Facebook’s previous rules for running contents on your wall were undoubtedly an obstacle for a lot of businesses, adding layers of complexity and difficulty across the board.
At TRG, we’re in the business of creating social media promotions for our clients, so we’ve kept a close eye on how Facebook legislates contests and sweepstakes. Their new ruleset, announced on August 27th, makes it “easier for businesses of all sizes to create and administer promotions on Facebook.” What are some of the changes, and how might they impact using Facebook?
- Contests can be run on a business/organization’s own Timeline, allowing them to capture entries from users who post on the page, make comments or Like a page post, or message the page.
- Likes are now a voting mechanism that can be used in promotions; a restaurant could, for instance, get Facebook users to vote on what menu item should be on special that week, then reward those who voted for the “winner” with a coupon.
- You still cannot run a contest or sweeps off of a personal page or Timeline.
- You can still use an app to deliver a promotion or contest; the new rules simply enlarge your options to now include Timeline contests. However, offering your target audience multiple options increases the chance of confusion and validation issues.
- Having carefully-written, clear-as-day rules is still a must, as is solid winner notification and fulfillment practices.
- Apps are better for collecting leads and CRM; in our case, we try to build in app leads synchronization to a client’s email provider or through our own platforms.
On the one hand, the new rules make it easier than ever for small businesses to administer Facebook promotions. But there’s also the potential for overkill and confusion if such strategies aren’t thought out. Having flexible new tools to promote your business is always good news – but it’s always better to have those tools be in service to a smart, long-term strategy for building your brand over time!
