You’ve seen them, I’ve seen them. Those great Facebook contests that sometimes are hard to resist. If you have a competitive nature like I do, they can be fun as well as beneficial – and a bonus for business visibility.

Recently, Facebook changed its promotions and contest guidelines and it’s actually easier for businesses! Rules have been loosened and you won’t need to use third-party apps. Interested in learning how best to run a contest that will inspire contestants?

Here are even tips you can use:

1.  What do you want the contest to accomplish? Set your goals by determining your needs, which will also help you choose the type of contest. Is it sales, more followers, drive website traffic?
2. Determine the type of contest: coupons promote sales while sweepstakes increase Facebook followers. Asking for photos, posts or videos increases follower engagements.
3. While Facebook has relaxed the rules, find out what they are and make sure your participants follow them. Make it as uncomplicated as possible. Contestants are required to tag themselves in photos, so relay that information and anything else Facebook requires. Read the rules and follow them so your page won’t be shut down.
4. Keep the timeline short so contestants don’t lose interest.  A week is a good time frame and increases the chance that they will come back.  A month may not.
5. Give prizes the contestants will value. Make sure they relate to your business such as gift cards to your store, a book you’ve written or a valuable free service. We offer a free communications audit.
6. Promote other places as well – your blog, website, newsletter, other social media. Post deadline reminders and updates, as well as the eventual winner.
7. When the contest is over, look at the data. Did you reach your goals? What can you find out about your customers who participated? Use the numbers to refine your next contest and make it even more successful.

While Facebook may have started out as a purely social medium, it has now evolved into a valuable business tool. If you can, take advantage of it.