Grow with giveaways

Giveaways are the simplest growth lever, and here's how to run them so they actually bring people in.

Giveaways are the most direct way to spike interest and pull new members in. The mechanics are easy (see Giveaways for setup). This page is about running them well.

Make the prize relevant

The best prizes attract the people you actually want, not just prize-hunters. A prize tied to your community draws people who stick around: a role, some access, a collab item, something on-brand. A generic prize draws people who leave the moment it ends.

Use entry requirements on purpose

• Required role turns a giveaway into a reward for existing behaviour. "Level 10+ only" rewards your active members and nudges everyone else to climb.
• Open to all maximises reach for a top-of-funnel push.

Mix both. Run an open giveaway to grow, and member-only ones to retain.

Keep it fair with "block alts"

Turn on exclude alts so one person can't enter with five accounts. Fair giveaways build trust; rigged-feeling ones cost you it. (Requires alt detection.)

Go bigger with cross-server giveaways (Pro)

Team up with partner communities on a joint giveaway whose entries pool across all the servers. Everyone cross-promotes to everyone else's audience, which is the fastest way to reach beyond your own walls. Line up a partner, agree a prize, and one of you hosts. The fairness extras work here too. You can block alts network-wide, and optionally weight the draw by cross-server trust so real regulars from every participating community hold better odds than day-old accounts. Nobody is ever excluded.

A simple cadence

• A small, frequent giveaway keeps your regulars engaged.
• A larger, occasional one drives growth spikes around milestones or launches. Make it cross-server or partner-backed if you can.

Close the loop

Announce winners publicly. Pair every giveaway with a strong welcome so the new arrivals have a reason to stay once the excitement fades.