How to Do a Like and Share Contest on Facebook

Running a Facebook contest is one of the fastest ways to inject life into your page, but getting the details right is what separates a viral success from a flop that puts you at odds with Facebook's rules. This guide walks you through the entire process of how to run a Facebook contest that generates massive engagement, expands your reach, and grows your community - the right way.

First Things First: Understanding Facebook's Contest Rules

You've seen them everywhere: "Like, Share, and Tag a Friend to Win!" posts. Here's a little secret: two of those three common requests are actually against Facebook's Promotion Guidelines. Getting this wrong can lead to your post being removed or even your page's reach being penalized. So let's clear up what you can and can't do.

According to Facebook's rules, you cannot require people to:

• Share a post on their personal timeline to enter.
• Share a post on a friend's timeline to enter.
• Tag their friends in your post to enter.

Why the strict rules? Facebook wants to keep user feeds authentic. Forcing people to share content on their timelines just to win a prize creates a spammy experience. The "tag a friend" rule runs into similar territory, it pressures users and feels less genuine.

So, what can you ask for? You can require people to:

• Like your contest post.
• Comment on your contest post.
• Like your Page. (Though this is harder to track, it's a completely fair request).

This means the most effective, compliant contest is the "Like and Comment" giveaway. While we still colloquially call them "Like and Share" contests, the actual mechanic you need to use focuses on likes and comments. You can absolutely encourage sharing, but you can't make it a mandatory step to enter.

Step-by-Step Guide to Launching Your Compliant Facebook Contest

Now that we have the rules straight, let's build your contest from the ground up for maximum impact.

Step 1: Set a Clear Goal

Before you even think about the prize, ask yourself: what do I want to achieve with this contest? Campaigns without clear goals fizzle out. Your objective will shape every decision you make.

Common goals include:

• Increase Brand Awareness: Getting your brand in front of new eyeballs. The core metric here is Reach.
• Boost Engagement: Reigniting a quiet audience and creating a lively community around your Page. Here, you'll be looking at Likes, Comments, and Saves.
• Generate User-Generated Content (UGC): Getting your fans to create content you can use later. For instance, asking them to "comment with a photo of you using our product."
• Grow Your Email List: Directing traffic to a landing page where users enter their email addresses to join the contest.

Choose one primary goal. A focused contest is always more effective.

Step 2: Choose a Prize Your Audience Actually Wants

The prize is the engine of your contest. A weak prize equals weak results. While it’s tempting to offer something generic like an Amazon gift card or the latest iPhone, these types of prizes often attract professional contest-enterers ("sweepers") who have zero interest in your brand. Once the contest is over, they're gone.

The best prizes are directly related to your business. This ensures that the people who enter are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

Great prize ideas:

• Your Own Product or Service: Offer your best-selling product, a new arrival, or a generous bundle of your top items.
• A High-Value Gift Card to Your Store: A $200 gift card not only attracts fans but also potentially drives additional sales when they shop.
• An Exclusive Experience: A one-on-one consultation, a ticket to a workshop you're hosting, or a behind-the-scenes tour.
• A Partner Bundle: Team up with a complementary, non-competing brand to offer a larger prize package and cross-promote to each other's audiences.

Step 3: Write Clear, Simple Entry Rules

This is where you bring it all together, keeping Facebook’s policies in mind. Make your entry steps incredibly easy to follow.

Here’s a great, compliant template:

"To enter for a chance to win [Awesome Prize]:
✔ LIKE this post
✔ COMMENT below and tell us [Engaging Question Related to Your Brand]
"

The comment prompt is your chance to get creative. Instead of a boring "comment 'win'", ask a question that encourages personalization and connection:

• "Comment with your favorite way to use our hot sauce!" 🔥
• "Let us know where your dream vacation would be!" ✈️
• "Tell us which of our new book covers is your favorite!" 📚

How to encourage sharing (without requiring it):
After your official entry steps, you can add a line like: "Feel free to share this with a friend who would also love this prize!" or "Tag a fellow coffee lover in the comments!" This frames it as a friendly suggestion, not a mandatory step, keeping you safely within the guidelines.

Step 4: Create a Standout Contest Post

Your contest post needs to stop people from scrolling. A great post combines compelling visuals with crystal-clear copy.

The Visuals:

• Use a high-quality, bright, and vibrant photo or short video of the prize. Show it off!
• Consider adding a text overlay on your image that screams "GIVEAWAY!" or "CONTEST OPEN!" to grab immediate attention.
• Video posts tend to perform exceptionally well. A quick 15-second clip showing off the prize can significantly boost engagement.

The Copy:

Structure your contest caption for absolute clarity. Here's a checklist for what to include:

• Attention-Grabbing Headline: Start with "✨GIVEAWAY!✨" or "WIN A [Your Prize]!" using emojis to stand out.
• The Prize: Clearly and excitingly state what the winner will receive. Be specific about model numbers, quantities, and value.
• Entry Steps: Use bullet points or numbered lists to make the entry steps impossible to miss.
• Deadline: State the exact date and time the contest closes. Remember to include the time zone (e.g., "Contest closes Friday, October 27th at 5 PM EST").
• Winner Announcement Date: Let people know when and how you’ll be announcing the winner.
• Official Rules (Optional but Recommended): For more complex contests, include a link to a page on your website with the full terms and conditions.
• The Required Disclaimer: Always include this sentence at the bottom of your post:
  "This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook."

Promoting and Managing Your Contest

Posting your giveaway is just the beginning. Now it's time to get as many eyes on it as possible.

• Pin the Post: Pin your contest post to the top of your Facebook Page. This makes it the first thing visitors see.
• Promote in Stories: Post regularly to your Facebook Stories, reminding people about the giveaway and using a "link sticker" to direct them back to the contest post.
• Cross-Promote: Announce your Facebook contest on your other social media channels like Instagram, X, or TikTok, and tell your followers to head to your Facebook Page to enter.
• Email Your List: Your email subscribers are some of your most engaged fans. Send out an email to let them know about the giveaway and provide a direct link to the post.
• Use a Small Ad Budget: Putting even $20-50 behind an ad to "boost" your contest post to a targeted audience can dramatically increase its reach beyond your existing followers.

Wrapping It Up: How to Pick and Announce the Winner

A poorly managed conclusion can sour an otherwise great contest. Finishing strong builds trust and encourages people to participate in your future events.

1. Choosing a Winner Fairly:

Manually scrolling through hundreds or thousands of comments is not just tedious - it's not truly random. Use a free, third-party tool like a "Random Comment Picker" for Facebook. These tools connect to your post and randomly select a comment from all the eligible entries, ensuring a fair and verifiable process.

2. Contacting and Vetting the Winner:

Once you’ve drawn a name, reply to their winning comment in the thread. A simple message like, "Congratulations, [Winner's Name]! You're our lucky winner! Please send us a Direct Message to claim your prize," works perfectly. Do not ask them to post personal information publicly. Move the conversation to DMs to arrange shipping details.

3. Announcing the Winner Publicly:

Transparency is everything. Your audience needs to see that someone actually won. Here are two great ways to announce it:

• Edit the Original Post: Add "🎉 ** WINNER ANNOUNCED! ** 🎉" to the very top caption of the original contest post. Then, in the post body, congratulate the winner ([Winner's Name]). This informs anyone who revisits the post.
• Create a New Post: Share a new graphic or post congratulating the winner. This creates fresh content for your page and shows everyone how seriously you take your giveaways. If the winner is comfortable, sharing a photo of them with the prize later on is fantastic social proof!

Final Thoughts

Running a successful (and compliant) "Like and Share" contest isn’t about navigating a maze of complicated rules. It’s about building a fun, engaging experience for your audience. With a clear goal, a fantastic prize, and simple rules that focus on likes and comments, you can generate authentic buzz that moves your brand forward.

When your contest really takes off, the rush of managing hundreds of new comments can feel overwhelming. That’s where we wanted to make things easier with Postbase. Our unified Engagement inbox brings all your comments and DMs from Facebook and your other platforms into one clean stream. This lets you answer questions, monitor the conversation, and connect with your newfound fans without constantly switching between apps and tabs.