How to run a Facebook contest
Do… Keep Facebook contest rules simple
When you announce a Facebook giveaway or contest, keep it simple. Make sure you tell your followers:
- What the prize is
- How to win it
- When the contest closes
Do… Monitor comments and respond to your followers
Be ready to answer any questions or doubts about the Facebook contest. But… it’s not just about customer service!
The whole point of Facebook contests is to increase reach and engagement. So make sure you build on the opportunity by liking comments, responding to messages, and showing your followers that you really do value their contributions.
Do… Run regular Facebook contests with a variety of content
Make Facebook contests a regular part of your social media strategy. If people know that there are regular prizes on offer, then they’ll keep coming back for more.
Don’t forget to mix things up a bit. Run comment contests and photo contests. Share videos, quiz questions, and puzzle challenges. Use your imagination!
Do… Cross-promote your Facebook contests
Use Facebook Ads if you want to increase your reach on the platform, or target a specific audience. Share your Facebook contests on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, your website and mailing lists to get more participants. Or you could just run a multi-network social media giveaway.
Do… Give away group prizes
It’s called a “social” network for a reason. Facebook users love prizes that they can share with a partner or group of friends. We’re thinking restaurant vouchers, concert tickets, weekends away…
What not to do in Facebook contests
Don’t… Give prizes to the most popular comment
If you pick a winner based on popularity, then you might get backlash from your followers. And there’s no way to check whether people have gamed the system and asked friends to like their comment. It’s simpler, and safer, to use a random comment picker to choose your winner.
Don’t… Ask followers for too much
The more you ask for, the fewer participants you get. Don’t ask people to comment endlessly, tag all their friends, or like and share your page.
Instead? Start a real conversation by asking an engaging question. People will be happy to comment and join in. If you’re lucky, the organic likes will follow.
Don’t… Ignore the Facebook terms of service
We don’t recommend asking for likes, follows, tags, or shares. And it’s not just because those requests annoy your followers. They’re also against Facebook rules.
Make sure your Facebook contests are fully compliant. That means including a link to terms and conditions, and not begging for likes or shares. If you need help with the legal details, check out this terms and conditions template tool.
Don’t… Forget to follow up
Make sure you follow up with your winners after the contest! You’ll need to get in touch so they can claim their prize and share delivery details with you. Later, you can encourage them to post photos and messages about how much they’ve enjoyed their reward.
Don’t… Leave the contest open for too long
Most giveaways last less than a week. If you let your Facebook contests run for too long, then people get distracted or lose hope of winning the prize.
So try and add some urgency to your Facebook giveaways. Run a countdown in your Stories to encourage people to sign up – and make a big deal of selecting the winner and closing the contest.
