Over the weekend, I hosted an Instagram giveaway for If the Jewel Fits. I read a ton of articles and decided to go with the classic "tag a friend" promotion. Here are the things that I did right:

1 // Created a graphic that made the giveaway clear.

My formula: a simple title, "Instagram Giveaway" with text explaining the promotion (in case people don't read the caption) and a picture of the item.

2 // Added all giveaway terms in the photo description.

It clearly outlined how to enter, when the contest would end and included the must-have disclaimer from Instagram.

We get by with a little help from our friends! HOW TO ENTER: Tag your #bestie in the comments below for a chance to win an initial charm necklace for both of you! One entry per person. Tag only one bestie. The contest includes two necklaces with the initial of your choice - One for you, one for your bestie! All entries must be submitted by Sunday, 1/17/16 7pm EST. The winner will be contacted on 1/18/16 via direct message to coordinate. Good luck! Per Instagram rules, we must mention that this is in no way sponsored, administered or associated with Instagram.

#jewelry #initialjewelry #initialnecklace #initialcharms #charmnecklace

3 // Made the entry time short to create a sense urgency.

The contest was only valid for 2 days. In the description, I clearly stated the end date / time and when the winner would be contacted.

4 // Omitted "giveaway" hashtags. What? Why? How? I know this is crazy talk.

I did it because I didn't want the giveaway-hungry people to enter. Those aren't true fans of my work. I wanted to reward current followers and attract their BFF's which are most likely my target, too.

5 // Posted a reminder graphic on Sunday.

Since it was a short giveaway period, I shared another graphic that called out the giveaway in case people missed the first post. It was text-only and lead back to my feed to find the original photo. That ensured all entrants were posting on the original photo.

With the "tag a friend" approach, I was guaranteed fresh eyes on my Instagram feed. All of the above sounded like a formula for success, right? So, what did I miss?

I forgot to require entrants to "follow" my feed.

That's right. I got people to interact with one photo, but without that clause in the terms, they unfortunately didn't "follow" on their own.

The final results:

+ 1 new follower
+ 16 contest entrants / comments
+ 9 photo likes
+ 2 happy besties with new necklaces

Now what?

I want to focus more time and effort on Instagram (personally and professionally) this year. Now, I have ideas on what to do differently next time.

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4 Social Media Lessons from the Movie "Chef" by @collettelazor

Have you seen the movie "Chef" with Jon Favreau and Sofia Vergara? If not, you should. It's on Netflix right now.

It's one of my favorite movies because it has all of the things that give you the feel goods.

Relationships, humor and a comeback... a guy finding himself again and following his dreams with the help of friends and family... and a lot of tweets.

I love the integration of social media in the movie. In fact, that's how it all starts. I won't spoil the plot, but let's just say, things get crazy on Twitter.

Jon's character shows us what not to do and his savvy son shows us what to do. So, here are 4 social media lessons from the movie.

1 // Don't post your first message before running through the starter tutorials.

All platforms have them and they are a quick way to learn the basics. So, you'll know things like the difference between a public tweet and a private direct message. Something he didn't... which got him in big trouble!

2 // Don't post in anger, unless you're ready for the consequences.

Whether you're posting for a brand or yourself, remember that it's all public and searchable. Don't do something you'll regret out of haste. There are always a few stories a year that remind us of this. Keep a level head when posting!

3 // Do use hashtags in the search field to find relevant conversations about a topic.

Once the "incident" happened, that's how he found all of the comments. Track mentions, variations of your brand and topics to see the negative and positive things people are saying.

4 // Do share behind-the-scenes, creative content about the journey.

His son helped by creating a social following (after said dream was discovered) by sharing pictures of their travels and food, posting their next location and being genuine with their fan base.