Facebook has an ever-changing list of
guidelines, limitations and policies that are almost not
possible to keep up with. Not only are these rules dotted throughout Facebook’s
site under different names, but they can be confuse and long-winded. Add
to that the actuality that most people don’t even know that these policies
exist and you end up with a lot of people on the wrong side of the
Facebook “law” when it comes to their profile or business Pages.
Business Pages on Facebook have
their own set of rule which you can read here, yet I frequently see
countless Facebook Pages posting illegal images, running illegal contests or
just doing things that aren’t welcomed by Facebook. So what happens when
users crack Facebook law? Pages can be shut down. It doesn’t happen all
that often, as faraway as we know, but it is a possibility and potentially
a huge hassle.
To
avoid your Facebook Page from getting shut down, don’t break these 5 rules.
***UPDATED: This got changed
in the past week to no longer exist.
The Rule: A cover photo cannot contain more than 20 percent text.
Where you can find it: Facebook Page rule – Article III section – B
The Facebook cover photo is one of
the places I most often see rule violations. Facebook newly changed their
rules about text and cover photos: calls to action are now allowed
but overall the picture can only contain 20 percent text. I’ve noticed
that many businesses aren’t aware of the new guidelines and I’ve also
noticed that lots of businesses are breaking the 20 percent text regulation.
If you need some help thinking of ways to force these new rules, check out this article.
There are plenty of great tools out there that will help you determine whether
your cover photo is within the 20 percent text law, but
this one is my favorite.
The Rule: Promotions on Facebook must be administered within Apps on Facebook.com, either on a Canvas
Page or a Page App.
Where you can find it: Facebook Page Guidelines – Article III- section E- clause i
In layman’s terms this rule means
that you need to use a third-party claim in order to run a promotion on
Facebook. Many businesses on Facebook like to disregard this rule by
running promotions that consist of posting a photo and saying “share this
to be entered to win” or “comment on this post for a chance to win.”
If you’re planning to run a
promotion on Facebook, do it the correct way. Third-party platforms exist
to make it easier for businesses to have custom Facebook apps. Most third-party
software providers already obey with the majority of Facebook’s guidelines
so when you’re building an app you don’t need to worry about the small
details. This article from Jon Loomer
provides a comprehensive list of Facebook application platforms available.
The Rule: You must not use Facebook features or functionality as a
promotions check or entry
Where it can be found: Facebook Page Guidelines – Article III – section E- clause
iv
This rule piggybacks on the last
rule by stating that a business cannot use Facebook’s features – such as
Liking, commenting, sharing, or uploading a photo — as a means of usual entry
into a contest. Basically, you can’t say “Do this and you are entered!”
You still need to have the user submit an entry and agree to some basic
terms. You can of course propose that the user share something, upload a
pic or leave a comment, but it can’t be a condition.
One thing that you are allowed to do
is require that users Like your Page or Check in to your Place in order to
go in. The Like or Check-in is the exclusion to the rule, but again, it
can’t automatically enter anyone into your help. The Like or Check-in
simply allows them to continue to the entry form.
If you want to require people to like
your Page in order to join, try creating a custom app that is fan-gated.
When users see your app but haven’t liked your Page yet, the app should give
confidence them to do so to proceed to the entry form. After they enter, feel
free to ask them to share your contest with their friends .
The Rule: You must not notify winners through Facebook
Where it can be found: Facebook Page Guidelines – Article III – section E- clause
v
It seems natural that when you’re
running a Facebook competition, you pick a winner and then announce the
winner’s name on Facebook. The problem is, according to Facebook’s
guidelines, you’re not imaginary to use Facebook as the initial means of
contacting a winner. This includes Facebook messages, chat or posts on
profiles, Timelines or Pages.
The best way to notify a winner is
via email. If you’ve used a third party application to run your contest
you’ve most likely collected some data, including email addresses, from your
entrants. As long as you’ve notified your winner outside of Facebook, you
can then say the winner to your audience on your Timeline or in your app.
The Rule: If you gather information from users, you will: obtain
their consent, make it clear you (and not Facebook) are the one collecting
their information, and post a privacy policy explaining what information
you collect and how you will use it.
Where it can be found: Statement of Rights and Responsibilities – Article 5 –
Section 7
My company is a third-party
application and our users ask us just about every day why our app requests
access to Facebook profiles. If you’re a business and you’re using a
Facebook app to gather data from your users, it’s your task to tell
your users what information you’re collecting and exactly how that
information will be used. If you’re transparent and honest with your users
about what you plan on doing with their information you’re likely to
receive more commitment on your data collection app.
The (Unspoken) Rule: Don’t break local, state, national or international
laws some states/regions have their own rules and plan for a business that
is giving away any prize, including prizes won via Facebook contests.
Check with your region’s business agencies to ensure that you’re abiding
by local, state and international laws.
This is just the tip of the iceberg
when it comes to the rules and guidelines on Facebook for Pages, but these
are the rules I see businesses crack most often. Although it can be time overriding
and tedious to make sure you’re Facebook Page and apps comply with all
of Facebook’s policy and guidelines, it’s worth it to stay up to date with
Facebook’s policies.
No comments:
Post a Comment