Facebook raffles have become a popular way for individuals, businesses, nonprofits and other organizations to generate buzz, gain new followers, promote a product or cause, or fundraise. Raffles allow entrants to support a cause or potentially win a prize in exchange for simple actions like liking a Page, sharing a post, or leaving a comment.
While Facebook does not allow traditional raffles that require payment to enter, you can create free raffles that require entrants to engage with your Page or post in order to be entered into a random drawing to win a prize. This guide will walk through the step-by-step process for how to set up a legitimate Facebook raffle that follows Facebook’s promotion guidelines.
Step 1: Make Sure Your Raffle Follows Facebook Guidelines
If you want to host a raffle on Facebook, it’s important to structure it in a way that adheres to Facebook’s promotion policies. Here are the key guidelines to follow:
– No Purchase Necessary: Facebook prohibits raffles that require participants to pay to enter. Your Facebook raffle must be free to enter.
– Random Drawing for Winner(s): Winners must be selected through a random drawing method like an online random name picker or putting names in a hat. You cannot simply choose winners manually.
– Eligibility Restrictions: You can limit eligibility by age, location, etc. but you must clearly disclose all restrictions upfront.
– Follow Local Laws: Ensure your raffle complies with laws and regulations in the cities/states where entrants reside. Some places prohibit online raffles entirely.
– Disclose Odds: Disclose the odds of winning, the number of winners you’ll select, and the total number of eligible entries.
– Facebook Platform Only: Use only Facebook features to administer your raffle. Don’t use third-party apps that require entrants to take actions outside of Facebook.
As long as your raffle meets these key guidelines, it should be fine to run on Facebook. Just be sure to familiarize yourself with all of Facebook’s promotion guidelines before proceeding.
Step 2: Choose Your Raffle Prize(s)
Once you understand the rules for Facebook raffles, it’s time to determine the prize(s) you will be raffling off. Some things to keep in mind when selecting prizes:
– Relevant to audience – Consider prizes that appeal to your target audience’s interests related to your brand, cause or organization.
– Valuable but affordable – Prizes should be valuable enough to generate interest but affordable based on your budget. Common prizes include gift cards, branded merchandise, electronics, tickets to events, etc.
– Number of prizes – Having multiple prizes up for grabs can help increase engagement, as more entrants feel they have a chance to win something.
– Local pickup/shipping logistics – For physical prizes, consider any logistics needed for winner pickup or shipping. Account for any costs to ship prizes or meet winners locally.
Your prize selection can make a big difference in driving interest for your Facebook raffle. Put thought into prizes that will excite your audience.
Step 3: Create Your Raffle Post
The main Facebook post where you explain your raffle and have people enter needs to be crafted to maximize engagement and conversions. Here are some tips for creating an effective raffle post:
– Catchy visual – Use an eye-catching photo or graphic at the top that conveys the prize(s) up for grabs.
– Brief explanation – Explain clearly what the raffle is for in the post text and the actions needed to enter.
– Raffle details – Include key details like eligibility, number of winners, entry deadline, etc.
– Call-to-action button – Have a button for easy entry like “Click to Enter” so people can opt-in right from your post.
– Link to full rules – Link to a website page or PDF with your full official raffle rules for legal disclosures.
– Engaging copy – Write copy and captions that grab attention and excite people about entering.
– Hashtags – Use relevant hashtags so your post appears in keyword searches.
Putting this information clearly in your post will get people to enter your raffle directly from Facebook.
Step 4: Promote and Track Your Raffle Post
Creating your raffle post is just the beginning. The next step is to actually promote it and drive traffic to increase entries. Here are some tips:
– Post in relevant Facebook Groups related to your industry or cause. Engage first before promoting.
– Run Facebook ads targeting your ideal demographic. Consider boosted posts or Page like campaigns.
– Promote on other social channels like Instagram or Twitter and link back to your raffle post.
– Send email blasts to your subscriber list informing them about the raffle.
– Ask team members or influencers to help share the post with their networks.
– Post consistently over time leading up to entry deadline rather than just a one-time blast.
And don’t forget to track results throughout the promotion period! Use Facebook Insights to view post reach, engagement, link clicks, and other metrics to optimize your efforts.
Step 5: Collect and Organize Entries
As your raffle gains steam, you’ll need to collect and organize all entries in preparation for selecting winners. Here are some tips:
– Use a spreadsheet to capture information on everyone who enters by commenting, tagging friends, emailing, etc.
– Collect relevant info like full names, Facebook names, and email addresses so you can notify the winners.
– If entries are coming from multiple sources, keep the data organized by where the entry originated.
– Number each entry sequentially so you can assign entries to a number that corresponds for selecting a random winner.
– Keep personal data private and secure according to data protection laws.
Thoroughly collecting and organizing all entries will ensure no one falls through the cracks when you go to pick winners.
Step 6: Select Your Raffle Winners
Once your raffle entry deadline passes, it’s time for the fun part – selecting winners! Here are some tips for doing it properly:
– Use a random generator like Random.org to pick numbers that correspond to your entry spreadsheet.
– Document the process by taking screenshots of the winner selection.
– For multiple winners, do separate randomized drawings for each prize.
– Verify selected winners meet eligibility criteria before confirming they won.
– If a selected winner is disqualified for any reason, rerun the random selection process to pick an alternate.
– Notify all winners through Facebook messages and any other contact info you collected upon entry.
Randomly picking winners fairly and documenting the process is key to running a proper Facebook raffle.
Step 7: Announce and Distribute Prizes to Winners
Once winners are selected and individually notified, you can publicly announce them. Some tips:
– Post the winners on the original raffle post and tag the winners in a comment.
– Share winner announcement post on your other social media channels.
– For physical prizes, arrange hand delivery or shipping of prizes to each address. Get tracking numbers.
– For electronic prizes like gift cards, send redemption codes directly to each winner.
– Have winners post photos with prizes on social media and tag your Page for user generated content.
Celebrating your raffle winners will generate additional engagement for your Facebook Page while showing your audience the prizes were fairly awarded.
Step 8: Comply With Any Tax and Reporting Requirements
Depending on the fair market value of your prizes and your local jurisdiction’s laws, certain tax forms may need to be filed related to your raffle, and prizes above a certain amount must be reported. Be sure to consult an accountant or lawyer to ensure you comply with any IRS reporting requirements. Failing to do so can result in penalties for your organization.
You’ll also want to save all raffle records and documentation for a certain time period in case any issues arise that require reviewing past raffle processes and procedures. By being careful to follow all guidelines, your Facebook raffle can be a fun, engaging way to achieve your business or fundraising goals.
Raffle Best Practices
Here are some additional tips for running successful, compliant Facebook raffles:
– Disqualify fake or duplicate entries. Only count real, eligible people.
– Require participants tag 2 friends to discourage fake entries.
– Limit entries to 1 per person for fairness.
– Set a firm deadline and stick to it. Don’t extend.
– Conduct a test run first to work out any kinks.
– Follow Facebook terms closely so your Page does not get penalized.
– Avoid language like “Donate to enter” as that implies requiring payment.
Common Facebook Raffle Rules
To ensure your Facebook raffle is structured properly, include official rules containing disclosures such as:
– Eligibility – Age, location, employment limitations if any
– Entry period dates and deadlines
– Prizes details and values
– Limitations on number of entries
-Odds of winning
– How winners will be selected and notified
– Taxes and responsibilities of winners
– Rights to use winner’s name and likeness
– Release of liability for Facebook or sponsoring organization
– Consent to receive commercial messages from sponsor
Spelling out official rules thoroughly protects you legally when conducting your raffle promotion on Facebook.
Raffle Promotion Ideas
Facebook raffles don’t have to be just for businesses. Lots of different entities leverage raffles on Facebook to meet different goals. Here are some examples:
– Nonprofits holding a raffle fundraiser for their cause
– Restaurants raffling off gift certificates to drive sales
– Groups raffling off donated prizes to gain new members
– Personal fundraisers raffling off prizes donated by friends
– Activist raffles rewarding those who take specific actions
– Companies rewarding loyal customers with prize drawings
– Schools raffling tickets to events or swag to parents
The possibilities are endless! With some creativity, nearly any entity can develop an engaging, rewarding Facebook raffle promotion.
Conclusion
Running a raffle promotion on Facebook can be extremely effective for driving engagement, growing your audience and generating buzz if structured properly. Just be sure to follow Facebook’s guidelines, create an exciting prize, promote your raffle creatively, select winners fairly, and comply with legal requirements. With strategic planning and strong execution, your Facebook raffle can achieve great results for your business or cause!