Our First Giveaway Journey

Hello there, 😉

I'm Woomi, the founder and CEO of AURORA PIN.

Living in Korea, I began this newsletter as a project within our Amazon seller community. Initially, there were only 10 subscribers—fellow sellers working on the same journey.

Recently, we held our very first giveaway on Instagram, offering our Hair Clips to friends in the United States. As we collected email addresses and some personal details, those original 10 subscribers joined our list. (In the future, I plan to share news of additional giveaways and even coupons. But if you ever decide you no longer want to receive these emails, you can always unsubscribe.)

Embracing New Challenges on Instagram

As a small business owner, every step has been a challenge and an adventure. This giveaway was no different.

I’m not usually very active on social media, so Instagram felt a bit unfamiliar at first. I took some online classes to learn my way around the platform, and little by little, I began to feel more comfortable. Running my first Instagram ad and meeting giveaway participants online was an exciting new experience. I spent time looking at Instagram accounts—seeing the adorable photos of children—and felt a warm connection, imagining how our products might become a special gift for a daughter or granddaughter. I have a son who’s about to reach adulthood, and whenever I see little kids, I can’t help but smile and remember his childhood. I was so busy raising him that I hardly noticed those moments at the time, yet now I find myself nostalgic for those days. And now that he’s older, being able to share mature conversations with him brings its own kind of joy.

Lessons from My Blogging Journey

There was a time, when my son was very young and I was a full-time homemaker, that I ran a blog for three years at the suggestion of friends and family. I filled it with photos and writings about the books I loved. I sometimes questioned whether blogging truly made a difference, but I poured my heart into it regardless of who was reading. Eventually, after a year or two, publishers started reaching out for book reviews, and I ended up writing quite a few. More than any income, it connected me with a broader community and brought new energy into my daily life.

While planning this giveaway and thinking about the newsletter, I spent several days wondering how best to promote our product from a business perspective. But then I realized that every person who has joined us is a precious connection. I began to think: could I share something that might also be helpful to you?

If you’re interested in giveaways, I tend to check out whether your Instagram account shows genuine interest in the product and is actively maintained. While social media can sometimes feel like a personal diary, if you manage it with care—just as I did with my blog—it might even help advance your professional or creative pursuits.

Innovative Tools and Creative Processes

For this giveaway, I designed everything using Canva.com.

Canva lets you edit photos and videos for free, and it offers a wide range of templates, AI editing features, design elements, and even music. If you’re active on Instagram, tools like this can help you present a more professional image—especially if you’re involved in business. And even if Instagram isn’t your main focus, Canva is a versatile site that can serve all kinds of design needs.

When it came time to announce the winners, I initially planned to step outside and film myself unfolding a winner announcement sheet. However, it turned out that the day was snowy, and despite asking passersby to help film, the heavy snow kept everyone busy. I considered giving up and simply editing something together in the office using Canva. But since this was my first giveaway announcement, I really wanted to do it right—I was so grateful to everyone who participated. As I thought it through, I noticed a leather background paper I use for photo props. Given that this giveaway was for children’s Hair Clips, I figured arranging the colorful products alongside the printed winner announcement on the leather background would be just perfect.

I also wanted to try out the Capcut app, which I recently learned about both online and offline.

At 50 years old, I may take a little longer to pick up new tools, but I truly enjoy the process, and I’m grateful for every step of the journey.

Using Capcut.com , I created a simple animation of the paper unfolding in my hand and posted it on Instagram. I was absolutely delighted when the giveaway winners kindly reposted the video in their highlights.

Good news: our Hair Clips, which are stored in our U.S. warehouse, are scheduled to start shipping next week. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated, and I hope that sharing my sometimes bumpy but always heartfelt process can offer a little inspiration for your own Instagram endeavors.

Wishing you a joyful and happy week ahead. ✨

Thank you so much,

Woomi

Founder & CEO,
AURORA PIN 💜