Learn how to plan a strategy for your contests, three levels of engagement and costs, and how to create a positive experience for everyone with the proper rules and legal guidelines.

1. The contents of this document are the property of DGdesign LLC and shall not be copied or distributed without prior written consent from DGdesign. © Copyright DGdesign LLC 2011. All rights reserved. Check in and tweet that you’re here at #DFWSM #SMContests by @SocialMediaDFW. Social Media Contests What Works & What’s Legal? By Danielle Glick Social Media Director & Owner DGdesign LLC, a Dallas Social Media Marketing Agency http://www.DGdesign.biz Connect with Danielle: facebook.com/DGdesign twitter.com/SocialMediaDFW linkedIn.com/in/DGdesign Download this presentation at Slideshare.net/DGdesign Scan this with i-ngima app for full contact info.

2. Topics Contests as a Marketing Strategy Three Levels of Engagement & Costs Legal Info #SMContests by @SocialMediaDFW

3. Contests as a Marketing Strategy Plan for great results #SMContests by @SocialMediaDFW

5. “Sorry, you can’t win because you won less than 30 days ago.”

6. “Can you email me so I can send you your prize?”

9. People like to play games with each other

10. People love to share the chance to win a cool prize with friends and family

11. Fun or easy entry methods: you will be amazed by the things people will do to enter a contest

13. Limit rounds to 10 entries for people to vote on, otherwise it takes too much time to judge

14. Incentivize the audience to vote

15. Make it easy for people to share their entries and votes

16. Email entrants template graphics, links and text to promote their entry on their own web sites/profiles

17. Incorporate Facebook/Twitter share buttons

18. Give your contest time: 1 week is rarely long enough for awareness to catch on

19. Offer relevant prizes to your business and target audience.

20. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

23. Audience Type: new or small social media audiences, and audiences that do not regularly post or tweet about your business

24. Logistics: use Twitter to publish, promote and collect entries

25. Awareness Plan: no real effort

26. Actions required to enter: 1 or 2 clicks, very quick

28. Tweet why you want this prize

29. Whoever gets the most RTs wins it

30. Use a hashtag to track entries

31. “Reply to enter”

32. Any answer will create an entry

33. “The nth person to respond wins”

35. Audience Type: a business that already has notoriety and an online following that occasionally responds to your posts

36. Logistics: may use more than one web site, for example Twitter and your .com site

37. Awareness Plan: may include a few options

38. Actions required to enter: 2–4, may require time for a photo

40. Trivia questions: go to our web site and figure out the answer to this question then tweet us the answer

41. Look for an image on our site and tell us who’s hiding in it

42. Favorite photo contests

43. Survey questions

44. Multi-step riddlesExample from HP Byron Nelson PGA:

46. Audience Type: a large audience, including at least a few diehard fans, or an audience that immediately responds to your every post

47. Logistics: may use multiple web sites and the real world

48. Awareness Plan: everything you can think of

49. Actions required to enter: 4 or more, often requires notable time or effort to create the contest entry

51. Scavenger hunts: leave clues online of where to find things in your stores or city, find the winning QR code

52. Tweet a photo of yourself in our store

53. Use our product to create something, post a photo or video about it to enter

54. QR Code Golden Tickets (video)

55. Create a video

56. Doritos Super Bowl commercial

59. “Contest” or “Competition”: not random, the winner is determined on the basis of a skillDisclaimer: legal information does not constitute legal advice.

61. No contests on your Wall page

62. No contests in your Photos area

63. Do not use Facebook features/functionality for anything in your contest.

64. Registration must take place inside your app. You cannot register entrants when they click a Page or Post Like button or check in.

65. Entries must take place inside your app. No “upload a photo to our Wall to enter” or “5th person to comment on this post wins”.

66. Voting must take place inside your app. No “comment/Like this post/photo to win”.

67. You cannot notify winners through Facebook chat, messages, Wall posts, comments, friend requests, etc.

68. Facebook is not connected to your contest in any way: release from liability, they aren’t sponsoring your contest, and info you collect does not go to Facebook.

69. Read the complete terms at http://www.facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.phpDisclaimer: legal information does not constitute legal advice.

71. If you do something illegal it is entirely your problem.

72. Twitter is not liable for any content users post.

73. Twitter can do anything they want with the content users post, but users retain their rights to it, too.

74. They can delete content and accounts without notice.

75. They will not share personal information.

76. If Twitter is not available during your contest, they will not be liable for any damages.

77. Read the complete terms at http://twitter.com/tosDisclaimer: legal information does not constitute legal advice.

79. Timing: start and end date

80. How to Enter: detailed description

81. Drawings/Voting: when and how

82. Prizes: what specifically and its monetary value

83. Privacy Policy: what will we do with the info and content from everyone who enters

84. Publicity: we can use your name and photo/likeness (unless you're under 18)Contest Sponsor & Admin: who is it General Conditions: we can cancel if it becomes a compromised contest Release: from injury, death, any liability Limitations of Liability Disputes: how to submit, who pays fees and settlements Winner's List: this must be published somewhere, how to get it #SMContests by @SocialMediaDFW Most rules should cover these topics, and possibly more Disclaimer: legal information does not constitute legal advice.

86. Let the public narrow the entry pool down to the final round

87. Don’t let the public vote for the final winners

88. Pre-appoint a celeb or expert to judge the final winners

89. Before you announce the finalists and winners, do a background check (jail? scandal?)

90. When in doubt, contact an expert:

91. ePrize, PrizeLogic and Tenthwave are companies that specialize in helping other companies develop rules and manage contests

92. Your lawyerDisclaimer: legal information does not constitute legal advice.

93. Overview #SMContests by @SocialMediaDFW Fun contests ahead!

94. Steps to Start a Contest Create a strategy Determine what engagement level and prize will work for your target audience Cover the logistics and legalities Create the contest, building in measurements for success Get started creating your own contest #SMContests by @SocialMediaDFW

95. Take Action Today Read the Terms of Service for the site(s) you will be using Draft a Rules template for your legal terms Talk to a web developer, if needed, about setting up a rules web page or a contest microsite Or… just call a social media contest professional Figure out what is possible #SMContests by @SocialMediaDFW

96. Questions? Tweet me @SocialMediaDFW Download these slideshttp://www.slideshare.net/DGdesign Get my full contact info on your phone Now or later Scan this with i-nigma #SMContests by @SocialMediaDFW