How to Write Contest Rules and Guidelines

Every professional event organiser should know how to write contest rules and regulations as well as the differences in rules of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, and YouTube. While writing your own rules, it is also essential to know the contest must-have elements and the reasons for setting them up.

Contest rules and guidelines

When working out how to write Facebook contest rules, be aware that they need to comply with the regulations of the chosen social media platform as well as the current state legislation. To begin with, it is worth highlighting the types of events associated with the promise of a reward for the performance of certain actions:

• Public promise of a reward
• Public competition
• Conducting games and other events

These types of events differ in how they are conducted, the rights and obligations of the parties, the legal consequences, and the characteristics of their advertising. For example, the organiser of a lottery can only be a federal executive body, and a game based on risk can only be advertised in certain places or at certain times, etc.

Therefore, creating a guide to contest rules depends on how you participate, what legal norms govern the contest, and what consequences may ensue. Here are some social media contest rules:

• Any person can be the organiser of a competition.
• The competition does not require prior registration and authorisation from a government agency as, for example, in the case of a lottery.

However, when conducting contests on social media, it is important to remember the many potential pitfalls. Otherwise, there is a risk of not only seeing all efforts and positive effects nullified but also of getting a large number of negative reactions in the community.

This is why the following rules should be kept in mind when organising contests on social networks.

Also, when disseminating information about the competition, organisers should make sure to comply with the requirements of advertising legislation.

The advertisement must include the following:

• The length of the competition, including the start date and end date
• Information about the organiser
• The rules of the competition, including the deadline for accepting applications for participation
• Taxes, if any
• The number of prizes
• Place and procedure for receiving prizes

If this information is not available or is incorrect, the organiser may incur civil and administrative penalties in the form of a fine. It is also important to know and take into account the tax obligations of the organiser and the winner of the competition.

In addition to the main legal requirements listed above, there are rules for the sites on which contests are held; they should also be carefully read. You do not want your competition to be stopped, for example, by the owner of the social network or app store.

Tips for writing rules and mistakes to avoid

1.Define the purpose of the competition.

Determine the purpose of your campaign, and reflect that purpose when developing the conditions of the competition and the mechanics of the prize draw. For example, if you need to increase your audience size, offer a large-scale competition with a valuable prize. If you want to increase community participation and the number of social responses, it is more effective to run quizzes or contests with simple conditions and inexpensive prizes.

The objectives of the competition may also be advertising new products, receiving feedback from customers, or improving the online image of the company. Determine what your priorities are, and then work out the entire strategy of the competition and the mechanisms for its launch.

       2. Make up a simple and interesting concept for the competition that is commensurate with the value of the prize.

You should not ask participants to build a logo for your company and upload a video of this process to the group. This would limit the number of contestants to just a few enthusiasts. The simpler and more interesting the mechanics, the more participants that will enter the competition, and accordingly, its coverage will be increased.

        3. Remember the two fundamental factors: the originality of the competition and the value of the prize.

It is the value, not the price. It is not necessary to promise participants an expensive prize. Remember that one satisfied winner can attract many people into your group, but it only takes one dissatisfied participant to push them away.

The main conditions of the competition may be as follows:

• Repost competitive entry
• Join the group
• Vote for a favourite prize

Also, plan the following conditions:

• Participation in the competition
• Age limits for participants, if necessary
• A ban on the participation of workers and representatives of the organiser, their family members, volunteers, etc.

      4. Announce the full list of terms and conditions.

Participants should understand the mechanics of the prize draw. Before publishing the competition and the conditions for participation, it would be useful to confirm the basic principles of the game.

Think over all the details that could work against you, and clearly and simply describe the basic conditions for participation. Users of social networks are lazy; if they do not understand something, they will most likely not participate in your competition at all.

       5. Use infographics to display the basic terms of participation.

Visibility and visualization are everything. An attractive and clear picture motivates people to read all the rules much more efficiently than a wall of text.

       6. Promote the contest effectively.

Use as many distribution channels as you can on social media.

       7. Follow up with the participants. 

The contest is over, and the winners are announced, but don’t stop now! Remember that contests are not just for fun in social networks. With proper oversight of all stages of implementation, you will see your group of loyal users respond positively to your client’s brand. Therefore, be sure to publish reviews of the winners, publish photos with prizes, announce subsequent promotions and offers, etc.

Conclusion

Social media contests are a great way to increase brand awareness and generate more sales for your clients. Interacting with the audience and providing attractive bonuses always brings a positive result and contributes to increasing brand loyalty. Social media contest management guidelines allow visitors to generate content themselves, thereby increasing the depth of their engagement in the business, and these guidelines motivate them to share with their friends in an effective way, which creates excellent coverage of not only the contest itself but also your client’s business as a whole.

Feel free to ask for some tips and a customized social media contest rules template from our experts.

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