As for how to comp - I give you my guide to Facebook Comps
Now firstly before going any further please understand this is just my take on it - other people will comp in their own way which may well be different. Different doesnt mean worse or better it just means different and what works for me might not work for you however hopefully this will be a useful guide to the basics.
Now - Facebook Comps
These fall into various categories but for the most part this post is all about the like and share type although I have the other kind down right at the bottom of the page :)
1. Like and Share
These are the easiest ones to enter and win but they are also the most likely to be scams and like harvesting ones (read about that here)
The main thing with these comps is to read the text - below are some examples of like and share comps - I have screen shot these directly from Facebook but taken out people's names and the companies details - I have left my entries"Ellie Spider" so you can see how I have entered
As you can see this comp specifically asks you to comment who you want to watch fireworks with - now they are not asking you to tag someone just to say who you want to share with however, I have said I'd share with family and friends and also tagged a friend. I have also liked the page and the post. This makes it easier for the company to tag me if I am lucky enough to win. This comp does not ask you to share so I haven't. Notice they have a hashtag in the picture - it's a good idea to use any hashtag (#) that is used in case they use that as a search term when drawing a winner.
This comp asks for you to comment a specific word - to draw the winner they will use a program which searches for that word - if you dont use it then you wont be entered. Again it isnt asking you to share the page or to tag anyone. So I havent. Also there is no requirement to like the page or the post but like previously I have liked to make it easier for the page to tag me if I have won.
This page is asking for you to like the page, like the post, share the page and share the post and tag a friend. Again I have done everything asked and have commented on the post to say that I have done it as well as to tag a friend
Final one again this one is asking for a specific comment - it's also asking for a like. Which I have done.
As you can see it's pretty simple - click on the post; read the instructions; follow the instructions and you done.
Now there are a few things to be aware of:
- Facebook limits the number of Pages you can like
- Facebook rules and guidelines specifically state that a giveaway cannot ask you to share in order to enter
- Facebook will flag your posts as spam if you post the same thing over and over e.g. if you enter every competition with great giveaway liked and shared and do this 10 times in a row it gets flagged as spam
- If Facebook suspect you of spam or if you like too many pages and posts in a period of time (they havent specified what time) then they can and will:
- Stop you from liking pages for a set period of time (this can be anything up to 30 days)
- Remove all the likes you have done for a historical set period of time (this can be anything up to the last 30 days)
- Stop you from commenting on posts for a set period of time
- Stop you from sharing posts for a set period of time
- Stop you from tagging people in posts
- Block your access to your account
- Therefore it's important to consider the competition requirements and only like, share and tag when it is specifically asked
- Be wary of entering comps that ask for you to tag more than 3 people - the more you tag on the post the more likely your post will be flagged up as spam and you will get sanctioned by FB
- Check if the comp is collection only - most will state if it is - but also be aware of comps which may not state collection only but are for goods and services from a local company e.g. for a carpet and fitting - if the company is based in Glasgow and is not nationwide it is highly unlikely that they are going to drive for 8 hours to your house in S.England and bring all their tools in order to provide and fit you with a carpet. Save your like and share for a company where the prize can be fulfilled.
- Check the comp you are entering is actually valid for your country of residence. Some comps will be N.Ireland or UK (excl N.Ireland only) - depending on where you are in the UK depends on whether you can enter. And comping isnt restricted to the UK - there are plenty of non-UK comps and unless they state worldwide or similar avoid them. Things to look out for:
- Non- UK spellings
- Comps that are being drawn on non-UK time (anything outside of GMT or BST) so things like EST etc
- Comps being run by companies that have a non UK website or name e.g. Giveaways.ie www.giveaways.ca and so on
- Comps which list the ending date in the non-UK format eg. 11.28.2016 instead of 28.11.2016
- Check the FB page in the listing there is usually a location if its located outside the UK then its prob not a UK comp
- You can always post on the comp post - tag the company and ask is this giveaway open to the UK
- Finally, if a comp is open internationally please be aware that 1. you may have to contribute towards shipping costs and 2. you may be responsible for customs and excise charges which could work out pretty expensive e.g. an ipad could cost you £100 in charges!
2. On page or linked to app / widget - this might be woobox, gleam, rafflecopter or similar.
- You normally have to fill in some details e.g. your name and e-mail address.
- You may be asked to answer a question.
- You may be asked to visit a page, like a page, follow on other social media (twitter, instagram, g+ etc).
- Generally there is 1 compulsory element (usually the e-mail) and the rest is optional. Read the text given and follow the instructions and you are in.
- Watch out for any extra tick boxes e.g. the sign up to our newsletter ones.
Final Words of Wisdom
1. Join comping groups - this allows you to make comping friends - not only do you get to see the comps they are entering, they might also tag you in comps and allow you to tag them - this stops you from annoying all your non-comping mates. It also means if they happen to see your name as a winner they will tag you. It also gives you a place to as questions, get advice and share your good fortunes and wins.
2. Join winner's announcement groups - not all companies will tag you in your wins -by joining a group you stand a chance of being tagged by people so you are less likely to miss out on your wins.
3. Remember to check your 'other' 'message request' & 'filtered requests' folders on Facebook and your SPAM folder in your e-mail. Sometimes when a company messages you the message will go to one of these folders and you may miss it - some companies expect a response within 24 hours so check them daily it takes a few mins and can be the difference of a great prize or not! Just click on the different tabs in your message folder
5. Finding comps -
- you can find comps by following your comping friends newsfeeds
- comps are regularly posted in comping groups
- some companies run regular comps - check out their page regularly and see if there are comps listed
- visit comping websites - yes there are websites and forums out there dedicated to comps which list hundreds of comps - try competition database, the comping section on moneysavingexpert, hotukdeals, the prizefinder, loquax to name a few, however I would not personally pay to be a member of a website or group that lists comps - it's up to you if you want to but personally I dont pay to comp and I win a fair amount :)
- search for them - try using hashtags to search on facebook such as #freebiefriday #winitwednesday #winningwednesday #mondaymotivation #giveaway etc
6. When you do win - post a photo on your page and tag the company - let them know the prize arrived, be grateful - these companies are running comps to improve their social media standing, as a way of advertising or to simply get people talking about their products - for some of the smaller companies they dont have a budget for publicity - the comps are a way of getting their product seen - so tell people where it came from, if the product is fab let people know - leave some feedback on their fb page and consider them for future purchases.
Well that's it - hopefully my little guide will be useful to someone - if you have any questions or feedback then feel free to contact me :)
I will be doing separate guides for other kinds of comps soon so please check back :)
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