Best Practices For Your Competitions’ Facebook Live Draws

If you run a competition business, you’ll know how important it is to consistently engage with customers and perpetuate interest in your brand. For this reason, it’s important to establish trust with your user-base in order to maintain a successful and sustainable business. Facebook Live Draws are an excellent way to build trust and create a sense of transparency with your audience.

In this blog post, we’ll go over some best practices for running a Facebook Live Draw for competition businesses.

Firstly – Why Choose Facebook For Your Live Draw?

Facebook Live is a free, user-friendly platform that allows you to announce the winner of your prize draws in real time. It helps create a sense of trust between you and your customers as they’re able to see the winners being selected and interact with you directly via the comments. 

Additionally, Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms, boasting a large user base that enables engagement with a diverse range of people and demographics.

1. Set A Schedule 

When choosing a time to host your Facebook Live Draw, consider when your customers are most active on social media. Avoid scheduling your draw during times when follower engagement is likely to be low, such as during work hours. You can check when your followers are most likely to be online by using Facebook’s own Page Insights or by directly asking your audience for their preferred time.

Once you’ve established a time that works for your audience, stick with it consistently. This will help prevent frustration and ensure that your followers don’t miss the draw.

2. Be Engaging & Authentic 

When it comes to running a competition business, it’s important to come across as transparent and legitimate. Facebook Live Draws can help you achieve this by confirming to your audience that your prizes are genuine and you are a real person. If you aren’t comfortable being in front of the camera for the live draw, it may be worth considering hiring someone to serve as the face of your brand.

While it is common for competition live draws to be voice only, nothing works quite as well (or quickly for that matter) to establish trust in the minds of audience members than being able to put a face to the name. 

You don’t need an ultra-polished presentation for your draw, especially if you’re just starting out – audiences are looking for authenticity after all. The main thing is that both the livestream’s video and sound are clear and that you communicate clearly with users throughout the live, recapping which stage of the draw you’re currently at and answering any questions people may have in a timely manner. 

The name of the game is engagement, so you should really take the opportunity to interact with your audience here. Ask questions back, gain direct feedback and get to know your customers; this helps build trust and establish a positive relationship between you and the audience, encouraging them to return in the future. 

When wrapping up the live, you should try to end on a high note:

• Thank your audience for the support
• Congratulate the winners and remind them how to get in touch to receive their prize/s
• Remember to end with a call-to-action that reminds viewers to undertake a specific action e.g. sign up for our mailing list or check out our website for the next round of prizes. 

3. How’s Your Set Up?

There’s no single ‘correct’ set-up for a Facebook Live, with some aspects simply coming down to individual preference. However, while your set-up doesn’t need to be Blockbuster-ready, the livestream does need to maintain a certain level of quality for the sake of professionalism.

Here are a few technical things to consider before going live:

• Use A Stable Internet Connection

Having a reliable and fast internet connection is crucial for ensuring that your Facebook Live runs smoothly. If possible, consider using a wired connection instead of relying on Wi-Fi, and consider doing a speed test beforehand to ensure that your internet is fast enough to support a live stream.

• Use a High-Quality Camera and Microphone

The quality of your video and audio will directly impact how engaging and watchable your Facebook Live is. We recommend investing in a tripod for stability, as well as a good quality camera and microphone to ensure that your audience can see and hear you clearly. If you’re using a smartphone, make sure that the lens is clean and that you’re filming in a well-lit area.

• Keep The Backdrop Simple

This depends on your individual brand, but if in doubt, your backdrop should be visually appealing without being too distracting. Consider using a plain or neutral-coloured wall/backdrop, or adding a branded banner or logo for an extra professional touch.

• Pay Attention To Lighting & Background Noise

Good lighting can make a big difference in the quality of your Facebook Live. Make sure that the area where you’re filming is well-lit, preferably with natural light or a combination of natural and artificial light. Avoid filming in areas with harsh overhead lighting or direct sunlight.

In addition, background noise can be distracting and make it difficult for your audience to hear what you’re saying. Try to film in a quiet area or use a noise-cancelling microphone to minimise any unwanted sounds.

• Check Your Framing

Most competition businesses choose a similar way to announce their winners. Typically, someone will stand in front of a large monitor displaying a random number generator (RNG) that will select a winner from the list of allocated names & ticket numbers, or they’ll talk over a screenshared stream of the RNG.     

If you plan on being in the video, make sure that you are centred in the frame and that your head and shoulders are visible. Use a tripod or stand to keep your camera steady and at the appropriate height. 

Make sure to turn off or close anything with the potential to distract from the stream, e.g notifications or background tabs.

• Test Your Setup Beforehand

Finally, before going live, be sure to do a test run and confirm that your equipment is working properly on both your end and from the perspective of your viewers. This will help you identify any technical issues and troubleshoot them before you officially start broadcasting.

4. Promote Your Live Draw

Be sure to promote your Facebook Live Draw in advance by attaching the exact date and time to your website, social media posts, and ads. Keep in mind that the majority of tickets will likely sell on the last day leading up to the draw, so it’s important to remind your audience frequently. 

On the day of the draw, consider doing a quick pre-livestream in advance where you can go over the prize odds, remind your followers to tune into the draw, share it with their friends and family and finally, ask them to subscribe so they can be notified for any future lives.

As previously stated, this final day – AKA ‘Draw Day’ – is the time to really start ramping up marketing efforts. If you have a mailing list, send an email out now with the live draw details front and centre. If you’re running any ads, be sure to do the same and double check that your copy, creative and timings are 100% accurate. 

IN CONCLUSION…

Facebook Live Draws are an excellent way to build trust and transparency with your audience when running a competition business. By being authentic, scheduling your draw at a time that works for your audience, and promoting it effectively, you can create a positive and engaging experience for your followers.

However, even with a well-executed Facebook Live Draw, you may still be missing out on potential customers without the right advertising strategy. That’s where we come in. Our expert team can help you create and implement a targeted advertising campaign that reaches the right people at the right time, increasing your visibility and driving more traffic to your page.

Don’t let potential customers slip through the cracks – contact Visionary Hub Space today to learn more about how we can help you grow your business with effective Facebook ads.