HootSuite Pro and HootSuite University – invaluable tools

I use HootSuite Pro to help manage my social media profiles every day. Yes, every day!  This is an invaluable tool in my business.

Why is HootSuite Pro such an integral part of what I do?

1. Unbelievable Price Point – HootSuite Pro base accounts start at $9.99 and include one team member ($10 value), and one analytics pack ($50 value). This is a tool that doesn’t break the bank!
2. Unlimited Social Profiles – I can add as many Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ Pages as I like and access them all with a single login using HootSuite Pro. This is a tool that is convenient!
3. Unbeatable User Dashboard – I switch back and forth between all of the profiles I manage on HootSuite all of the time. It’s very straightforward how to select profiles to view and post from.  This is a tool that is easy to use! Read more >>

Facebook LIKES from Contests May Not Be Good For Your Page

I just wanted to update you on the Facebook Page that got shut down that I told you about yesterday.

A bit more discussion regarding this specific page being shut down leads me to believe that the issue may be much bigger.

It appears that when Facebook starts clearing out what it has identified ‘fake’ or ‘spam’ accounts, if your page has been liked by many of those accounts, they may assume that you’ve obtained those LIKES by some underhanded method, even if YOU handled everything properly on your end.

For big contest bloggers, or for large-scale contest promotions, this could be a huge issue. Read more >>

Why I Think It’s OK for Facebook to Have Contest Guidelines

Businesses with Facebook Pages and general users alike experience frustration when having to adjust their practices to meet Facebook guidelines, especially their Promotional Guidelines.  Specifically where contests are concerned for example – Facebook can be used to promote but not to conduct any kind of contest. This really bugs some people, and some business pages have been shut down for lack of compliance.

I’ve heard the argument that the guidelines are unfair, ridiculous, etc… Regardless of our opinion, we DO, in fact, agree to the Terms of Service.

If it was just about giving away stuff, that would be one thing. If it’s about non-compliance with Terms of Service that EVERY Page Administrator has to agree to when creating a page, and the terms which we ALL agree to when we sign up to use Facebook, then that’s a different thing. The Terms govern how the site is to be used, for our enjoyment, safety and privacy. It doesn’t matter if we like the rules – we are bound to the terms of the network we join.

I believe there are also some legal implications beyond Facebook guidelines. I’m not a lawyer, or a contest specialist, and I don’t know all the details about these things, but I do have enough experience to realize that there’s often more going on than what we see on the surface. Read more >>

Examples of Contests that Violate Facebook Terms

We see many contests DAILY that violate Facebook Promotional Guidelines.

All of these examples, when posted directly on your Facebook Wall (as a status update, etc.), requiring Facebook’s functionality (likes for votes, comments for entries, etc.) constitute Direct (and improper) use of Facebook for contests:

• Enter to win (whatever prize) by answering this question in the comments:

• To Enter: ‘Like” MY Facebook Page, “Share” this image! and “Comment” telling us why you want to win!
• We’re giving away “whatever prize”.  1) Make sure you like (or are currently liking) our page.  2) SHARE this photo! Winner will be announced Friday at 5pm!
• Let us know who you think should win!  In a comment below, tell us who you think deserves to win! (Leave a little note about WHY they should win).  THEN come back and LIKE your favourite comment.  The comment that receives the most likes will be our winner!

I could do this all day! I see examples of ‘illegal’ contests all the time EVERY day. Read more >>