Contests and giveaways can be great ways to increase social media engagement for your business, but just be sure to read these essential resources before you begin.

Social Media Promotions and the Law: What You Need to Know

In this article, Social Media Examiner explains the legalities behind contests and giveaways and breaks down specific requirements, such as what should be included in your official rules and when you need to collect additional information from the recipients of a prize.

Facebook Promotions Guidelines

Facebook recently changed their rules regarding running promotions on your page. Most notably, promotions must now be run through an app. Read the full guidelines for details.

Twitter Contest Guidelines

Twitter contest guidelines are not all that restrictive, but you’ll want to glance over them before running any sort of promotion on your Twitter account to ensure that you (or your followers) don’t violate any rules by participating.

Your Experience

Have you run any social promotions? How did it go? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below.