Tip#8 Facebook Engagement through a Contest

Still having issues getting ‘Likes’ on your Facebook business page? Running a contest on your social media account might just be the answer you’re looking for. Why? Because people like to win and it is a fun way to get Likes, drive people to your page and most importantly because it will showcase your product or service.

Before you decide on a contest though, let’s consider some factors first: 

Type of Contest. You need to decide whether it’s going to be a timeline contest or something that would require you to run an app for the contest. It is important to note that Facebook rules does not allow you to require people to share your post or photo just for them to enter a contest. In addition, requiring your followers to post something about your product or service on their timeline or a friend’s timeline is also against Facebook rules along with requiring them to tag themselves in your photo. What your fans can do is message you on your page, ‘Like’ your page or like/comment on any of your post.

Duration of the Contest. According to Agorapulse, timeline contest can be run for 3-4 days, one week for sweepstakes and even longer if it’s a photo contest.

Rules. Set your contest rules properly so as to avoid cheating of your fans. Make sure to include it as a note on your website or on your Facebook page.

Types of Facebook Contest that You Can Run: 

Collaborative Contest. If you’re a restaurant, partner with a dating site organization or if you’re an internet provider partner with mobile device companies. This will not only poll more ‘Likes’ but it will give your business more reach and thus align similar interests. Below is an example of a baby care products collaborating with a club for first time mothers:

Photo Contest. By far, this is the most popular and a fun type of contest. You can pick the winner based on the photo which garnered the most ‘Likes’  or you can have your fans message you their photo and you choose which one best captures your theme. Below is a stunning photo contest by National Geographic.

Question and Answer Contest. You can post multiple choice answers which your fan can pick from or you can ask the question and have them submit the correct answer.

Crowdsource Contest. You can give your fans a role in your decision making through this contest as the resources or decision would come from them. For example, if you want to change your company logo, you can give a price for the best submission and this can be useful for you too!

Fill-in-the-Blank Contest. What you can do is post a photo and write an incomplete sentence which your fans can comment to complete the sentence after. Be sure to use a photo that will highlight your brand.

Caption Contest. This brings out the creativity of your fans in entering in the best caption they can come up with based on the photo you posted. You can either pick the winner or choose from whichever caption gets the most ‘Likes’.

Like or Comment to Win. You can organize to have your fans ‘Like’ or Comment on your post and whoever does so is entered into a raffle where you can pick the winner from. You can also poll for the best comments about your product or service and the winner get a freebie of some sort. The commentaries are a fun and useful way to increase brand awareness and would somehow be categorized as a review for your product or service.

You can run any of these contests through Facebook Contest by filling in a simple form: https://apps.facebook.com/my-contests/

If you’re a business owner in Orange County who wants to get engagement on your brand, these tips can be posted on your Facebook business page to connect more with your customers and get to learn more about their preferences in a fun and exciting way. If you need a social media marketing strategy especially in getting more engagement in Facebook, give us a call at 949-800-6990 or fill out the contact us form for a free consultation.