Yesterday, Facebook announced a major change in relation to running promotions on Facebook.
Historically brands have used third-party apps – like Zeus – to run their Facebook Sweepstakes and Contests as it was a long standing rule that the promotion needed to be administered OFF of the Facebook platform.
The recent guideline change brings a new option for consideration. Brands can run their promotions within an App as has always been the case or promotions may be administered directly on their Business Page (with some caveats of course). An example of running a promotion directly on a Business Page would be collecting entries by having a user post content or a comment directly onto a Business Page (or within the comments section of a specific post), or by having users send a direct message to the Business Page. They also are allowing “likes” to be considering a voting mechanism. For a full run-down of the guideline changes please review the articles published by Facebook.
While the new change sounds much simpler for both the brand and consumers, there are certainly limitations.
If using this new method, you will not be able to collect any personal data within an entry form and will be relying on a consumer answering your Facebook message when the time comes for winner notification and clearance. The process will be tedious and time-consuming. Entry forms not only allow for secure collection of necessary data but it provides a way to age-gate and collect email messaging opt-ins which can be of high-importance to certain industries and business goals.
Brands also need to remember to include one-click access to the promotion’s Official Rules which is a Facebook (and State!) requirement that did not change. It may be easy to forget this step when Brand Managers are in the heat of the moment of posting a quick Sweeps or Contest on your page and serious legal implications could follow.
Zeus includes an array of standard features (customization of entry forms, secure data collection, email opt-in confirmation, official rules, automated winner notifications) leaving you one less thing to worry about and plan for!
If you would like to talk to one of our Product Managers about this change and the value of Third-Party applications please contact us or send an email to Info@ZeusPromo.com.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
