Facebook update: Promotional guidelines change

Facebook sent out a release on Wednesday morning saying that they have updated their Pages Terms in order to make it easier for businesses of all sizes to create and administer promotions on Facebook.

Here’s what Page administrators need to know:

• They’ve removed the requirement that promotions on Facebook only be administered through apps / tabs on the fan page
• Now, promotions may be administered on Page Timelines and in apps on Facebook. For example, brands can now:

• Collect entries by having users post on the Page or comment/like a Page post
• Collect entries by having users message the Page
• Utilize likes as a voting mechanism
• As before, however, businesses cannot administer promotions on personal Timelines (i.e. the brand manager who has 1,000 friends cannot run the promo from the personal profile)
• Accurate tagging is required in promotions

In order to maintain the accuracy of Page content, Facebook’s Pages Terms now prohibit Pages from tagging or encouraging people to tag themselves in content that they are not actually depicted in. So, for instance:

• It’s OK to ask people to submit names of a new product in exchange for a chance to win a prize
• It’s not OK to ask people tag themselves in pictures of a new product in exchange for a chance to win a prize

However, we don’t see a problem with pages asking fans to tag themselves in a photo purely to gain more engagement where there is no competition running.

In a nutshell you can now run a competition on the page wall itself, however creating a promotion with an app on Facebook allows a Page to create a more personalised experience, more in line with a brand’s strategy and corporate identity. Apps provide more space and flexibility for content than Page posts alone. Promotions run through apps can collect data in a secure, structured way that may be appealing to advertisers, particularly larger brands, while creating a promotion with a Page is faster and easier. Additionally, as with all Page posts, Page posts about promotions are eligible to be displayed in the News Feeds of the people who like the Page and can be promoted to a broader audience.

Each campaign and objective will be different but a mix of an app and page competition with a media budget will yield good results for building a database and spreading the word.

For more info see here

Facebook brings Sponsored Stories to the marketing mix

Johannesburg, 27 January 2011 - Hot off the press. Popimedia sources from Facebook last night confirmed the availability of Sponsored Stories, an online version of the traditional word-of-mouth referral for products, services and brands

In positioning the benefits of Sponsored Stories, Facebook stated that: “The best form of recommendation is one you get from a friend. Sponsored Stories allow you to surface word-of-mouth recommendations about your brand that exist organically in the Facebook News Feed. Sponsored Stories are different from ads and including them in your Facebook Premium Ad campaign amplifies the actions your target audience takes with your Premium Ads”

But how does it work? 
Before Sponsored Stories, when your friend liked your page, interacted with your application or checked-in at a location, an update dynamically displayed in your friends’  News Feed which they may or may not see.  By including Sponsored Stories with your Facebook Ads campaign, this user’s friends can now see the story appear in the right-hand side.  Just like Premium Ads, Premium Sponsored Stories are served on a targeted user’s Home Page and Profile pages with 100% share of voice. 
Available immediately from Popimedia,  with Sponsored Stories, brands have the ability to promote these user experiences by leveraging trusted referrals.
Says Daniel Levy, CEO of Popimedia Innovations, “the Sponsored Stories feature amplifies a traditional Facebook Premium Ad campaign.  We are excited and ready to work with local and international brands, to grow their audience reach and extend the user experience they aim to create through their social media campaigns.”

Popimedia industry announcements at "The Social Network" Premiere

Johannesburg, 04 November 2010 – Popimedia Innovations, the leading provider of social media marketing strategy, tools and services to the world’s largest brands and agencies, today announced that, thanks to its direct relationship with Facebook, the company’s proprietary promotional systems and technologies implemented on Facebook have been vetted and approved by respective Facebook Advertising and Promotional Guideline divisions. The company is therefore able to swiftly implement advertisements and promotions which are aligned to Facebook’s guidelines.

A “Popimedia Approved Promotion” badge will accompany all promotions vetted by Popimedia and registered with Facebook.

Speaking at an exclusive preview of The Social Network, attended by 150 of the most influential creative directors; heads of agencies; media buyers, journalists and industry commentators, Popimedia Group CEO, Daniel Levy said: “Publicising a promotion or competition on Facebook, requires Facebook's prior approval in order for the promotion to be registered with Facebook. In the absence of this, Facebook may remove any materials relating to the promotion (including advertisements) or disable a Page or account if Facebook determines a violation of the Promotions Guidelines, the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities or any other of Facebook’s policies including Advertising Guidelines. We are now in a position to seamlessly facilitate the approval and registration of promotions with Facebook and also consult with companies and brands currently running unapproved promotions in order to rectify their position and avoid reputational risk.”

To date, Popimedia has worked with many traditional and digital agencies and have recently added new clients such as Brandhouse with Captain Morgan Black and Jose Cuervo, as well as Tempest Car Hire to its list of clients.

Adds Levy:  “There are some common misconceptions in the market around buying advertising on Facebook and Popimedia is excited to announce that through our Facebook Sales House division, we will be selling all Facebook advertisements including Facebook Premium Ads (CPM) (formerly Home Page Ads) in addition to ASU Ads (both CPM & CPC) and payment terms will be 30 days. Clients can contact us directly for our competitive rate card.”  

 “We are excited about what the future holds not only by further entrenching our working relationship with Facebook, but also in terms of developing tools and applications that can audit and monitor campaigns, which will be launched publically in the next few months to brands and agencies both locally and abroad.  We’re saying – watch this space,” concludes Levy.

For more information about Popimedia go to www.popimedia.com or visit the Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Popimedia