How to Run a Facebook Contest

Running a Facebook contest is one of the best ways to engage your audience, grow your following, and generate leads. Whether you’re aiming to boost brand awareness, collect emails, or encourage engagement, a well-executed contest can deliver real results.

This guide will walk you through how to set up and run a successful Facebook contest using Gleam, from choosing the right contest format to promoting it effectively.

1. Choosing the Right Contest Format
2. Selecting the Right Contest Actions
3. Picking the Right Prize
4. Setting Up and Launching Your Contest
5. Announcing the Winner and Following Up
6. Contest Ideas & Best Practices

When running a Facebook contest, you have two main options:

• A contest app like Gleam automates entries, ensures compliance, and allows you to set more powerful entry requirements.
• A direct Facebook contest is cheaper to set up but comes with more platform restrictions.

Let’s break them down:

Using a contest app gives you more control and flexibility.

With Gleam, you can collect user data, track entries, and ensure fair winner selection, all while hosting the contest on your website or a landing page. This is especially important for businesses that want their promotions to look professional and credible.

This also allows you to include entry actions across multiple platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

A contest app helps you stay compliant with platform rules while providing structured reporting and a seamless, well-integrated giveaway experience.

You can also run a giveaway directly on Facebook by asking users to engage with a post. However, Facebook has strict guidelines on what you can and can’t require for participation.

While you can ask users to like or comment on a post, Facebook discourages making these actions a requirement for entry. It's technically allowed, but it is a grey area.

However, you cannot require participants to share, tag friends, or post on their timeline.

Since Facebook doesn’t offer built-in winner selection tools, you’ll need a transparent way to pick a winner fairly.

We recommend you run your contest through Gleam while using a Facebook post to promote it and drive engagement.

Facebook restricts incentivised actions, but Gleam provides compliant ways to engage users. Some of the most effective actions include:

• Encouraging users to visit your Facebook page (with an optional like step)
• Asking users to check in to your venue on Facebook
• Asking users to log in to the giveaway with Facebook
• Collecting user-generated content through photo or video submissions
• Asking users to view a post
• Using the Viral Share action to get people to share the giveaway with friends
• Signing up to your newsletter
• Following your other socials, like X or Instagram

Each action should align with your contest goals, whether that’s increasing engagement, gathering leads, or driving traffic to your website.

Your prize should be relevant to attract quality entrants, not just freebie hunters.

Exclusive products or services from your brand work well, as they reinforce brand loyalty and ensure participants have a genuine interest in what you offer. Gift cards appeal to a wider audience, while VIP experiences can engage superfans by offering something unique.

Collaborating with influencers or partner brands helps expand your reach and build a bigger prize pool.

It’s best to avoid generic prizes like iPhones or cash unless they directly relate to your brand, as these tend to attract participants who aren’t genuinely interested in your business.

Once you've planned your contest, it’s time to set it up and promote it effectively.

Start by creating your contest in Gleam. Define your entry methods, customise the branding and messaging, and set a clear start and end date. If possible, embed the contest on your website rather than running it entirely on Facebook.

This helps drive traffic to your own platform, increasing website engagement and conversions.

Promotion is key to a contest’s success. Announce it with a dedicated Facebook post and pin it to the top of your page for visibility.

Regular updates and reminders will keep the momentum going, and if you have the budget, Facebook Ads can help you expand your reach even further.

Once your contest ends, use Gleam’s built-in winner selection tool to ensure a fair draw. When announcing the winner, make sure you have their consent before sharing their name publicly.

A great way to maximise exposure is to encourage the winner to share a post about their prize.

Don't forget about non-winners, they're still potential customers. Keep them engaged by offering a small discount or teasing your next contest.

There are plenty of creative ways to run a Facebook contest. Some popular ideas include:

• Comment to Win – Ask a question and randomly select a commenter as the winner.
• Photo/Video Contest – Encourage user-generated content by asking participants to submit their best creative work.

• Trivia Giveaway – Test your audience’s knowledge with brand-related questions.
• Partner Giveaway – Collaborate with another brand to expand your reach.
• Check-in Contest – Reward customers who visit your physical location.

A great Facebook contest needs the right setup, smart promotion, and compliance with platform rules.

With Gleam, you can run a seamless contest that keeps things easy while driving real engagement and results.

Ready to get started?

Launch your contest today and see the impact for yourself!