Facebook no longer requires 3rd party apps to run competitions, promotions

Some social media managers will be rejoicing at this news, while other might have a few big reservations. Facebook has changed the rules governing how competitions and promotions can be run on the social network.

Whereas people previously had to make use of third-party apps if they wanted to run a promotion on Facebook, they can now do it directly. In an official blog post, the social networking giant confirms that “promotions may be administered on Page Timelines and in apps on Facebook.”

Now, Facebook says, businesses can:

• Collect entries by having users post on the Page or comment/like a Page post
• Collect entries by having users message the Page
• Utilise likes as a voting mechanism

As before however you cannot administer promotions on personal Timelines.

Facebook also cautions that accurate tagging is required for anyone running promotions on it. Pages are now therefore barred from “tagging or encouraging people to tag themselves in content that they are not actually depicted in”.

This means, for example, that:

• It’s OK to ask people to submit names of a new product in exchange for a chance to win a prize
• It’s not OK to ask people tag themselves in pictures of a new product in exchange for a chance to win a prize

“We hope these updates will enable more businesses to use Facebook to launch their promotions,” Facebook says.

One subset who may not be pleased about the new regulations are agencies who’ve managed to bring in business from building third-party apps.