The updates to Facebook promotional guidelines comes with very specific permissions, giving brands more freedom to host contest and giveaways, while adding a layer of restrictions to protect Facebook users from invasive marketing efforts.

1. AttentionPOV
Facebook Promotions Update
September, 2013- Jennifer Hirst
Updates Overview
The updates to Facebook promotional guidelines comes with very specific permissions,
giving brands more freedom to host contest and giveaways, while adding a layer of
restrictions to protect Facebook users from invasive marketing efforts.
How Brands Can Host Promotions:
- Commenting on a page post
Example: “Share with us a quote that inspires you. We’ll giveaway a t-shirt to 3 of
our favorites.”
- Liking a page post
Example:“Once we reach 10,000 Likes, we’ll giveaway a ticket to the Super Bowl
to one lucky winner.”
- Messaging the page
Example: “Message us a photo where you’re #lovinglife and we’ll message you
back a code for a free New York Guide app!”
How Brands CANNOT Host Promotions:
- Tag people in an attached asset
Example: “Tag three friends in this image to enter them to win a free summer
cosmetics gift set!”

2. Facebook Promotion Rules Update 2
- Asking fans to share the post
Example:“Share this post with three friends and we’ll send you a sample of our
new body lotion!”
Third Party Apps
Although third-party apps may not be used as often for simple giveaways and contests
due to prohibitive cost, there are still benefits to using them, as illustrated below.
Why they’re still beneficial
- Collecting data
Whether it’s growing your email marketing list or collecting information about
your fans, apps can be a great way to integrate data collection with your
promotion.
- Incentivize fans to share the offer with their friends
Having fans share a brand post on their walls not only allows brands to spread
awareness to users’ friends, it also turns fans into brand advocates.
- Like-gate to enter contest
Combining a contest on the wall with a Facebook ad for fan acquisition is a potent
combination. To lower the drop-off rate, using a third party to install a Like-Gated
tab is a time-tested solution.
- Legal rules
Third parties are experienced at making sure the promotion is abiding by lawful
operation. Third party vendors will help the brand navigate legal components such
as official rules, offer terms and eligibility requirements.
- A visually robust branded experience
A more branded, visually robust experience is available with the use of third party
apps, including implementation of interactive design.
Conclusion

3. Facebook Promotion Rules Update 3
The ability to independently host promotions is a cost-effective and powerful way to promote the
brand on the Timeline. We suggest optimizing the Facebook content strategy to include recurring
contests and giveaways.
In general, Facebook is moving in the direction of bringing advertising from the background to the
forefront, enabling Facebook Pages to take on the look and feel of a marketing tool, rather than
protecting the notion that it is an extension of the personal profile. This view is supported by the
recent changes on the platform of: the allowance of 20% text within cover photos; theability to
giveaway products and hold contests on the timeline; and activation of in-stream e-commerce widgets.
We anticipate a series of ad products to be released in the near future supporting the outwardly
marketing-focused brand pages.
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Jennifer is a manager at Attention specializing in content development as well as crafting and
implementing strategic social media marketing. Her experience includes a vast portfolio o clients including
Mattel, Seventh Generation, Calvin Klein and Pepperidge Farm.