WELCOME! We’ve got answers to…
- The different types of Facebook Contests you can run
- The key things that each type offers marketers
- How to give mobile users access to Facebook Tabs
The slides and video from our recent webinar cover:
- 3 Types of Facebook Contests
- How each type works
- Benefits of each type of promotion
- Details on setting up a Timeline Contest, Sweepstakes, & Photo Contest
Included are action points for giving mobile users access to your Facebook promotions and best practices for promoting the contest. As well, we’ll cover what you can do AFTER the promotion with the data you’ve gained!
The slides:
Webinar Video:
The 3 Main Types of Facebook Contests
- Timeline Contests
- Sweepstakes
- Photo Contests
1. TIMELINE CONTESTS IN THE NEWS FEED
The basic entry options for a Timeline Contest are by:
- liking the post
- leaving a comment on the post
- posting a photo comment on the post
- some combination of the above such as “Liking” for one entry and “commenting for an additional entry”
So, with that backdrop, here are some timeline contest ideas you could run!
5 Facebook Contest Ideas You Can Run on Your Timeline
1. Like to Win
If your business is looking to run a quick Facebook contest to reward fans, the “Like to Win” giveaway is a simple way for fans to participate.
As the name suggest, fans only need to Like a certain post to enter the contest & stand a chance of winning. Photos, status posts, links & videos can all be used to run this contest.
2. Comment to Enter
A closely related option to the “Like to Win”, the difference here is that fans must “comment” to enter. Announce the contest and simply instruct visitors to make a comment on the post to be entered. Tools like the TabSite Timeline Contest App let Pages download all the comments and generate a winner randomly from those entered.
A benefit of “comment contests” is that by commenting their is greater reach to friends of that commenter than a simple “Like” offers.
3. Trivia! Answer Correctly to Win
Yes, consider a quick and easy trivia question. Your post would outline the question and possible answers, entrants have to comment and answer correctly to have a chance to win. This brings in a bit of game fun to the contest. See examples below for example ideas. TabSite’s Timeline Contest App at Platinum level allows you to filter a post comments by a keyword (your correct answer)! So, once again, it’s easy to pick a winner.
4. Like and Comment
A combo option of #1 and #2 above is to run a timeline contest where the fan can like for one entry and comment for an additional entry, thus giving them two entries and a greater chance to win. TabSite’s Timeline winner tool allows for (a) keeping each entry separate or (b) merging them so the winner is someone who has Liked or Commented. Lots of options!
5. Photo Comment Contest
Another creative timeline contest option is to create a post and ask fans to enter by submitting a photo comment. Since Facebook allows photos as a comment, this works well! A Page could have fans load a fun image for the Page to (a) judge the winner, or (b) randomly pic a winner from submitted photos. Ideas could include to have a contest of photos submitted with fans using your product, or why they need your product, or some variation of these.
So those are some of the possibilities for using a Timeline contest! Want a complete guide? Click below!
2. SWEEPSTAKES
A sweepstakes is a chance-based promotion that is simple to setup and allows for easy entry. Visitors typically enter by completing a simple form with fields for their name and e-mail address, and then a winner or winner(s) are drawn randomly after a set date. As with most promotion apps available for Facebook there can be a fan or Like Gate image that requires the fan to “Like” the Page in order to access the entry form.
Pro’s of using a Sweepstakes:
- Low barrier to entry (simple form completion)
- Can work for a wide variety of industries
- Pages can receive key user information, important for future marketing such as e-mail or location
A sweepstakes may limit each user to one entry or allow users to enter repeatedly. Allowing users to enter daily enables more interaction potential with the visitor, because it brings them back to the Facebook page more often. A sweepstakes promotion can work for a wide variety of businesses including B2B and B2C. Sweepstakes help draw fans in to enter, though the engagement potential is not as high as some other promotion types.
Tips:
- Keep the entry form simple – too many fields and less will enter.
- Make the prize relevant to your company! A iPad is not real relevant if you own a craft store.
- Ensure the prize value equates to your product. $30 Gift Card for $600 watches is not a overwhelming deal, nor do you want to offer a $1500 Macbook Pro for your women’s boutique promotion. The prize doesn’t relate to the business, nor does the value equate to the low barrier to entry.
3. CONTESTS
A contest is different than a sweepstakes or a deal offer. This type of promotion requires more from the user and can be called a “skill-based promotion”. A contest entry typically requires more effort and skill for the entry submission, such as taking and submitting a photo entry that meets certain requirements. As well, instead of a random drawing to determine the winner, contests typically involve voting by the public, or judging by a select group in order to determine the winner. While photo contests are the most common type of contest routinely used, there are other types of contests such as video entry, essay or caption as well.
Pro’s for using a Facebook Contest:
- More opportunity for engagement
Entrants are one segment of those participating, while those coming to view entries and vote are another participating group. Together, this can add more overall reach, exposure, and interaction to the page.
- Entrants are motivated to share with Friends
Entrants want votes, so they extend the reach of the contest to their network of friends asking for their vote. This social sharing by entrants to their friends increases the overall reach of the contest. As well, this friend-to-friend introduction of a Page by an entrant to their friend can be a positive referral mechanism. It adds trust and credibility to the Page, and it’s products and services, via the friend invitation to vote.
- Better qualifying of entrants
Entrants are meeting a certain criteria for entry which is a sifting mechanism. It adds a barrier to those who simply enter any promotion because it’s easy and they might win, regardless of their interest in the company providing the offer. Depending on the guidelines needed to enter, this process can serve to qualify or pre-screen entrants as potential customers. If they need to submit a picture of themselves with your product in the picture, this is one level of qualification and connection with your product. An even greater level of sifting would be if the entrant needs to produce a 30 second promotional video related to your service/event and why they need to win. This would require them to become familiar with your product to submit a relevant entry.
- Access to user generated content
If the promotional rules outline that the entries can be used by the company holding the contest, this can be an excellent method to gather user generated content that is relevant to your brand and which can be used in future social marketing.
A contest offers more potential for engagement simply in terms of having two ways to participate, both entrants and also voters participate. As well, the motivation for an entrant to spread the word to their network to come and vote for their entry adds to the engagement potential. Another option for a contest is to consider a two-stage process. This adds the benefit of a initial round of voting and then the need to return to view and vote again in the finalist round.
Facebook Photo Contest Example
Contests may not work for some industries and types of businesses that simply do not lend themselves to this type of engagement. For instance, it might be a stretch for a medical practitioner to run a photo contest due to privacy concerns or relevance.
Tips:
- Be very clear about what the entrant needs to submit to meet your entry criteria.
- The prize value should associate in line with the time commitment the entrant will invest in order to develop their entry. (A $30 Gift Certificate won’t cut it for needing to create a 30 second video trailer that involves actors and editing!)
- Keep the contest moving! Do not run a month long contest. The attention span of a Facebook user is not geared to keeping track of an entry and voting once a day for 30 days. 5-7 days is a better span or perhaps 10 days if it is a 2 stage (initial and finalist rounds) contest.
- Set voting to 1x per day. This encourages entrants to get voters to come back each day, a perfect situation for your page!
Wondering if a Timeline Contest or a Tab Contest is right for you?
Guide to Deciding: Timeline Contest or Tab App Contest:
Here’s the quick overview on how each works and how to decide:
- If you want to launch right away (like today!)
- If you want fast engagement (like’s and comments on a post)
- If you have no budget at all
A Facebook timeline contest will give you fast engagement and can be deployed quickly.
- You want to grow Page likes. (Offers Like Gate to ensure fans like the Page to access the contest)
- You want to capture lead information such as email addresses for future marketing
- You want more design control
- You want advanced features
A Facebook contest on a tab will give you greater control and better lead capture.
That’s the quick overview. Yes, TabSite offers both types;
– TabSite’s Timeline Contest app
– TabSite’s Tab app Contest tools
Want more information?
eBook Guide to Successful Timeline Contests >>
Promotions for Facebook pages offer the power to draw fans in, boost page engagement, and accomplish tangible marketing goals such as increasing e-mail list numbers. Deals in the form of coupons and discount codes continue to be attractive means to help increase traffic to a page and offer a incentive method to help visitors begin a fan relationship with the page. While not an end in themselves, contests and offers can be part of a larger marketing strategy and a key piece of helping a business grow their social community.