Social Media Rules for Giveaways

In addition to meeting local guidelines for promotional giveaways, it’s important that you follow any rules associated with social media. Each social media platform has its own guidelines. Below are only some of the requirements.

Facebook

Facebook makes it a requirement to include all official rules and requirements if promoting from their platform. In addition, they require you to add a statement that states they are NOT a sponsor of the giveaway. You are not allowed to exchange likes for entries in a sweepstakes using Facebook.

When running a giveaway on Facebook, keep these key Do’s and Don’ts in mind:

Do These During Your Facebook Giveaway:

• Disclose all terms and conditions clearly
• Follow all applicable laws and regulations
• Allow a free method of entry
• Limit sign-ups to one per person
• Prevent entry requirements that risk user privacy
• Award all prizes as promoted

Avoid Doing the Following on Facebook:

• Require participants to share or tag Facebook posts
• Use Facebook’s name or branding without written permission
• Require liking Pages or following profiles to enter
• Award prizes in exchange for votes or political support
• Target minors or vulnerable groups
• Collect unnecessary personal data from entrants
• Choose winners in an unfair or unethical way

Review Facebook’s promotions policies in full, and consult legal counsel to guarantee your giveaway or contest is fully compliant.

Instagram

Launching a giveaway on Instagram?

Stick to our essential Do’s and Don’ts for a successful, legally compliant contest:

Do These During Your Instagram Giveaway:

• Disclose all terms and conditions clearly
• Follow all applicable local and national laws
• Allow a free alternative method of entry
• Limit entries to one per person
• Award all prizes as promoted

Things to Avoid Doing on Instagram:

• Do not encourage behavior that could be considered as spamming, like asking participants to post repetitive comments.
• Do not offer additional entries for sharing the giveaway in Stories, as it can be challenging to track and might encourage spam.
• Do not Ignore the Winner Announcement: Failing to announce winners can not only lead to loss of trust + credibility, but is a breach in TOS.
• Do not Misuse Instagram Features: Avoid practices that misuse Instagram features or functionalities.
• Do not claim Instagram sponsors, endorses, or administers your giveaway.

This is not a full list of Instagram’s rules + regulations. Always check Instagram’s terms, and consult legal advice to ensure your promotion hits the mark.

X - Formally Twitter

When running a giveaway, contest, or sweepstakes on X, it’s important to follow specific rules to ensure your giveaway is compliant with X’s guidelines and does not negatively impact your account or participants.

We’ve created a simplified breakddown of Do’s and Don’ts when running a giveaway on X:

Do These During Your X Giveaway:

• Clearly state that entrants using multiple X accounts to enter will be ineligible. This is in line with X’s policy against creating multiple accounts for giveaway entry.
• Make sure your rules state that posting the same post repeatedly is not allowed and could lead to disqualification.
• Ensure your contest adheres to all applicable laws and regulations.
• Comply with X’s General Rules: This includes avoiding prohibited and trademarked content.

Avoid Doing These on X:

• Don’t encourage participants to post more than once per day or engage in spam-like activities, such as automated posting or following and unfollowing accounts en masse.
• Don’t Violate Copyright or Trademark Laws: Be cautious of using other brands’ or trademarks in a way that might mislead or confuse about brand affiliation
• Avoid encouraging participants to use your promotion hashtag in unrelated posts, as this can be considered spam.

Each of these guidelines helps ensure that your X promotion is not only engaging, but also adheres to platform policies and legal standards. This is not a full list, which is why we reccomend regularly checking X’s guidlines for any updates. Also, consult with a legal expert for specific guidance.

Threads

Threads doesn’t currently have its own set of rules/regulations for giveaways.

Best practice would be to follow the above guidelines for Instagram and Facebook.

Tiktok

TikTok provides a perfect platform for brands and creators to interact with their audience, increase visibility, and build a loyal following. However, it’s crucial to understand TikTok’s guidelines when running a giveaway.

We’ve created a list of key Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind when running a giveaway on Tiktok:

Do These on Tiktok:

• Clearly outline all terms and conditions of the giveaway, including eligibility criteria, start and end dates, selection process for winners, and the number of winners.
• Ensure there’s a method of entry that does not require a purchase or payment, adhering to the “No Purchase Necessary” principle.
• The giveaway should be open to legal residents of the countries where it’s promoted, considering age restrictions based on the prize.
• Ensure that the giveaway abides by all relevant local and national laws and regulations.
• Conduct Fair Random Drawings: If winners are chosen randomly, the process should be fair and in compliance with local gambling and sweepstakes laws.
• Respect Intellectual Property: Have the necessary rights and permissions for any trademarked content used in promotion posts or ads.
• Adhere to Advertising Policies: Follow TikTok’s specific rules and restrictions around advertising giveaways in posts or ads.

Things You Shouldn’t do on Tiktok:

• Don’t require making purchase or payment a condition for entering the giveaway.
• Don’t leave out important details or bury them in fine print; terms should be transparent and easily accessible.
• Don’t practice unfair exclusion of participants who legally qualify under the stated eligibility criteria.
• Don’t organize giveaways that are in violation of applicable laws and regulations.
• Don’t use a selection process for winners that can be deemed unfair or non-random if it’s supposed to be a random draw.
• Don’t use trademarked content without permission.
• Don’t Disregard TikTok’s Advertising Policies: Ensure all promotional materials follow TikTok’s advertising guidelines.
• Don’t incentivize or promote content that goes against TikTok’s content policies.

Be sure to review TikTok’s full terms of service to ensure complete compliance. If needed, consult with a legal expert for guidance specific to your brand and giveaway.

Snapchat

Before you unleash your epic Snapchat giveaway (Snapchat Promotion), hold your snaps! Make sure your giveaway is a success by following these essential Do’s and Don’ts:

• Provide clear participation instructions
• Share complete official contest rules
• State that Snapchat is not associated with or responsible for the Promotion
• Ensure the Promotion aligns with Snapchat’s Terms, Guidelines and Policies

Things to Avoid While Promoting on Snapchat

• Using Snapchat branding without permission
• Encouraging dangerous or illegal activities
• Spamming Snapchat friends or violating user privacy

Alwaysreview Snapchat’s full Promotion Guidelines to guarantee that you’re up to date on the latest rules, ensuring your giveaway is in compliance.

Youtube

When running a giveaway on YouTube, it’s important to follow certain guidelines to ensure legality and fairness.

Here’s a key list of Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind before running your next giveaway:

Do These For Your Youtube Giveaway

• Follow YouTube’s Privacy Policy, Community Guidelines, and Terms of Service: They outline essential rules like keeping participation free, avoiding infringement, and not misleading viewers.
• Clearly state the official rules in a document and in your video: Include details like entry criteria, eligibility, selection method, prize description, deadline, and winner announcement.
• Include a privacy notice: Explain how you collect and use contestant data while adhering to data protection laws.

Avoid These on Youtube

• Don’t require a purchase to enter.
• Don’t ask for likes, shares, or subscriptions as entry criteria: This violates YouTube’s policies against manipulating engagement metrics.
• Don’t suggest affiliation with YouTube without approval: You cannot claim YouTube sponsors your contest or imply their endorsement.
• Mislead viewers or use deceptive practices: Be transparent about rules, selection methods, and potential limitations.
• Ignore legal considerations: Understand local lottery laws and contest regulations to avoid legal complications.

Remember, these are general guidelines. Always consider consulting a legal professional for your specific giveaway/contest/sweepstakes and stay up to date on Youtube’s guidelines.

Pinterest

Ready to spark excitement and grow your community with the power of giveaways? Before you unleash a giveaway, check out the official rules and regulations for giveaways on Pinterest.

We’ve created a list of the top Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind when setting up your Pinterest giveaway:

Do These on Pinterest:

• Follow Pinterest’s Advertising Guidelines and Community Guidelines: These outline key rules like transparency, fair selection, and avoiding misleading practices.
• Clearly state official rules in a document and on your boards/pins: Include entry mechanics, eligibility, prize info, selection method, deadline, and winner announcement details.
• Ensure accessibility by allowing entry through other platforms like email or website forms.
• Include a clear privacy notice: Explain how you handle contestant data and ensure compliance with data protection laws.

Things to Avoid on Pinterest

• Require or incentivize purchases/product endorsements: Keep participation free and avoid blurring lines between marketing and promotions.
• Ask for likes/follows as entry criteria: This violates Pinterest’s policies against manipulating engagement metrics.
• Mislead or deceive participants: Be transparent about rules, selection processes, and limitations.
• Discriminate against any participant: Ensure eligibility criteria are fair and inclusive.

Please note that this isn’t a full list of rules and regulations. Always check Pinterest’s guidelines for the most up to date information. If needed, consult with a legal expert to get advice specific to your brand.

TL;DR

To recap, this guide provides comprehensive rules for running giveaways on various social media platforms. Remember, each platform has unique requirements, and it’s recommended to consult legal advice for compliance.

Key points include:

• Facebook: Include all rules, state non-affiliation with Facebook, and avoid exchanging likes for entries.
• Instagram: Disclose terms, follow laws, allow free entry, and avoid spam-like behaviors.
• Threads: Follow general Meta guidance from Instagram and Facebook.
• X Formally Twitter: Discourage multiple account use, repetitive posting, and adhere to all laws and platform rules.
• Tiktok: Outline clear terms, ensure free entry, respect legal and advertising policies, and avoid unfair practices.
• Snapchat: Provide clear instructions, state non-affiliation with Snapchat, and follow platform guidelines.
• YouTube: Comply with YouTube’s policies, clearly state rules, and avoid misleading practices.
• Pinterest: Follow advertising and community guidelines, clearly state rules, and ensure fair and inclusive practices.

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Read more Legal Giveaway Best Practices with the next chapter: