Facebook Tabs and Contests

by David Brown
Logion Web Design

Facebook tabs, combined with a planned promotion, can effectively increase fan engagement, improve fan loyalty, and  add some fun into your news feed.

One of the best solutions for tabs that we use for clients allows for app creation without needing to use the Facebook api and code. This frees up time to focus on the creative presentation of promotional banners that will grab the attention of fans on their busy news feeds and motivate them to click through to the app page to enter your contest.

Creating the Contest Banner

Since this banner will show up on your fans news feeds when posted on your page it needs to have a catchy image that will stand out and get attention. The word FREE is also added for this purpose and anything that is free in the contest will most likely increase the response of your fans and possibly encourage them to share with friends. The banner's size is large enough to be seen and includes the basics of the contest. The wording associated with the banner is also important and more details about the contest can be described with a link to the contest app page. Since this banner is posted on your business page when using Facebook as your business, it can also be "pinned" so that it remains at the top of your postings on your page.

Creating the Tab and the Contest Page

The next steps in the promotional campaign is setting up the tab and the contest page app. The tab is 111 x 74 pixels in size and can be placed anywhere after the Photos tab below the cover image. It can include the image of the contest banner for continuity with "call to action" text.  Since the tab is referred to in the post as well as in the banner, it should be recognized by fans who visit your page. By clicking the tab it is linked to the contest page app. The app creates a unique url or web address and contains all the information about the contest including Facebook required disclaimers and an entry form so that fans can enter their name and email address. In this particular campaign there was one entry per person and one drawing with three winners. An example of a contest page is shown below:

Insights and Winners

The insights in the admin area can provide important feedback as to the success of the campaign with likes, comments and sharing stats after the date of launch to the announcement of the winner.

A sharp increase is shown here in this screenshot of an insight graph. The stats show weekly information so the insights are best reviewed one week after the campaign launch date.

Summary
Facebook contests can be a fun and effective way to engage your fans, get more fans, and increase fan loyalty (watch for future contests). It's important not to spam too many contests too often. Even with free giveaways fans do not like their news feeds to be more cluttered than usual, especially when it comes to business promotions. For an expanded contest reach  it is possible to use Facebook paid ads with a catchy banner similar to the 111 x 74 px tab banner. Liking your page cannot be a requirement according to Facebook rules, but in the entry form and the redirect page which appears after they have submitted the entry there is an opportunity to like your business page when a like button is added.

For Internet and Facebook marketing strategies
contact David Brown, Logion Web Design
www.Logion.net   541-953-3360