NEWSFLASH! The Game Has Changed for Facebook Competitions

By Alan Coleman on 28 Aug 2013

Yesterday, Facebook announced that they have updated their page terms in order to make it easier to run Facebook promotions. These are the most important things you need to know:

Facebook NO LONGER requires you to use an app to run competitions
You CAN now run competitions via the Timeline of your business page
You CAN collect entries by having users post on your Page or comment/Like a Page post
You CAN collect entries by having users message the Page
You CAN utilise Likes as a voting mechanism

HOWEVER…

You CANNOT ask people to share a post to gain entry into a competition
You CANNOT ask people to tag themselves in posts they are not actually depicted in in order to gain entry into a competition

Of course, as most of you will know by now, I spend lots of time in deep thought after Facebook makes big announcements. I know you are all dying to be graced with the fruits of my thinking… The outcome of Facebook’s latest update

Our Timelines are going to be polluted with people posting and liking on business pages in order to win prizes…HURRAY! What was that they said about showing us more relevant content?
As much as people hated the hassle of using third party apps, they were great for building email lists and starting relationships with a very relevant and interested audience
I feel sorry for the poor people who make a profit for developing competition apps for Facebook…imagine waking up to the realisation that what they do is no longer needed?

Do you use Facebook Apps for running competitions on your Facebook page? Will you continue to use them? Or will you revert to old pre-rule methods of running Facebook competitions?