Excellent article on Social Media Examiner about Facebook Contests! The article, written by Shortstack CEO, Jim Belosic, provides 17 Tips for Successful Facebook Contests.
Facebook contests can be highly valuable in helping to build and engage fans on an organization’s Facebook Page. That said, contests require a commitment of time to pull it all together, create a plan for success, analyze results along the way and decide what the next steps will be. The article 17 Tips for Successful Facebook Contests provides an excellent overview of some of what needs to happen and the decisions that need to be made when putting together a contest.
Time is needed to get the various bits right and to plan for success!
- Time to REVIEW Facebook’s Terms of Service.
- Time to SET GOALS to determine how you will know if the contest was a success or not. S.M.A.R.T. goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.
- Time to DEVELOP your contest and the various pieces that go along with it (rules, who can enter, what the prizes will be, time frame for the contest, marketing visuals and written content, etc.)
- Time to PROMOTE the contest (free and paid ads/promotion on Facebook, other social networks, your website, email and other marketing strategies.)
- Time to MONITOR and analyze the contest during the ‘live’ stage, to determine if adjustments are needed in any areas.
- Time to ANALYZE end results against S.M.A.R.T. goals set in the planning stage.
- Time to PLAN NEXT STEPS to be taken once the contest is concluded. (This should be part of setting your goals at the outset.)
Here’s a list of the 17 Tips Jim Belosic of Shortstack shares in the article … read the article for more on each tip):
- Review Facebook’s Terms of Service
- Set a S.M.A.R.T. Goal
- Choose the Contest Type
- Select the Right Software*
- Set a Time Frame
- Create Rules
- Determine Who Can Enter
- Pick a Relevant Prize
- Feature a Photo of the Prize
- Choose a Custom Hashtag
- Design Your Contest Images
- Make Your Contest Mobile-Friendly
- Limit Form Fields to Three
- Make Your Contest Easy to Share
- Promote Everywhere
- Notify the Winner and Reward all Entrants
- Run Another Contest
* Check out Shortstack if you’re looking for software that helps you build social media contests and marketing campaigns.
To read the “17 Tips for Successful Facebook Contests” click here. I highly recommend it if you’re looking to run a Facebook contest and to understand your options.