Facebook Contests - Tips

This should be a fairly brief post. Also, I know that I said I would start blogging once a week at least which hasn't happened yet, but moving forward I will make sure that this is done.

I've see a lot of Facebook Contests run by companies through the "event feature" on Facebook (which I think is a great idea). However, I've also seen these contests fail miserably because they were not implemented properly. If you plan on running a contest through the events feature on Facebook please keep this tips in mind:

• Be Specific: One of the main issues I've seen with Facebook contests is that people don't specify the exact details related to the contest. Assume that nobody has any idea on what's going on (which is probably most individuals involved in the contest). List how people can enter (really really important), prizes, rules / stipulations, and any other possible questions entrants might have. Of course you need to ensure that the copy doesn't become a novel, but by specifying everything related to the contest it will save a lot of time for you in the long run as you won't be inundated with various quesitons.
  
• Contact Your Facebook Fans: Chances are if you're running a Facebook event contest, you already have a Facebook page. Don't just simply post the event information on your fan page wall, reach out to all of your fans alterting them on the contest. All you need to do is click on "edit page" and access the send update feature on the right side of the page. This will automatically ping your entire fan base. It amazes me how few people realize that this is an option considering how effective this is in increasing entrants.
• Invite Your Friends: A lot of people are hesitant to reach out to their friends on their personal profile because they feel it is intrusive. Keep in mind..people love free shit. Sending them an invite to a contest will not be considered "annoying" by any means.
  
• Facebook Advertisements: If you have the budget, run Facebook advertisements. You can target pretty much every demographic possible (based on profile data) including age, gender, location, and interest. Target individuals who represent your brand's target market (and what you're giving away) along with people who list "contests", "free stuff", and other keyword variations as an interest.
• Keep People in the Loop: Stay active on the event wall. Remind people how much time is left to enter, the number of entrants, address any common issues you've seen, etc. This helps to target people who might have joined the event, but haven't yet entered the contest.