Setting up giveaway campaigns on Facebook and Instagram can be quite tricky, and most times, even the most experienced digital marketers may fall prey to the many ad policies that restrict campaigns on Facebook and indeed other social media platforms.
I have made a few mistakes when I had to set up an ad campaign for a small business who really wanted their giveaway to reach a wider audience, and so I thought to write this post to not only document my experience, but also to help out any green eyed digital marketer or small business owner who may have run into problems while trying to ‘boost’ their giveaway post.
Here’s my short and simple guide to setting up successful giveaway campaigns on Facebook and Instagram:
Keep It Simple!
After running into trouble with Facebook – trouble that almost cost me my Facebook ad account – I have realized that a lot of Instagram posts and Facebook posts on their own really violate Facebook Ad policies.
As a small business owner, you may not really catch any flak when you put up certain posts on their own, but the moment you decide to promote such posts, you find that you are in violation.
The solution is simple, keep your giveaway posts simple; avoid using overtly sensational words and punctuation to avoid coming off as a spam account. On Instagram, you should read up Instagram’s community guidelines and strictly adhere to rules like this one:
Foster meaningful and genuine interactions.
Instagram community guidelines
Help Foster meaningful and genuine interactions.
Help us stay spam-free by not artificially collecting likes, followers, or shares, posting repetitive comments or content, or repeatedly contacting people for commercial purposes without their consent.
Let us stay spam-free by not artificially collecting likes, followers, or shares, posting repetitive comments or content, or repeatedly contacting people for commercial purposes without their consent.
READ: HOW TO DESIGN AN ATTRACTIVE POWERPOINT PROPOSAL
Avoid Third Party Infringement
For the average service provider or small business owner, it is quite easy to run afoul of Facebook’s ad policies, especially when you sell or market products created by someone else.
Take for instance you own an offline fashion store that deals in designer items, you probably stock up some of the biggest names in the fashion business, and you may not necessarily be an officially licensed retailer.
The way you frame your ad copy will go a long way in helping you get your ad approved by Facebook. Your promotional material should be as original as possible, and try not to use any designer’s image without their express permission.
Keep Your Giveaways Real
It is tempting to promise your fans and followers services you may not really be able to deliver. I see a lot of small businesses try to make a quick buck by promoting products they do not stock or at least have displayed on their pages prior.
Posting false and misleading content including false offers and claims is a violation of Facebook Ad policies, and it’s best to keep things real.
In all, it is very important for advertisers and small business owners alike to get acquainted with best practices for ad campaigns and general social community guidelines. Being in tune with community guidelines will help you avoid running into problems with ad campaigns going forward.
