It can be amazingly confusing to run a contest on a Facebook Page. But breaking any Facebook Terms may result in your page being shut down—so you have to step lightly.

To help promoters facing the Facebook challenge, Social Media Today's Genevieve Lachance has given us a list of things you MUST do, CAN do, and CAN'T do when conducting a fun diversion at the site.

Here are just a handful of her tips; read the full article for more valuable direction plus suggestions for some interesting apps to help run your promo or contest.

• You MUST administer all contests, promotions, and sweepstakes on Facebook via a third-party application. Never use the Facebook platform itself, including your Page wall, the Events app, Groups, or any other Facebook functionality to run your promotion. (Note that a third-party application also includes any applications you create yourself.)
• You MUST include a complete Facbeook release as well as acknowledgement that the promotion is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
• You MUST present clear contest rules that are visible directly on your application Page.
• You CAN have users Like your Page, check into a Place, or connect to your app before joining your promotion—as long as the latter is administered through a third-party application and isn't used as a voting mechanism or a registration for your promotion.
• You CAN collect names and emails from entrants. (This is recommended, particularly for contacting winners afterward.)
• You CAN'T contact winners via Facebook (including via direct messaging, Facebook chat, posting on the winner's wall, or posting on your own Page wall).
• You CAN'T choose a fan for a random draw--since you would need to use Facebook to collect your entries. Find a way to perform the function through a third-party app.

The Po!nt: Face it: It's easy enough to suggest a Facebook contest or promotion, but conducting one comes with a whole laundry list of rules to adhere to on both the site-wide and local levels. Make sure you're savvy before taking the leap; it'll save you a lot of grief!

→ end article preview
Read the Full Article