Facebook giveaway ideas that follow Meta's rules
Most lists of Facebook giveaway ideas lean on share this post and tag three friends, which Meta's policy for Pages, groups and events does not allow. The ideas below all work with the one entry action Facebook does allow: a comment. Each comes with a comment prompt you can use as written.
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Key takeaways
- The best Facebook giveaway ideas ask people to enter with a comment, because Meta's policy says a promotion must not require or incentivise sharing, reposting or tagging others.
- A comment that answers a question gets more thoughtful entries than a bare comment and tells you something useful about your audience.
- A keyword in the comment is the simplest rule to check, because a comment picker can filter on it and leave out anyone who did not follow it.
- Milestone, seasonal and local business giveaways work well on Facebook because the reason for the giveaway gives people something specific to comment about.
- Whatever the idea, every Facebook giveaway still needs a release of Meta and a statement that Meta does not sponsor it.
- Giveaway already running? The Facebook comment picker draws the winner from a public post with no Facebook login.
Draw the winner here
Why do Facebook giveaway ideas need a comment entry?
Because Meta's policy leaves very little else. It says your promotion must not require or incentivise participants to share, repost, tag others or in any other way publicise it. Share to enter, tag friends to enter and extra entries for sharing are all ruled out.
That is less limiting than it sounds. A comment is visible, it can carry an answer or a keyword, and it is the one entry action a comment picker can read and check. The ideas below use the comment as the whole entry.
- Meta: Pages, groups and events policies, Promotions"Your promotion must not require or incentivise participants to share, repost, tag others or in any other way publicise your promotion."
What are good Facebook giveaway ideas?
Pick the idea that matches why you are running the giveaway, then use its comment prompt. Replace the square brackets.
| Idea | Good for | Comment prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Answer a question | Learning what your audience wants | "Comment which [product or flavour] you would pick and why." |
| Fill in the blank | Easy, high-volume entries | "Finish the sentence in the comments: My perfect weekend includes ___." |
| Photo reply | Customers who already use your product | "Reply with a photo of your [product] in use." |
| Keyword comment | A simple rule you can check | "Comment the word [keyword] to enter." |
| Milestone thank you | Celebrating followers, years open or orders | "Comment your favourite memory of [business] to celebrate [milestone]." |
| Local business | A shop, café or salon with a local audience | "Comment your favourite thing about [neighbourhood] to win [local prize]." |
| Name it | A new product, menu item or pet | "Comment your name idea for our new [product]." |
| Seasonal | Holidays and launches | "Comment your [holiday] tradition to win [seasonal prize]." |
| Feedback | Testing a new idea | "Comment one thing you would change about [product]." |
Which giveaway ideas should you avoid on Facebook?
Anything that turns sharing or tagging into a condition of entry or a reward. These ideas are common because they work on other platforms, and they are the ones Meta's policy names.
- Share this post to enter.
- Tag two friends to enter.
- Get an extra entry for every share.
- Share to your story or timeline for a bonus entry.
- Get your friends to comment for you.
How do you make a comment giveaway easy to judge?
Decide in advance whether the winner is drawn at random or judged. If it is random, the content of the comment does not matter beyond following your rule, and you can say so: any comment that includes the keyword is one entry.
If you want to pick the best answer instead, that is a contest, and your rules should say who judges and on what basis. Mixing the two, for example picking a random winner but only from answers you liked, is the version people dispute.
How do you pick the winner of a comment giveaway?
Paste the post link into a comment picker, turn on one entry per person so the most active commenter does not get extra chances, and add your keyword rule if you used one. Draw your winner and backups in one draw, in order.
Facebook shows commenters by display name, so two different people can share a name. Free Comment Picker counts entries by account rather than by name, so neither of them loses their entry.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is a good giveaway idea for Facebook?
Ask people to comment an answer to a simple question about your product or audience, such as which flavour they would choose and why. It is allowed under Meta's policy, it is easy to enter, and the answers tell you something useful.
Can I ask people to share my Facebook giveaway?
No. Meta's policy for Pages, groups and events says a promotion must not require or incentivise participants to share, repost, tag others or in any other way publicise it. Ask for a comment instead.
Can I ask for a photo in the comments?
Yes, a photo reply is still a comment. If you then draw at random, every comment that follows your rule is one entry. If you choose the best photo, it is a contest and your rules should explain how it is judged.
Do Facebook giveaways work for small businesses?
Yes, and local businesses often do best with a local prize and a question about the neighbourhood or the shop. Run it from your Page, keep entry to a comment, and add the release of Meta and the statement that Meta does not sponsor it.