How to run a Facebook contest?

How are Facebook contests perceived?

Awards in social media attract like a magnet – not only fans, but also new recipients. Opinions on this subject are divided among markets. Some believe Facebook contests can benefit the brand, while opponents see it as a waste of time.

Initiatives of this type can be a good way to awaken and engage a dormant community, broaden the reach, acquire UGC (user generated content), or simply stimulate brand sympathy and thus evoke positive associations.

However, you must also remember about these negative aspects or organizing competitions. We cannot always guarantee to reach our target group directly, even if we decide to sponsor a position. Recently, communities of contest fans have appeared on the Internet, exchanging information about where for participation in the competition, virtually anyone can participate. Unfortunately, sometimes professional competition hunters use unfair practices to win and get a prize.

Facebook contest – how not to do it?

If our plan is to organize a contest for the idea itself, then it would be better to not do it. It will be a waste of time and resources for ill-considered marketing activities. Often on social media you can see contests based on a handout, where the organizers will specify in the conditions of participation that the participant must, like a brand page, share a post or tag friends. This is a serious mistake, because Facebook itself prohibits any user activity related to the website, including interfering with the timeline.

THE CONDITION OF PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTEST MAY NOT BE:

• Tagging other website users,
• Inviting other users to the competition,
• Sharing content by the user on his own timeline,
• Forcing people to like the organizer’s profile.

What to remember when organizing a contest?

The rules of the contest are an essential element. It is required not only by the service, but also by our law. For us as an organizer, it is a kind of security, so it’s worth taking the time to develop it. Of course, we do not have to include such regulations in the competition post- a good solution is to link a dedicated subpage of our company website and put a link in the post or the comment.

The regulations of the competition on Facebook must include information such as: who is the organizer, prerequisites, and conditions for participation, duration, prizes, and the method of settlement, as well as information on the scope and protection of personal data. It is also necessary to note that the competition is not endorsed or supported in any way by Facebook.

How to run a legal Facebook contest?

It is worth determining at the very beginning how we will select the winners, and further formal and legal issues will depend on this. If we decide to select winners of the contest by drawing lots, we must remember that such action is subject to the Gambling Act. Lottery contests are legal, we must remember that these actions are subject to the Gambling Act. Lottery contests are legal if we obtain the appropriate permit in advance. First, we should apply to the appropriate chamber of the tax administration with an application that must contain documentation on the legality of the capital’s origin and that we are not in arrears with taxes, customs duties, or social security contributions. It is also necessary to pay and submit an application. two months before the date of the organization. If we decide to organize a draw without the appropriate permits, we may face criminal penalties in the form of a fine. Therefore, in the case of smaller brands, it is sometimes better to let go of the time-consuming and costly path of organizing lotteries and choose a different method of selecting winners.

The evaluation criterion is a simpler and more accurate method of awarding the contest. Introducing the jury will evaluate the skills, creativity or knowledge of participants is a fair way to make a competition legal and attractive. Each of the participants must prove what is more engaging and interesting for the audience. The participants’ works can be used later as user generated content (if we define the scope of the copyright in the regulations). However, remember that the contest task cannot be too demanding’ the high level of difficulty can effectively discourage you from taking part in the game.

Facebook contests – are they worth doing?

Yes, of course!

We only need to properly motivate Internet users to participate. In terms of prizes, gift cards for e-shops from various categories, interesting company gadgets, gift cards for e-shops from different categories, interesting company gadgets or selected products from our own store can work well. Attractive prizes combined with a well-thought formula will guarantee us the final success. And although the competitions are aimed at fans, the real winners are the organizers who reach new people thanks to them, thus increasing brand recognition.