Third-Party Apps No Longer Required To Create Facebook Promotions

Facebook recently announced updated guidelines for promotions on the social network, and the most prominent change was the removal of the requirement that promotions be administered via applications only.

Overview

Facebook has removed the requirement that promotions on Facebook only be administered through apps. Now, promotions may be administered on page Timelines. For example, businesses can now:

• Collect entries by having users post on the page or comment/like a page post
• Collect entries by having users message the page
• Utilize likes as a voting mechanism

As before, however, businesses cannot administer promotions on personal Timelines.

In order to maintain the accuracy of page content, Facebook’s terms now prohibit pages from tagging or encouraging people to tag themselves in content that they are not actually depicted in. So, for instance:

• It’s OK to ask people to submit names of a new product in exchange for a chance to win a prize
• It’s not OK to ask people tag themselves in pictures of a new product in exchange for a chance to win a prize

Key Takeaways 

This does not signify the end of apps since getting likes and comments is the only the first step for pages with a large following.  The real work is done when collecting and leveraging data for ongoing promotions and marketing efforts and apps make that possible.

Download this Zeno Greenpaper on Facebook's update to promotions.