Facebook is a key tool for businesses of all sizes, as a regularly updated page can let potential customers know you are still trading, what is current in your industry, and where they can find you!
Competitions are a great way to boost page likes and engage users, but there are a number of rules you must follow so you don’t fall foul of the platform’s rules and regulations. Helpfully, we’ve collated them here for you!
You are responsible!
Put simply, if you run a contest on Facebook then you are responsible for it, as the social media network explains:
“If you use Facebook to communicate or administer a promotion (ex: a contest or sweepstakes), you are responsible for the lawful operation of that promotion, including:
- The official rules;
- Offer terms and eligibility requirements (ex: age and residency restrictions); and
- Compliance with applicable rules and regulations governing the promotion and all prizes offered (ex: registration and obtaining necessary regulatory approvals).”
It may be sensible to create some terms and conditions before starting, making sure you are on top of any potential pitfalls – Facebook is not going to jump in to help you if you accidentally break any laws! You should also clearly state that Facebook has no affiliation with your contest.
Do not ask people to share or tag friends!
One of the original reasons for launching contests on Facebook was to boot likes on a page, so you would often see rules asking users to like, share, and tag friends in the comments. This is not allowed, as the platform states: “Promotions may be administered on Pages, Groups, Events, or within apps on Facebook. Personal Timelines and friend connections must not be used to administer promotions (ex: “share on your Timeline to enter” or “share on your friend’s Timeline to get additional entries”, and “tag your friends in this post to enter” are not permitted).”
So how can you work around this? You can ask people to like your page for further updates or for more great contests, but you should not ask them to like your page to enter. Alternatively, require people to share their personal entry, but make sure not to ask them to share the competition link. Finally, encourage users to comment on the post, to help build awareness.
Keep up to date!
Facebook changes its rules and regulations all the time, so the simplest way to ensure you don’t run afoul of any terms and conditions is to check before you post! Even better, speak to the team at Bee Visible, where social media is what we do, and let us do the hard work on your behalf!
Need help with your social media?
If you would like us to help you setup a Facebook competition, or provide any advice on social media, or even manage your social media for you, why not check out our social media management page, or get in touch for more information!
