Social media is a powerful marketing tool, but what about those Facebook contests so many companies use? We all see them streaming through our newsfeeds. Do they really pay off? Or do they annoy people? The answer is… it depends. Like any marketing campaign, a Facebook contest can soar or flop depending on the effort put into it. Let’s look at what makes Facebook content work and what to avoid.
Like anything in business, you have to start with solid research and planning. What kind of prize would motivate your followers to share your contest? Should you give away something your company sells? Should it be a once-off big-ticket item or a supply of consumables? Or should it be something different such as tickets to an event such as a sports match? Perhaps a night out? Or an overnight trip? Much depends on your budget, but of the things you could afford, consider what will have the most pull for your followers.
For starters, you have to play by the rules. Study them. They might have changed since you last checked them. Plenty of companies are running contests that do not comply with the rules but don’t be one of them. Don’t be lulled into thinking if they can get away with it, so can you. Facebook’s rules are designed to prevent contests from annoying people, and you don’t want to be the loser who is annoying people. You are not allowed to ask people to tag themselves or their friends in posts. What you can do instead is to run a contest so fabulous that people want to share it.
One type of contest that encourages sharing without breaking any of Facebook’s rules asks followers to submit content. You can ask them to send in photos of themselves using your product or doing something related to your field. Photo captions are a fun and popular contest. You can ask them to name a new product or send in their poems related to your brand in some way. Because it is their own submission, people are eager to share.
The ultimate goal of social media marketing is to increase sales, but that’s a long game. In the short term, your goals are about building engagement and fostering relationships. Your contest needs goals too. What is the purpose? Do you want to boost the number of page followers? Raise awareness of a new product or development at your company. Are you hoping to direct more traffic to your website? Set clear goals for your contest and quantify them.
Before you launch your contest, you need to decide upon your own set of rules. Most importantly, you need to determine how you will select a winner. Try to keep this simple, for your own sake. Will you ask followers to vote for the best submission? Will you have a panel of people inside or outside of your company choose the winner? Remember, this part of the contest will affect people’s perception of how trustworthy your brand is.
The key elements of a successful Facebook contest are that it is fun and simple. People won’t bother with a contest that is too complicated, and we all prefer to do things that are fun. After your competition, study your analytics. There should be a fantastic prize in there for you – better insight into your audience.
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