Facebook promotion rules are a game changer for brands
In this guest post, Tony Chilvers and Cameron Rambert of CHE Proximity assess the implications that Facebook’s recent promotional policy changes will have for marketers and consumers alike.
Facebook has just announced a revision in its Page Terms, which may soon prove to be one of the most significant changes to its promotional policy to date.
Until now, Facebook forebode the use of Likes, Comments, Photo-Tagging and Sharing as a mechanic to competition entry or as a form of voting. Promotions could only be run in Facebook approved apps, and these existed as tabs within a business page.
The new rules mean brands are no longer required to administer promotions through third-party applications. Now virtually any user action conducted via the platform, with the exclusion of ‘tagging’ and sharing, can constitute as a voting or entry mechanic for competitions.
Brands have been breaking these rules since the dawn of pages. It just legitimises what they have been doing all along.
when I see the word ‘gamechanger’ i reach for my gun
I have no issue with the ‘legitimacy’ of promotions although I am interested in the legal status change -if any. I was told once by a Facebook employee that third-party apps moved the legal risk from Facebook to the Promoter (ie the competition is not being run by Facebook).
Has this changed?
Can I make a small correction: tagging is not the only restriction. Sharing as a competition mechanic is also forbidden (clause (e) subsection 3).
I tend to sit on the fence with the policy update. On the one hand, it’s already prevalent (that is, ‘like to win’ posts even when it breached policy). On the other, big brands may now jump on the opportunity too which may indeed flood news feeds.
That Facebook logo… is just way, way too big.
Advertising: the antithesis of a good user experience.
Facebook is being killed off by marketers, which can only be a good thing.
@Courtney – I don’t believe so. They still request you acknowledge that “the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.” Interested to see how this disclaimer will be used on direct timeline promotions.
Yeah I remember being told that the reason you couldn’t do it was because you weren’t able to get someone to sign off on the T&C’s of a particular promotion.
How is someone going to be able to accept T&C’s when simply liking or commenting on the post?
Hmmm….
Facebook isn’t being killed off by marketers. It’s just not cool and more with “the Kids”
‘It’s just not cool and more with “the Kids”
ie. it’s full of marketing garbage, so they’ve migrated to new platforms that receive less attention (atm instragram, kik, snapchat etc). And will migrate again when this changes.
@Junior — you can’t & these post-only mechanics are definitely not suitable for all competitions and promotions. Examples here:
http://www.insidefacebook.com/.....uidelines/
+1 for comments that it won’t actually make it that much easier — brands will still often (especially in NSW, or where people from NSW can enter…) have to get a lottery / trade promotion permit, which necessitates a T&Cs, along with having to apply etc!
Agree with a lot of what’s been said in the comments. I don’t think these rule changes will radically alter anything. Promotions were already frequently being run this way and bigger companies who can afford to develop custom apps will surely see the benefit in capturing consumer data and building a database anyway. The primary benefit for bigger brands is the ability to conduct small spot giveaways etc for engagement purposes while continuing to conduct larger promotions through apps.