HOW TO POST A GIVEAWAY

It's simple really.

1. Post a Fun Pic of the 'Prize'.

2. Tag on an Important Piece of Info that is Timely to the post.

3. Write the text strategically to inspire engagement but within the rules of Facebook or the social media platform.

4. State when the winner will be drawn & where it will be announced.

Of course, we recommend that you review the Facebook rules for giveaways . At the time of this article you cannot require that people 'purchase to enter' a giveaway on Facebook. And you must refer to it in your posts as a #GiveAway and not a 'contest' or 'sweepstakes'. Basically Facebook wants you to indicate you are picking the winner at random and that there is no requirement to participate. They could flag you for asking for likes, or shares. The formula we have found works well is to ask "Want to enter? Simply comment below with the answer to this question:"____" Winner will be drawn at random." We know that the winner will be drawn from the comments & you have indicated that they have to enter that way. But technically we aren't requiring anything of them.

WHAT TO GIVE:

You can choose either product, or a coupon-type offering for the 'prize' you are giving away. Sometimes you'll even see businesses invest in a really large dollar amount prize that has a wide appeal. Usually this is if the GiveAway spans over multiple pages. For example: a $300 Target gift card. This will get loads of attention, but make sure your branding is attached to it so that Target isn't getting the PR out of it. In my experience, I find that giving even a lesser expensive pair of stud earrings gets loads of interest & plenty of interaction.

Be sure to design your post to encourage engagement & interaction, for the best and biggest impact. This usually means you're asking your followers a question which requires a response. You can ask something that relates to the product. However, we have found it's most effective to ask simple and easy and quick-response type questions. For example: "To enter, simply tell us: Are you right or left-handed?" "Want to Win? Just comment below with your favorite color." It's also fun to make the posts timely. If it's Christmas time, ask their favorite Xmas song, etc. If it's Summertime, ask them their favorite Summer vacation spot. People love to be heard. Ask them what they have to say.

WHEN TO POST:

Giveaways are a common way to get your groups & pages to GROW and ENGAGE. You want growth for obvious reasons. But you want targeted growth: the people who will really get involved as well as shop. And you want engagement because it pushes your posts out where others can see them. This goes for Facebook & Instagram mostly, but getting extra eyeballs on your posts means more chance that those eyeballs share your things as well.

However the timing of GiveAway posts should be strategic. Because they usually require engagement for a person to be considered 'entered', it will push the post & will be seen a lot. This makes a post like this a great tool for communicating something else that might be happening or that you want to share: an event, a sale, a live video that's coming up, anything! Make the post work for you in a 3 pronged way by timing it right. It can...

1. Showcase Your Brand

2. Grow Your Reach

3. Share Something Timely / A Call to Action