{"id":824,"date":"2019-12-12T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-12T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/?p=824"},"modified":"2025-06-25T10:46:27","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T14:46:27","slug":"how-to-pick-a-winner-of-a-giveaway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/how-to-pick-a-winner-of-a-giveaway\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Pick A Winner For A Giveaway (the Easy Way)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Wondering how to pick a winner for a giveaway without upsetting your audience or making it harder than it needs to be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After running dozens of contests over the years, I\u2019ve learned that choosing a winner can be just as stressful as setting the whole thing up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How to pick a winner for a giveaway comes down to using a method that\u2019s fair, clear, and fits the type of contest you\u2019re running, whether that\u2019s random draw, votes, correct answers, or something more creative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this guide, I\u2019ll walk you through the best ways to choose a giveaway winner, based on what\u2019s worked for me (and what hasn\u2019t).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Quick Ways to Pick a Giveaway Winner:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#Choose-random-winner\">1. Random Winner Generator<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#pick-an-entry-with-the-most-votes\">2. Most Votes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#filter-entries-by-correct-answer\">3. Correct Answer<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Pick-a-Winner-from-Verified-Emails\">4. Verified Emails Only<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#pick-multiple-giveaway-winners\">5. Multiple Winners<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#let-pane-of-judges-decide\">6. Judging Panel<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#aioseo-7\">7. Exact Time Entry<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#aioseo-choose-a-winner-by-activity\">8. Most Active Participant<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#aioseo-9-make-the-right-guess-the-winner\">9. Closest Guess<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Shall we get started?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"aioseo-important-things-to-know-before-running-a-giveaway\">Legal Stuff to Know About Giveaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we talk about picking winners, there are some important rules you should know about running giveaways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Write Clear Rules:<\/strong> Always write down the rules for your giveaway. Say who can enter, how to enter, how you&#8217;ll choose winners, and what the prizes are.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Don&#8217;t Make People Buy Stuff:<\/strong> In most places, you can&#8217;t make people buy something to enter your giveaway. That&#8217;s why you often see &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/no-purchase-necessary\/\" title=\"Why Your Giveaway Needs to Be No Purchase Necessary\">No purchase necessary<\/a>&#8221; on contest rules.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check Age Limits:<\/strong> Be clear about the age requirement to enter. Many contests are only for people 18 and older.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Decide Where Your Contest is Open:<\/strong> Laws can be different in different countries or even states. You might want to only allow entries from certain places.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Follow Social Media Rules:<\/strong> If you&#8217;re running your giveaway on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, each has its own rules. Make sure you know what they are.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Be Clear About Prizes:<\/strong> Tell people exactly what they can win. Sometimes, if prizes are worth a lot, winners might have to pay taxes on them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Be Careful with Personal Information: <\/strong>If you ask for people&#8217;s details, follow privacy laws.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Random Drawing or Contest?:<\/strong> Giveaways where you pick a random winner sometimes have more rules than contests where people submit something like a photo.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, these rules can be tricky. If you&#8217;re planning a big giveaway, it&#8217;s a good idea to talk to a lawyer who knows about these things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-pick-a-winner-for-your-giveaway\">How to Pick a Winner for a Giveaway<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Below, we&#8217;ll outline how to choose a giveaway winner. If you&#8217;re in a hurry, you can start by watching the video below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-responsive  embed-responsive-16by9\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"embed-responsive-item\"   title=\"How To Pick A Winner For A Giveaway in RafflePress\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8xoVvrIb0dU?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Choose-random-winner\">1. Use a Random Giveaway Winner Picker<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In my years of running giveaways, I&#8217;ve found that sometimes the simplest method is the most effective. Random selection tools are my go-to for fairness and efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Giveaway winner picker tools<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Random number generators<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Random comment pickers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These tools are great for small-scale giveaways, but for larger contests, they can become cumbersome. That&#8217;s why I&#8217;ve come to rely on integrated solutions like RafflePress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You need only enter the names of the people who entered, and they\u2019ll pick a winner randomly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rafflepress.com\" title=\"RafflePress - WordPress Giveaway Plugin\">RafflePress<\/a>, which I&#8217;ve used extensively in my WordPress-focused campaigns, offers a built-in contest winner generator. This feature has saved me countless hours by eliminating the need for manual data entry and third-party tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s a quick guide to using RafflePress for picking a giveaway winner:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When your giveaway has ended, head to <strong>RafflePress \u00bb Giveaways<\/strong> to see your list of contests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"558\" height=\"217\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/rafflepress-users-1.jpg\" alt=\"Giveaway needs winners\" class=\"wp-image-868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/rafflepress-users-1.jpg 558w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/rafflepress-users-1-300x117.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/rafflepress-users-1-50x19.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 558px) 100vw, 558px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, you\u2019ll see a page listing everyone who entered your giveaway. Click the <b>Pick Winner<\/b> button to start choosing a winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"292\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/giveaway-entries.jpg\" alt=\"Pick a giveaway winner in RafflePress with the random winner generator\" class=\"wp-image-828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/giveaway-entries.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/giveaway-entries-300x141.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/giveaway-entries-50x24.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll be asked how many contest winners you\u2019d like to pick, along with selecting winners with a verified or unverified email address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"558\" height=\"327\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/pick-givaway-winner.jpg\" alt=\"RafflePress How to Pick a Winner for a Giveaway\" class=\"wp-image-869\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/pick-givaway-winner.jpg 558w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/pick-givaway-winner-300x176.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/pick-givaway-winner-50x29.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 558px) 100vw, 558px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re done, click <b>Choose Winners Now<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"186\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/rafflepress-giveaway-winner.jpg\" alt=\"Email giveaway winner\" class=\"wp-image-831\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/rafflepress-giveaway-winner.jpg 550w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/rafflepress-giveaway-winner-300x101.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/rafflepress-giveaway-winner-50x17.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>RafflePress&#8217;s giveaway winner picker will select a random winner for you. So now all you need to do is click <b>Email Winner<\/b> to give them the good news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This method works for any platform \u2013 whether it&#8217;s a Facebook contest, YouTube giveaway, or any other social media campaign. In my experience, it&#8217;s the most efficient way to ensure a fair, random selection while keeping everything organized within your WordPress site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/pricing\/\" style=\"background-color:#f3460e\">Get Started with RafflePress<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Takeaway:<\/strong> Use this method when you want a fast, fair way to choose a winner with no judgment involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what if your contest is a little more complicated and needs more input to draw a winner? Don\u2019t fret. I\u2019ve got more solutions coming up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s say you\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/how-to-run-a-photo-contest\/\" title=\"How to Run a Photo Contest\">running a photo contest<\/a> with an Instagram post, and you\u2019d like to pick a winner from the best submissions. For that, you can choose the winner with the most votes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pick-an-entry-with-the-most-votes\">2. Choose the Entry With the Most Votes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A smart way to get your community involved is to let them vote for their favorite submission. When the contest ends, the photo with the most votes can be chosen as the winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/voting-giveaway-winner.jpg\" alt=\"Voting to choose a giveaway winner\" class=\"wp-image-839\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/voting-giveaway-winner.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/voting-giveaway-winner-300x145.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/voting-giveaway-winner-50x24.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many ways to run a giveaway based on image submissions, but it\u2019s important to remember certain things you should avoid when collecting votes for the winning submission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you\u2019re running a Facebook or Instagram giveaway, you cannot require your followers to <a href=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/how-to-do-a-like-and-share-contest-on-facebook\/\" title=\"How to Do a Like and Share Contest on Facebook\">like, share<\/a>, or tag a post in exchange for entries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One way to avoid this is to host your giveaway on your own website or blog and then have your community comment with their favorite submission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alternatively, you could insert an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/plugins\/how-to-create-an-interactive-poll-in-wordpress-step-by-step\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"How to Create an Interactive Poll in WordPress\">interactive poll<\/a> in your giveaway post so visitors can instantly vote for their winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This removes the need to manually draw a winner from random comments or an Instagram comment picker. It can also increase the amount of time people spend on your site and <a href=\"https:\/\/optinmonster.com\/12-tips-to-reduce-bounce-rate-and-boost-your-conversions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"How to Reduce Your Bounce Rate and Boost Conversions\">reduce your bounce rate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To go a step further, you can use the RafflePress Polls &amp; Surveys action to <a href=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/how-to-create-a-poll-in-wordpress\/\" title=\"How to Create a Poll in WordPress: 3 Easy Ways\">build a poll<\/a> right into your giveaway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"269\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/polls-surveys-rafflepress.jpg\" alt=\"RafflePress polls and surveys action\" class=\"wp-image-861\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/polls-surveys-rafflepress.jpg 550w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/polls-surveys-rafflepress-300x147.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/polls-surveys-rafflepress-50x24.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Simply go to <strong>Actions<\/strong> \u00bb <strong>Polls &amp; Surveys<\/strong> and click to add it to your RafflePress widget. You can add as many poll choices as you&#8217;d like, perfect for voting contests with many submissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s what it would look like to your visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"460\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/poll-giveaway-rafflepress.jpg\" alt=\"Polls and Surveys action in RafflePress\" class=\"wp-image-862\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/poll-giveaway-rafflepress.jpg 550w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/poll-giveaway-rafflepress-300x251.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/poll-giveaway-rafflepress-50x42.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Takeaway:<\/strong> Best for creative contests where participants submit content and your audience votes for their favorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What if your giveaway has a question people must correctly answer to enter your prize draw? I\u2019ll cover that next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"filter-entries-by-correct-answer\">3. Filter Entries by Correct Answer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Many contests ask that people <a class=\"heroickb_exit_link\" href=\"?hkb-redirect&#038;nonce=e828ec90e9&#038;check=46s6k&#038;redirect=https%3A%2F%2Frafflepress.com%2Fdocs%2Fanswer-a-question%2F&#038;otype=unknown&#038;oid=0&#038;source=block-content\">answer a question<\/a> correctly, for instance, in their Instagram comments, to have a chance of winning a prize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to selecting a winner for these types of contests, I&#8217;ve refined a simple yet effective approach. The key is to filter all entries by the correct answer. This p eliminates entries with wrong answers, leaving you with a pool of qualified participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In RafflePress, you can easily filter entries with the wrong answer using the random winner generator. Let\u2019s take a quick look at how to do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Head to <strong>RafflePress<\/strong> \u00bb <strong>Giveaways<\/strong> to see your giveaways overview. Then, hover your mouse cursor over the giveaway you want to see the entrants for and click <strong>Users<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"241\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/rafflepress-users.jpg\" alt=\"View giveaway users in RafflePress\" class=\"wp-image-832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/rafflepress-users.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/rafflepress-users-300x117.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/rafflepress-users-50x19.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, you\u2019ll see a list of people who have entered your contest. Under each user, hover your cursor until you can see additional options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Click <b>Show Entries<\/b> to view their entry details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"308\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/giveaway-users.jpg\" alt=\"Show entries in RafflePress\" class=\"wp-image-833\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/giveaway-users.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/giveaway-users-300x149.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/giveaway-users-50x25.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now you can see the answer they gave to your giveaway question. If the answer is wrong, you can mark the entry as invalid, and if it\u2019s correct, you can mark it as valid, as shown below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"235\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/mark-as-invalid.jpg\" alt=\"Mark entries as valid or invalid\" class=\"wp-image-834\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/mark-as-invalid.jpg 550w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/mark-as-invalid-300x128.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/mark-as-invalid-50x21.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>RafflePress will only choose randomly from entries with valid answers when you use the random generator to pick a winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Takeaway:<\/strong> Great for quizzes or trivia-style contests where only correct answers should be considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Pick-a-Winner-from-Verified-Emails\">4. Pick a Winner From Verified Emails Only<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Running any giveaway can attract spam and people who are only interested in a quick freebie. This reduces genuine users&#8217; chances of winning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s a good idea to ask users to verify their <a href=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/how-to-do-a-giveaway-to-grow-your-email-list\/\" title=\"How to Do a Giveaway to Grow Your Email List\">email when entering your giveaway<\/a>. If you know their email address is real and in use, you know they&#8217;re real people and not spambots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, when it comes to choosing a winner, you can filter the entries by those with verified emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Luckily, RafflePress makes this easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When setting up your giveaway, click the <strong>Settings<\/strong> tab and the <strong>Email Verification<\/strong> heading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, you can switch the toggle to the on position, so users must verify their email to confirm their identity and secure a valid entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"559\" height=\"297\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/giveaway-email-verification.png\" alt=\"Require giveaway participants to verify their email address\" class=\"wp-image-4628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/giveaway-email-verification.png 559w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/giveaway-email-verification-300x159.png 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/giveaway-email-verification-50x27.png 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When you&#8217;re ready to choose a winner for your giveaway, you need to select the checkbox that says Only Verified emails can win. Then click the <strong>Choose Winners Now<\/strong> button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"559\" height=\"369\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/pick-verified-giveaway-winner.png\" alt=\"Pick a giveaway winner from participants only with verified email addresses using RafflePress's random winner generator\" class=\"wp-image-4629\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/pick-verified-giveaway-winner.png 559w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/pick-verified-giveaway-winner-300x198.png 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/pick-verified-giveaway-winner-50x33.png 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Takeaway:<\/strong> Ideal for reducing spam and making sure the winner is a real, engaged participant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pick-multiple-giveaway-winners\">5. Select Multiple Giveaway Winners<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>What if you have more than one prize to give away? The logical answer to that question is to pick more than one giveaway winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I highlighted earlier, doing this with RafflePress&#8217;s random generator is as simple as drawing a random winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When randomly choosing a winner, enter the number of winners you\u2019d like. Then click <strong>Choose Winners Now<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"558\" height=\"391\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/pick-multiple-winners.jpg\" alt=\"choose multiple giveaway winners with the random winner generator\" class=\"wp-image-870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/pick-multiple-winners.jpg 558w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/pick-multiple-winners-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/pick-multiple-winners-50x35.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 558px) 100vw, 558px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now you can email each winner to give them the good news. Simple as that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Takeaway:<\/strong> A good fit when you have more than one prize or want to reward several participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"let-pane-of-judges-decide\">6. Let a Panel of Judges Decide the Winner<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Not every contest is straightforward. Larger giveaways with thousands of people entering take a lot of planning and organizing. And if they include a highly specific entry method, like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Creating a piece of art<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Giving a performance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Having the best website in a specific niche<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, it\u2019s probably best that you have a panel of experts select a winner. This is largely because there is more than one set of criteria for choosing a giveaway winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having a group of people decide for you removes the guesswork. Plus, it ensures that the person chosen is a worthy winner in the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Unsplash Awards are a great example of an expert judging panel. In these awards, the experts choose winning photography from thousands of entrants for several themes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/unsplash-awards-judges-1.jpg\" alt=\"Judges of unsplash awards\" class=\"wp-image-836\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With so many great photos, we don\u2019t envy making those decisions! Why not try something similar for your next <a href=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/features\/youtube-giveaways\/\" title=\"RafflePress Features YouTube Giveaways\">YouTube giveaway<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more inspiration, check out these <a href=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/youtube-giveaway-examples\/\" title=\"YouTube Giveaway Examples\">YouTube giveaway examples<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Takeaway:<\/strong> Best for contests with creative or skill-based entries that need expert evaluation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"aioseo-7\">7. Choose the Contest Winner by Exact Entry Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to create a sense of urgency and excitement? Set a specific time during your giveaway period and declare the person who enters at that exact moment the winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While this method can generate a surge in engagement, I&#8217;ve noticed one major issue. You can potentially exclude a portion of your audience. Not everyone can be online at a specific time due to work, time zones, or other commitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, this approach can sometimes feel arbitrary. In my experience, participants who narrowly miss the exact time often feel frustrated, which can lead to negative sentiment towards your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, I&#8217;ve found ways to mitigate these issues. For instance, in some campaigns, I&#8217;ve used this method as one of several ways to win, rather than the sole selection criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Takeaway:<\/strong> Use this if you want to drive urgency and pick a winner based on perfect timing \u2014 just be mindful of fairness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"aioseo-choose-a-winner-by-activity\">8. Pick the Most Active Giveaway Participant<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking to reward your most dedicated participants? Consider selecting a winner based on their level of activity within your giveaway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some brands do this by creating a leaderboard for the most activity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"559\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/referral-contest-with-leaderboard.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8008\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/referral-contest-with-leaderboard.png 559w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/referral-contest-with-leaderboard-300x214.png 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/referral-contest-with-leaderboard-50x36.png 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This could involve tracking the number of entries, referrals, comments, shares, or other interactions they&#8217;ve made. By doing so, you incentivize continued engagement and foster a sense of loyalty among your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Takeaway:<\/strong> Great for referral-based giveaways where the most active participant earns the prize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"aioseo-9-make-the-right-guess-the-winner\">9. Award the Closest Guess to the Right Answer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For a fun and interactive twist, challenge your participants to guess the answer to a specific question, such as &#8220;how many mini eggs are in this jar?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"559\" height=\"379\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/easter-guessing-game.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10820\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/easter-guessing-game.jpg 559w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/easter-guessing-game-300x203.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/easter-guessing-game-50x34.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The individual who comes closest to the correct answer wins the giveaway. This method not only tests their knowledge or estimation skills but also adds an element of gamification to your contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>RafflePress allows you to create a &#8220;Survey or Poll&#8221; action to ask participants your guess-the-answer question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/rafflepres-polls-and-surveys.jpg\" alt=\"rafflePress surveys and polls\" class=\"wp-image-1265\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/rafflepres-polls-and-surveys.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/rafflepres-polls-and-surveys-300x189.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/rafflepres-polls-and-surveys-50x31.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can then manually review the entries and select the winner based on the proximity of their response to the correct answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Takeaway:<\/strong> Works well for interactive or seasonal contests where participants guess the answer to a fun question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which Giveaway Winner Method Should You Use?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In my experience, using a random winner picker like the one built into RafflePress is the fastest and fairest option for most WordPress users. But if your contest is based on creativity or votes, you might want to use a judging panel or poll instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"aioseo-frequently-asked-questions\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div data-schema-only=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-aioseo-faq\"><div class=\"aioseo-faq-block-question\">What is the best Instagram giveaway picker?<\/div><div class=\"aioseo-faq-block-answer\">\n<p>Top Instagram giveaway pickers include Comment Picker and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rafflepress.com\" title=\"RafflePress - WordPress Giveaway Plugin\">RafflePress<\/a>. Comment Picker is simple and works directly with Instagram. RafflePress offers multiple ways for people to enter and allows you to choose random winners randomly.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div data-schema-only=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-aioseo-faq\" id=\"aioseo-how-do-you-pick-a-winner-for-a-giveaway-on-instagram-accounts\"><div class=\"aioseo-faq-block-question\"><strong>How do you pick a winner for a giveaway on Instagram accounts?<\/strong><\/div><div class=\"aioseo-faq-block-answer\">\n<p>To pick a winner for an Instagram giveaway, you can use a random selection tool that picks from the list of entries or manually choose based on criteria if the giveaway requires creativity. Many hosts use apps like RafflePress to ensure fairness.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div data-schema-only=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-aioseo-faq\" id=\"aioseo-how-do-you-pick-a-winner-for-a-twitter-giveaway\"><div class=\"aioseo-faq-block-question\"><strong>How do you pick a winner for a Twitter giveaway?<\/strong><\/div><div class=\"aioseo-faq-block-answer\">\n<p>To pick a winner for a Twitter giveaway, you can use tools like TweetDraw, Twitter Picker, or TweetDeck to randomly select from entries that meet your giveaway rules, like following, retweeting, or tagging. These tools help ensure a fair and transparent winner selection.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div data-schema-only=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-aioseo-faq\" id=\"aioseo-how-do-you-pick-a-winner-for-a-facebook-giveaway-for-free\"><div class=\"aioseo-faq-block-question\"><strong>How do you pick a winner for a Facebook giveaway for free?<\/strong><\/div><div class=\"aioseo-faq-block-answer\">\n<p>For luck-based Facebook giveaways and sweepstakes, you can use the <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/rafflepress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"Free version of RafflePress\">free version of RafflePress<\/a> to pick a winner randomly. Check Facebook\u2019s giveaway rules for winner selection to ensure your giveaway is compliant.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div data-schema-only=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-aioseo-faq\" id=\"aioseo-how-to-pick-a-winner-from-youtube-comments\"><div class=\"aioseo-faq-block-question\"><strong>How to pick a winner from YouTube comments?<\/strong><\/div><div class=\"aioseo-faq-block-answer\">\n<p>Choosing a winner from YouTube comments can be time-consuming. We suggest adding the \u201dleave a Comment\u201d action to your giveaway and asking users to verify it by posting the comment link. You can then choose a winner randomly from everyone who completed that action.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, we\u2019ve covered the many ways you can learn how to pick a giveaway winner. In our opinion, <a href=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/pricing\/\" title=\"RafflePress Best WordPress Giveaway Plugin\">RafflePress&#8217;s<\/a> random winner picker is the easiest solution for WordPress. All that\u2019s left is to set up your contest and enjoy the community buzz it creates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/pricing\/\" style=\"background-color:#f3460e\">Get Started with RafflePress<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>But before you get too far ahead with the planning, you might want to consider what prize you&#8217;ll offer. Here are some <a href=\"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/contest-prize-ideas\/\" title=\"Giveaway Prize Ideas\">great giveaway prize ideas<\/a> your audience will love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While you\u2019re at it, don\u2019t forget to follow our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCPtN7xV_892Pa6AcoOYzbAg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"RafflePress on YouTube\">YouTube<\/a> Channel for a range of helpful video tutorials. You can also find us on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/rafflepress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"RafflePress on Facebook\">Facebook<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rafflepress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"RafflePress on Twitter\">Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this article you&#8217;ll learn a number of ways you can choose a giveaway winner so your giveaway runs without any trouble at all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":4035,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"limit_modified_date":"","last_modified_date":"2024-02-28T05:50:41","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[522,521,11],"class_list":["post-824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tutorials","tag-giveaway-winner","tag-how-to-pick-a-giveaway-winner","tag-running-a-successful-contest"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=824"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15646,"href":"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824\/revisions\/15646"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4035"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rafflepress.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}