Templates for asking people to vote, written out network by network

What makes a vote request honest and effective?

It asks a real person, for something they can do in a minute, and makes it easy to say no. That combination works better than pressure, and it keeps the entry safe.

Five habits

• Ask a person, not a crowd. A message with a name at the top is answered more often than a broadcast.
• Say what you entered and why it matters. One sentence in your own words.
• Name every step. If the vote needs an email confirmation or a phone code, say so before the person clicks.
• Give the closing time with its time zone.
• Leave a way out. Thank people whether or not they vote.

What never goes in a request

No prizes, discounts or tokens in exchange for a vote, unless the organizer's own rules allow it and describe it. No asking one person to vote from several accounts, and no groups that agree to vote for each other. No message to children without a parent's agreement; see kids, pets and school contests. Before you send anything, read the contest's wording on outside promotion with the rules and risk check. If the rules forbid asking for votes, none of the templates below applies.

What goes into every vote request?

Six parts, in this order. Each template below is a version of this skeleton, so you can adapt it to a network we do not cover.

1. Who I am: Hi [NAME], it's [YOUR NAME].
2. What I entered: I entered [ENTRY NAME] in [CONTEST NAME].
3. Why it matters: [ONE SENTENCE IN YOUR OWN WORDS]
4. The ask: If you like it, would you vote for it?
5. The steps and link: Open [LINK], then [STEPS].
6. The deadline and the exit: Voting closes [DATE, TIME ZONE]. No pressure, and thank you either way.

Part five is the one entrants forget, and it decides whether the vote is finished. If the contest asks for an email confirmation, tell people to look for the message and to check the spam folder. If it uses a login or a phone code, say that too. The guide to voting protection types describes each check so you can word the step correctly.

Write in your own voice. A template that sounds like an advertisement is ignored, and a message that sounds like you is read. Change at least the first sentence and the reason why, so no two people receive the same text.

How do you ask for a vote on WhatsApp and Telegram?

Personally, in small groups, and only where the people there expect to hear from you. Messengers are the most private channel in this guide, so consent matters more here than anywhere else.

A personal message

Hi [NAME], I have entered [ENTRY NAME] in [CONTEST NAME] and voting is open until [DATE, TIME ZONE]. If you like it, a vote would mean a lot to me. The link is [LINK]. It takes about a minute: [STEPS]. No pressure at all, and thank you either way.

A message to a group you belong to

Hi everyone, with the admins' permission: [NAME] from our group has entered [ENTRY NAME] in [CONTEST NAME]. Voting closes on [DATE, TIME ZONE]. If you would like to support it, the link is [LINK]. You will be asked to [STEPS]. Please vote once, with your own account, as the rules say. Thanks for reading.

Notes

• Ask the admins before posting to a group, and do not post in groups that you joined only for this.
• Send the personal message one person at a time. Do not paste a list of names into a broadcast.
• For channel posts, see our pages on Telegram and WhatsApp.

How should the ask read on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok?

Short, visual and led by the entry itself. These networks reward a post that looks like a person talking, so lead with the work and put the ask second.

Instagram stories, three frames

Frame 1: [PHOTO OF THE ENTRY] I entered [ENTRY NAME] in [CONTEST NAME].
Frame 2: [ONE SENTENCE WHY IT MATTERS]. Voting closes [DATE, TIME ZONE]. Tap the link if you would like to vote.
Frame 3: You will need to [STEPS]. Thank you for the support.

Facebook post

I have entered [ENTRY NAME] in [CONTEST NAME]. It is about [ONE SENTENCE]. Voting is open until [DATE, TIME ZONE] at [LINK], and the vote needs [STEPS]. If you can spare a minute, I would be grateful. If not, I understand, and thank you for reading.

TikTok caption and spoken line

Caption: Why I entered [CONTEST NAME] with [ENTRY NAME]. Voting closes [DATE]. Link in bio.
Spoken: Hi, I'm [NAME]. This is [ENTRY NAME], and this is why it matters to me. If you want to support it, the link is in my bio. You will need to [STEPS]. Thank you.

The network pages cover formats and ad options: Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

What changes on X, LinkedIn and Reddit?

Each has a different audience and a different etiquette. On X the ask is brief, on LinkedIn it is professional, and on Reddit it starts with the community's rules, not with a link.

X post

I entered [ENTRY NAME] in [CONTEST NAME]: [ONE LINE ON WHAT IT IS]. Voting closes [DATE, TIME ZONE]. Link: [LINK]. Steps: [STEPS]. Thanks for reading.

LinkedIn post for a business award

We have been shortlisted for [AWARD NAME] in the [CATEGORY] category. It reflects the work of [TEAM OR PARTNERS]. If you have worked with us and would like to vote, the link is [LINK] and voting closes [DATE, TIME ZONE]. The vote needs [STEPS]. Thank you to everyone who has supported us.

Reddit: a note to the moderators, before any post

Hello moderators, I have entered [ENTRY NAME] in [CONTEST NAME] and think members here might find it interesting. Does your community allow a post about it, and are requests for votes permitted? I will follow any format you prefer. Thank you.

Many communities forbid vote requests, and a post removed once is hard to repeat. If the moderators say no, the answer is no. See X, LinkedIn and Reddit for the platform side.

How do you ask by email without annoying people?

Send it only to people who agreed to hear from you, and give them an easy way to stop. A short email from a name they know does better than a newsletter-style blast.

Subject: Could you vote for [ENTRY NAME] by [DATE]?

Hello [NAME],

You are receiving this because you asked to hear from [YOU OR YOUR ORGANIZATION] about [TOPIC]. We have entered [ENTRY NAME] in [CONTEST NAME], and voting closes on [DATE, TIME ZONE].

If you would like to support it, the link is [LINK]. The vote needs [STEPS].

Whether or not you vote, thank you for being part of this. If you would rather not get messages like this, reply with the word stop and we will remove you.

[YOUR NAME]

Rules for the list

• Use only addresses that people gave you for this kind of contact.
• Send once to the full list, once to those who have not opened the first email, and once on the last day. Three is plenty.
• Do not buy or borrow a list.

Our community, email and messenger outreach service builds consent-based sequences like this, and the page on email promotion describes the format in detail.

When do you follow up, and how do you say thank you?

Follow up at the moments when attention returns: after the first wave, the day before the close and on the last day. After the close, thank people while the contest is still fresh.

Reminder

Quick reminder: voting for [ENTRY NAME] closes [TOMORROW / TODAY] at [TIME, TIME ZONE]. If you have already voted, thank you, and please ignore this. If not, the link is [LINK]. The vote needs [STEPS].

Thank-you

Thank you to everyone who supported [ENTRY NAME]. Voting is closed, and the organizer will announce results on [DATE]. Whatever the outcome, your support made this entry possible.

If a person says no, stop. Fit these touches into a plan with the 7, 14 and 30 day calendar. To have us write and place them, start with the free contest analysis, and send your rules with it.

How it works

1. Read the promotion ruleConfirm that the contest allows asking for votes and in which channels.
2. Write the skeletonFill in who you are, what you entered, why it matters, the steps and the closing time.
3. Adapt it per networkPick the template for each channel and change the first sentence into your own voice.
4. Send in wavesAsk personally first, then groups with permission, then a reminder before the close.
5. Thank everyoneSend the thank-you after the close, whether or not the entry wins.