Guidelines for Running a Twitter Contest

We updated you recently on running Facebook giveaways, so we thought that a Twitter contest update was in order as well.

Twitter lists its contest guidelines here.  First off, remember that a contest and a sweepstakes are technically and legally different things.  If you're going to judge the entries to pick your winner (best essay, best photo, etc.) - that's a contest.  If you're going to pick your winner randomly, that's a sweepstakes (no matter what the prize value is.)  So by "contest guidelines", we can safely assume that Twitter is referring to both types of giveaways.

Here is the quick rundown on their guidelines:

1. Discourage the creation of multiple accounts.

Meaning: In your rules make sure you state that only one entry per person allowed so users don't create and enter via lots of Twitter accounts (which puts them at risk for suspension.)

It seems like a lot of work, you might ask, will people really do that? Yes, they will. Giveaway enthusiasts are just that -- enthusiastic -- and if one entry per person is not explicitly stated in your giveaway rules (and even sometimes when it is stated!), a certain percentage of folks will enter repeatedly.

2. Discourage posting the same tweet repeatedly.

Meaning: Don't create a contest in which the person who "re-tweets" the most wins. Multiple postings of duplicate content are another no-no on Twitter, plus it creates a lot of bad buzz around your brand and/or giveaway. You get associated with being something annoying rather than something fun, useful, or cool.

3. Ask users to include an @reply to you in their update so you can see all the entries.

Meaning: Your giveaway is only legit and fair when you can pick a winner from all entries. And if an entrant includes an @yourusername mention in their update, you’ll be able to see all the updates by clicking on your "Mentions" tab.

4. Encourage the use of topics relevant to the contest.

Meaning: If you're asking folks to enter by creating an update on a specific topic and using hashtags (like #contest or #yourcompanyname), make sure the topic and the hashtags are relevant to one another. Otherwise, it's a violation of Twitter rules.

5. Follow The Twitter Rules.

Meaning: If Twitter hasn't covered it in the above guidelines, best to check out their overall Twitter Rules and Best Practices to ensure your giveaway is complying with their terms of service.

An Example ...

Surfing around, we found this giveaway from CNN that brings it all together.  They asked people to retweet this exact message, leaving nothing to chance.

It’s here! #CNN App for iPad! Follow @CNN and RT for a chance to win an #iPad sponsored by @Lexus http://CNN.com/RTiPad #CNNoniPad

Notice that CNN has a nifty webpage which supports their Twitter campaign with the official rules, prize information, and a big "Tweet Now" button, which easily lets people tweet the message.

Obviously, official rules cannot be stated in 140 characters or less so you will need to store your rules and any other pertinent information on a webpage somewhere (it doesn't have to be as souped up as CNN's) and put a link to it in your tweet.  Yes, we've seen twitter contests which don't mention rules, and no -- we don't post these. 

Running Twitter giveaways is a great way to grow your followers if done correctly.  Just remember to use your twitter tools judiciously, make your giveaway tweet crystal clear, create official rules, and offer a prize people want, and you should see those followers increase in no time.