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Thinking about organizing a raffle on Facebook? Few publications arouse the interest of users as much as those that promise something free. Coming across posts from brands that give away products or services on this platform with the aim of growing their community is something very common; however, it is convenient to take into account some important aspects to avoid that Zuckerberg’s social network penalizes our page in some way. Especially if you have in mind to invest in Facebook Ads.
Although not everything goes in the promotions, it is still possible to take advantage of the success of the draws without receiving ‘a virtual ear tug’. Sometimes, it is enough to pay attention to the approach. Take Note!
Facebook’s regulations
Factors to avoid
“Share this post and like our page!” Those requirements ring a bell, right? It is common to find these conditions in Facebook sweepstakes; however, these types of requests go against the regulations of the platform. The reason? They can be interpreted as spam or even understood as fraudulent behavior. You already know: forcing participants to share posts on their wall is prohibited in the regulations of this social network. So, no matter how advantageous it is for your brand, you should not force users to spread your content. Nor is the imposition of following your page allowed to be one of the essential requirements.
“And is tagging other users wrong too?” We are sorry to tell you that this is the case. But all is not lost: we have some keys that will be very practical for you.
Question of legality
“But many companies follow those dynamics and it works for them.” Overcome the moment of frustration: either due to ignorance of the rules or, simply, because they trust not to be penalized, there are brands that base their draws on actions of this style. That’s why we remind you that it never hurts to take a look at the advertising policies of the platforms on which you activate your promotions.
It’s up to you to follow the rules or tempt luck. Our recommendation is to avoid risks: there are other methods to grow your community that are not at odds with the current regulations. After all, sometimes it is preferable to suggest or know how to express something ‘between the lines’ than to be explicit in your copy and play a sanction. In addition, following the rules will allow you to apply some tricks in Facebook Ads to improve the reach of your sweepstakes and your page.
Allowed actions
Keep in mind that, at the moment, Facebook has nothing against requesting likes on specific posts. Not bad. What if you approach your draw like this? Since asking for a ‘Like’ on your post is allowed, consider the possibility of raffling something among all the likes of the post. Another possibility, perhaps more comfortable, is to demand comments on the post of the promotion (as long as you do not claim to tag other users there, huh?) Use your ingenuity when raising this aspect!
The importance of saying… unsaid
We know what you think: “The allowed actions don’t seem very useful for the growth of my page.” As you have already seen, Facebook rejects the impositions in the draws. But, if you raise your bases in a different way and add some recommendations at the end of your texts, you can achieve your purpose and avoid triggering the alarms of this social network.
A successful copy and some investment in Facebook Ads are the best allies to achieve a good reach. Adjusting to the requirements of the platform will prevent you from having to face such inopportune warnings as “your promotion will be affected because it is leading to an action …”.
The key is in the words
Believe us: carefully selecting your words will save you more than one headache when it comes to promoting your content. It is not a question of demanding, but of proposing. Although your bases should be oriented to the achievement of likes or comments exclusively in the post of the draw, it is also possible to suggest other actions (although they are not essential to qualify for the prize).
These tricks are seen clearer with an example. There it goes. Think it’s not the same to say ‘Tag 3 people’ than ‘We’d love to know who you would share the prize with’. Although in both cases the mentions are sought, the first sentence is clearly an imposition and the second is raised as a sign of interest on the part of the brand. Simple and effective, see?
Another useful suggestion for fanpage administrators is to check the likes that the post receives from time to time and invite those users to like the page. It is a simple and totally legal gesture, that’s why there is a button designed expressly for that function!
Promote the sweepstakes on Facebook Ads
It is increasingly difficult to stand out on social networks. And, although sweepstakes are an interesting resource to grow on this platform, the key to squeezing the most out of your brand’s reach strategy is the investment in Facebook Ads.
Campaign activation
Keep in mind that, despite being advertising, a promoted post is a non-intrusive format for users. If you give it a good approach, the integration with the rest of the content that the audience consumes is the most natural. In addition, the implementation of a campaign of this style is very advantageous since, given the organic interaction of the post, the return on investment is better than when promoting other types of content. To reduce the cost of the ad we suggest you propose a dynamic that generates many comments in the publication (without overlooking what was said in the previous section!)
When designing the post it is essential that you keep in mind that Facebook carries out an automatic process of reviewing the ads before they are put into circulation. This way they make sure that the content you want to promote complies with their advertising policies. These checks take into account many factors: images, text, segmentation data… that’s why focus is so important! Remember: the key in your proposal is to ‘say without saying’ to avoid this type of inconvenience:
Recommendations for the success of the draw
It is one thing to be clear about the regulations and another to focus only on the legal aspects. Covering your back by studying the platform’s prohibitions is important, but you should never overlook the effectiveness of accurate copy and good design! The success of a draw is also influenced by strategy.
Here are a few tips to optimize your publication to the maximum:
- Includes a call to action. Present the award at the beginning of the copy.
- Be concrete. Conciseness is key to maintaining interest.
- Specifies the deadlines. The life of a publication does not usually extend more than a week. Although with promotion it is possible to maintain interest a little longer.
- The legal bases cannot be missed. The legal roll, yes. You can add a link at the end of the copy for those users who want to know more about the details.
- Accompany the text with an image. A colorful design always scores points. Remember to adapt the photo to the Facebook format and include keywords.
All these aspects must be well defined from the beginning, especially if you have in mind to promote your draw. Please note that a promoted post cannot be edited! Although it is possible to modify certain factors (such as the duration of the campaign or the budget), the post remains unchanged. Check all the elements well before starting!
Conclusion
It is clear that Facebook’s policies are becoming more and more limiting. However, with a little ingenuity and a change of approach, it is possible to continue enhancing your advertising strategy on this platform. Sometimes it’s just a matter of analyzing a little the regulations in force.
Instead of regretting the bans, spot the possibilities at your fingertips. We have already seen that, with a small deviation in your actions and the help of Facebook Ads, it is possible to achieve a good reach. Start now to get the most out of these recommendations!
