competition-only accounts
• Deleting your entry comment or story share before the draw
• Not following accounts before entering (instant disqualification)
• Using banned hashtags that reduce post visibility

Facebook Mistakes

• Sharing privately or to friends only (entry won't be verified)
• Not liking the page before entering
• Deleting your share before winner announcement
• Entering competitions restricted to other countries
• Not reading terms - many have age, location, or purchase requirements

Finding Competitions on Both Platforms

Instagram Search Strategies

Search for hashtags:

• #UKCompetition
• #UKGiveaway
• #WinItWednesday
• #FreebieFriday
• #CompetitionTime
• #Giveaway (filter by location: United Kingdom)

Facebook Search Strategies

• Join UK comping groups
• Follow competition aggregator pages
• Search "UK competition" and filter by posts from today
• Follow brands you love and enable notifications

Use Sweepzy for Comprehensive Coverage

Rather than manually searching both platforms daily, use Sweepzy to find verified Instagram and Facebook competitions in one place. Our UK-focused aggregator saves hours of searching, ensuring you never miss opportunities on either platform.

Filter by platform, prize type, and end date to focus on competitions matching your preferences and availability.

Final Verdict: Instagram vs Facebook Competitions

There's no definitive winner between Instagram and Facebook competitions. Each platform offers unique advantages:

Instagram excels in competition volume, entry speed, and prizes targeting younger demographics. It's perfect for compers who want to maximise entry numbers quickly.

Facebook provides better entry verification, local opportunities, and family-oriented prizes. It suits compers who prefer quality over quantity and don't mind investing more time per entry.

The most successful UK compers use both platforms strategically, allocating time based on their prize preferences and tracking results to optimise their approach.

Start by experimenting with both platforms for one month. Enter a mix of competitions, track your wins and losses, and adjust your strategy based on what works for your demographics and interests.

Remember: neither platform guarantees wins, but understanding their differences and applying platform-specific strategies significantly improves your odds. Stay consistent, enter regularly, and most importantly - enjoy the process.

Ready to find the best competitions on both platforms? Browse today's Instagram and Facebook competitions on Sweepzy and start winning.