How to run a Facebook contest
Thinking of running a Fac
ebook contest? Facebook has recently loosened the restrictions on running competitions, however there are still a few things to consider before embarking on this sort of social media activity.
There are two methods of producing contests on Facebook, firstly you can use a third party application, or you could just run a promotion directly on your Facebook timeline. In this article we will focus on direct promotions, here are a few things you should consider:
1) Know how you can collect entries:
You are allowed to collect entries by users liking, messaging, or posting on your page. So for example, you can ask patients to post a photo or to comment on one of your posts, so you can then randomly choose a winner. You could also ask a question and the first person to respond could be a winner.
You are not allowed to ask users to tag themselves in a photo which is not a photo of them; you also cannot ask users to share a post or to post something on theirs or their friend’s timelines.
2) Make sure you follow all of the rules:
As stated in Facebook’s Page Terms:
If you use Facebook to communicate or administer a promotion (e.g., a contest or sweepstakes), you are responsible for the lawful operation of that promotion, including:
- Abiding by the official rules
- Offer terms and eligibility requirements (e.g. age and residency restrictions)
- Compliance with applicable rules and regulations governing the promotion and all prizes offered. E.g ensuring that you abide by GDC guidelines, UK Law etc.
Within the terms and eligibility requirements, you must ensure that you include the rules of the promotion, in addition to releasing Facebook from any liability.
3) Beware of Cheaters:
There are such thinks as ‘serial contestants’, users who create multiple accounts so that they can enter competitions on almost on a professional basis in order to have as much chance of winning a prize as possible.
Try your best to ensure that your contests attract legitimate participants, if you notice anything untoward, address the issues as early as possible.
4) Think about how you select your winners:
Your winners ideally should be chosen by an independent party to release you from any negativity. If you have a smaller audience it shouldn’t be too much of an issue, however if you have multiple entrants it might be worth using a third party application to randomly choose the winner.
5) Consider the value of your prizes:
It’s better to offer smaller prizes such as a free toothbrush or cinema tickets than to have larger prizes such as a free holiday which require far more organisation. Choose the right promotion for your business.
If you would like further information about how to use social media to your practice’s advantage give Dental Design a call on 01202 677 277 who will be happy to help you.
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