How do I use the Random Comment Picker Tool for contests?

The Random Comment Picker makes choosing a contest winner easy! It will select a random winner based on a series of criteria that you can set including a date deadline, unique comments only, specific hashtags, and mentions. In this article, we explain how to use it.

If you're on the TRIAL, PRO, ADVANCED, or ENTERPRISE plan, you may have noticed an icon located under the Comments view within the Media Viewer:

This is our Random Comment Picker Tool, which selects comments from your media on a random basis, based on the criteria you set - perfect if you're running a contest! This is available for both Instagram and Facebook.

So, how does it work?

• Open your post in the Media Viewer, and click on the trophy icon, as shown in the screenshot above
• This will then open up the tool, where you can enter your criteria:

• Select whether or not you want a set deadline (only users who comment prior to the deadline will be included)
• Select whether you want unique comments only (this will cause multiple entries to be discarded)
• Choose the number of winners (up to 5)
• Decide whether a hashtag needs to be included in the comment - if so, simply type the hashtag and hit Enter to save the hashtag
• Select the number of mentions required in the comment (if required). For example, the comment must include 2 @ mentions.
• Once you've set the criteria for your contest, click "Start".
• If your post has less than 1000 comments, the winning comment/comments will then be displayed at the top of your comments within the media viewer:
• For posts with more than 1000 comments, the names of the winners will be sent to you via email, rather than being displayed within the media viewer.

Please be sure to use the comment picker before archiving/deleting the post. Whilst the post will remain visible on your Iconosquare account, we won't be able to access the comments once it's been archived or deleted!