Facebook Contest Manager is Facebook’s contest administrative feature. It is made available to Facebook users to help them manage contests staged on Facebook. With this feature, Facebook users can create, personalize and monitor contests.
Creating a Facebook contest can be a fantastic way to engage with your audience, increase your following, and promote your brand. With the right tools and strategies, you can run a successful contest that not only complies with Facebook’s rules but also achieves your marketing goals. Here’s a detailed guide on how to use Facebook Contest Manager and Facebook Contest Apps.
Facebook Contest Manager Apps
There are several contest management apps that can be used to administer contests set up on Facebook. In no particular order, some of the best such apps are;
- Heyo
- Wishpond
- AgoraPulse
- Shortstack
- Woobox
- Easy Promos
A. Heyo
Heyo is a more visual contest builder, compared to its peers. This makes it quite easy to set up contests tailored to meet your needs. Heyo provides template recommendations which cut across various industries. On top of that, Heyo offers a great level of personalisation through its editable templates.
The icing on the cake is that you don’t need any code to carry out the processes required to set up a contest.
Most businesses use Heyo as a “drag and drop” Facebook contest app to promote engagement and amass likes. Combining these elements can fuel purchases and increase sales, making Heyo particularly appealing to entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses.
With Heyo, you receive a 7-day full-featured free trial, after which you’re charged $30 per month or $300 per year. Although you can still build contests after the free trial period elapses, you won’t be able to publish them. Additionally, Heyo imposes no limits on Facebook fans or page traffic, so you won’t incur extra costs as you become more successful.
B. Wishpond
This is a contest-building and promotion app that allows its users to create and manage unlimited campaigns while offering a wide variety of tools to help customise and add features to contests. Some of those tools include landing page creators, retargeting Ads, email marketing automation, etc. Wishpond also has templates.
Wishpond offers a 14-day free trial option, in which users have to pay $19 per month to continue using the app. To use Wishpond’s lead database feature, though, you would have to pay $44/month. The decision to pay that much is totally up to you. At times, your ROI on Wishpond may be such that going the extra mile for the lead database feature is completely rational.
C. AgoraPulse
Considering its features, AgoraPulse serves as an all-in-one contest manager app, enabling users to create apps, qualify, engage, manage contests, and even analyze results with its ROI calculation dashboard. It allows you to do all of these with ease.
For all its offerings, AgoraPulse charges $39/month for two pages earmarked at 50k fans.
D. Shortstark
Shortstack is one of the most comprehensive contest management apps. It offers a wide variety of features to choose from. There’s a bit of learning and getting used to what users have to do, but once done, you realise you get to exercise a lot of control over things.
It helps to create contests, campaigns, apps and landing pages. Business owners could also create their very own custom tabs and contests on fan pages. Photos or videos can be added to promotions.
Shortstark offers flexibility. Not that you have to, but if you’re ok with getting your hands a little dirty and doing some coding, there’s provision to design with CSS/HTML. Also, if you wish to for some reason, promote your contest with QR codes, or run campaigns that show different content to users in different countries, Shortstack is guaranteed to grant you that level of control.
Charges for Shortstack are based on a combination of features and audience size. For instance, if you have more than 30,000 fans, you’re not allowed to use the $30/month plan. Instead, you’d have to go for the $75/month full package plan.
E. Woobox
Another popular app to use for your contests is Woobox. Though it may be a tad more difficult to use than the aforementioned apps, it comes with most of the features they come with, too.
Woobox has different selections of content types to choose from. It also enables Facebook ad creation.
Its pricing is a bit more complicated than the rest. Charges are based on a combination of features, the number of promotions you can run per month, Facebook audience size and the number of pages.
F. Easy Promos
Easy Promos is another good choice to go for. It is free and provides three different package levels. As a user, you weigh your options and go for the one which best suits your needs for setting up an effective contest, quickly.
Understanding Facebook Contests
A Facebook contest is an online competition where participants can win prizes by meeting certain criteria set by the organizer. It’s a digital version of traditional contests but with the added benefit of social media’s reach and engagement.
1. Planning Your Facebook Contest
Before launching your contest, it’s crucial to define your objectives. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive engagement, or promote a new product? Once your goals are clear, you can plan your contest accordingly.
2. Choosing the Right Facebook Contest App
Several apps can help you manage your Facebook contests effectively. In 2024, some of the best Facebook Contest Apps include Heyo, Shortstack, AgoraPulse, Wishpond, and WooBox. These apps offer various features, from customizable templates to analytics, to help you create, run, and monitor your contest2.
3. Setting Up Your Contest with Facebook Contest Manager
Facebook Contest Manager is a feature provided by Facebook to help users administer contests on the platform. It simplifies the process of setting up and managing your contest, ensuring that you comply with Facebook’s guidelines3.
4. Complying with Facebook Contest Rules
When creating your contest, it’s essential to adhere to Facebook’s contest rules. These rules are in place to protect both you and the participants. Make sure to review the latest guidelines to ensure your contest is compliant4.
5. Promoting Your Contest
Once your contest is live, promotion is key. Use your Facebook page, website, and other social media platforms to spread the word. Engaging content and attractive prizes can help increase participation.
6. Analyzing Contest Results
After your contest ends, analyze the results to measure its success. Look at metrics like engagement, new followers, and conversion rates. This data can help you refine your strategy for future contests.
Conclusion
Facebook contests are a powerful tool for social media marketing. By using Facebook Contest Manager and the right contest app, you can create an engaging and successful contest that meets your marketing objectives. Remember to follow Facebook’s rules, promote your contest effectively, and analyze the results to improve your future campaigns.
With the right preparation and tools, running a Facebook contest can be a smooth and rewarding experience. Start planning your contest today, and watch your social media presence grow!
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