# How New York Stores Can Build a Shopify Giveaway Portal By ReelWin Team · Last updated October 3, 2026 A practical process for New York Shopify merchants to create a branded giveaway submission portal that collects customer videos and photos, keeps entries organized, and supports winner selection in one place. ## Key takeaways - Start with one clear customer-content goal and a prize that matches the type of video or photo you want to collect. - Use a branded submission page with direct instructions so entrants know what to submit and where their content will be used. - Configure contest dates, rules, email messages, and promotion before sharing the portal. - Review submissions by contest from one dashboard, download the UGC you need, and select winners using a consistent process. For a New York Shopify store, a giveaway submission page can turn an ordinary promotion into a repeatable source of customer-created videos and photos. The page should do more than announce a prize: it should give customers a simple place to submit content, explain what makes a useful entry, and set clear expectations for the contest. ReelWin is built for this workflow inside Shopify, combining a customizable submission portal with contest setup, entry management, media downloads, winner selection, and automated contest emails. The following process helps you build a focused giveaway portal without separating your contest page, customer submissions, and review process across multiple tools. ## Step 1: Choose the content goal before creating the giveaway Begin by deciding exactly what you want entrants to create. A contest can be designed to collect short product videos, customer photos, or a mix of both, but a single primary content goal makes the submission page easier to understand and makes entries easier to review later. Consider what your store can use after the giveaway: authentic social content, creative assets for ads, or customer media for product-focused marketing. Then define the prize and contest timeline around that goal. The prize should give customers a reason to participate while the requested content should remain straightforward enough to create. Write down the contest start date, end date, how winners will be picked, and the submission requirements. These decisions become the foundation for the page copy, contest rules, and email messages. ## Step 2: Build the contest in a guided Shopify workflow Create the giveaway in ReelWin using its guided contest setup wizard. Set the prize, dates, pages, emails, and rules as part of the contest configuration. Keeping these elements together is useful because the submission portal should match the specific contest it supports rather than serving as a generic form with unclear conditions. Give the contest a distinct internal name so your team can identify it in the dashboard. ReelWin organizes entries by contest, which helps when your store runs more than one campaign or wants to retain draft ideas before launch. The platform supports unlimited draft contests, so you can prepare page language and contest details before you begin promoting a live giveaway. ## Step 3: Create a submission page customers can follow quickly Customize the contest submission page so it feels like part of your Shopify store and speaks directly to the customer action you want. Lead with a concise explanation of the giveaway, the prize, and the type of video or photo to submit. Follow that with simple entry instructions. Customers should be able to answer three questions without searching: what do I submit, when do I submit it, and what happens after I enter? Include the contest rules in the configured rules area and make the instructions consistent with those rules. Avoid asking for loosely defined content if your team needs specific media. For example, if the goal is customer video, say what the video should show rather than simply requesting a “great entry.” Clear direction improves the relevance of the UGC collected through the portal and reduces follow-up work during review. ## Step 4: Set confirmation and winner emails before promotion Configure the entry confirmation email so each participant receives acknowledgment after submitting. This gives customers a clear signal that their content reached the contest and reinforces the timeline you established. Customize the email template to match the giveaway details and store voice. Also prepare the winner email before the contest opens. ReelWin can automatically send both entry confirmations and winner emails using templates you customize. Completing these messages in advance helps your team avoid a scramble after entries close and creates a more consistent customer experience from submission through winner notification. ## Step 5: Publish, promote, review, and select winners Once the portal, rules, and emails are ready, promote the contest through the channels available to your Shopify store. ReelWin provides shareable links, theme blocks, and customizable email campaigns, so the same contest can be surfaced in your store and shared with your existing customer audience. Use the same core message in each placement: prize, deadline, requested content, and where to enter. As submissions arrive, review them from the ReelWin dashboard rather than manually sorting files across inboxes or folders. Entries are stored by contest, allowing your team to evaluate customer videos and photos together. Download the media you want to use, apply the winner-selection approach described in your contest rules, and choose winners from the same dashboard. After selection, use the configured winner email to close the giveaway process clearly. ## Key takeaways - A useful Shopify giveaway submission page begins with a specific UGC request, not just a prize announcement. - Set prizes, dates, rules, pages, and emails together so customers see a coherent contest experience. - A customized submission portal gives customers one branded destination for entering with videos or photos. - ReelWin keeps submissions organized by contest and brings reviewing, downloading media, and picking winners into one dashboard. - Shareable links, theme blocks, and customizable email campaigns can help distribute the same giveaway without creating separate entry processes. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can a Shopify giveaway collect both videos and photos? Yes. ReelWin is designed for Shopify merchants to collect customer-created videos and photos through a branded contest submission portal. Decide which format you want before writing the page instructions so entrants understand what to submit. ### What should be on a giveaway submission page? Include the prize, contest dates, the requested content, clear submission instructions, and the contest rules. Your entry confirmation message should also reflect the same contest details after a customer submits. ### How do I manage entries after customers submit them? ReelWin stores entries by contest and lets merchants review submissions, download UGC media, and pick winners from a single dashboard. ### Can I prepare a contest before it is ready to launch? Yes. ReelWin supports unlimited draft contests, allowing you to configure and refine a giveaway before publishing and promoting it. New subscriptions include a 3-day free trial. **Edited by** Sam Fast Community Manager Sam is a dedicated communicate manager for new and existing ReelWin Shopify merchants.