On August 26th, Facebook updated its promotions guidelines to allow brands to run Facebook contests on their fan page timelines. Prior to this, the rules for running a Facebook post were tricky to say the least, as you were not allowed to ask for direct engagement. But alas – the new rules allow for an awesome way to generate excitement about your company, thus boosting engagement and getting your fans talking! Even better, a Facebook contest with good attendance spreads your business’ Facebook page to countless new people. A good contest is also a great way to show off your unique brand personality and the spirit of your company!

With these new Facebook promotion guidelines, brands can now accept contest entries by asking fans to like, comment, or message the page. But, the new rules have left a lot of businesses stumped as to how to make the most of the new Facebook contest rules. What is a good contest? How should they be structured?
What Kind of Contest Should I be Conducting?
There are tons of different types of contests you can use, and we at Wizler recommend a mixture of a few different types. Of course, there is truly no way to know what your audience is going to respond too, without first testing the waters, but knowing your brand should help you to cater your specific audience.
There are two basic mediums via Facebook that you can use to conduct a contest: a status update, or an event. The main difference between the two is longevity; a status update will only live in your fan’s news feed for a short while, and will move down the page as you continue to post. You can always click the star to highlight the post as important, thus enlarging it on your page, but it will still be dated and will move accordingly.
A Facebook event will be more prevalent on your page. A Facebook event will show up in the events square top at the top of your page, and will remain there until you post a new event. Furthermore, each event has a unique URL that you can use to share via social media, including on Facebook, to continue to remind your audience to participate. Each event also has its own wall where people can post to participate, or ask questions
At Wizler Social Media Management, we recommend a combination of these two methods. We post small giveaways via status updates, and we will do longer product promotions via events. Below are awesome examples of Facebook Contests that will drive likes, comments, and help build your brand:
Status Updates:

Happy Friday! We’re celebrating by giving away ___________. Let us know how you plan to spend your weekend, and the best answer will win __________. Winner will be chosen Monday at 5pm EST.
Who has a case of the Mondays? If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be? __________________. Share your favorite vacation destination for a chance to win! Winner will be picked at noon EST tomorrow!
If you could eat only one thing from our menu for 365 days, what would it be? Share with us for your chance to win a giftcard! Winner will be announced at 3pm EST on Tuesday!
What’s your favorite thing about our product? Tell us, and you could win!
Who was the first astronaut to go into space? Answer correctly, and you could win tickets to the Air & Space museum downtown! Contest ends at 5pm EST tomorrow.
Despite your product, business, or audience, a simple status update giveaway always has the same formula: question, incentive, prize, and information about when the prize will be given. We recommend that you comment on the winning response, rather than just posting or tagging the persons name, as the more you interact with a post on Facebook, the more likely it is to show up on others news feeds.
Event Creation:
Events are awesome because they have a lasting effect and allow for a lot of personal interaction. It is a great idea to cater your event to both your product and to what is going on in the media, or even to the seasons. Here are some examples:
Host a halloween costume contest, or a scary story contest. Tie in your product into either the images posted, or the stories shared. Remember, every time someone posts to your event wall, it will show up to all of their friends, and will create a chain reaction, so make it something engaging!
In November, post a contest asking your customers, “What are you thankful for?” Try to tie it in with your product, but either way, anything that inspires a compelling story always does a lot for brand loyalty.
Favorite T.V Show coming to an end? Ask your customers what they think will happen. The one with the closest response wins. It is always great to show your customers that you are more than a company – involvement in trends helps to showcase that.
A Facebook giveaway is a great way to judge the engagement occurring on your business page, and to interact personally and show your unique brand. Having a good, engaging following to your business translates to ROI, as participation stays in consumers minds and creates brand loyalty. Don’t forget to monitor your contests for questions and comments to ensure your contests turn into likes and comments.. The formula described above will work regardless of your product or service, but keep your contest focused and brand specific for best results!