The other day I was helping a client prepare some new content on Facebook and their blog and was asked if I would do something that I knew, in my gut and based on TOS, was wrong…
Set-up a landing page that required visitors to ‘Like’ and/or ‘comment’ in order to enter a prize draw.
Although a little ambiguous and, if you really nit pick, somewhat contradictory and confusing, Facebook’s Terms Of Service (TOS) make clear reference to the activity of ‘soliciting’ likes in their guidelines (at the time Date of Last Revision: May 11, 2011). Specifically:
3)
You must not use Facebook features or functionality as a promotion’s registration or entry mechanism. For example, the act of liking a Page or checking in to a Place cannot automatically register or enter a promotion participant.
4) (confuses it a bit by the term ‘other than‘)
You must not condition registration or entry upon the user taking any action using any Facebook features or functionality other than liking a Page, checking in to a Place, or connecting to your app. For example, you must not condition registration or entry upon the user liking a Wall post, or commenting or uploading a photo on a Wall.
5) You cannot even message winners via Facebook…
You must not notify winners through Facebook, such as through Facebook messages, chat, or posts on profiles or Pages.
Confused? Me too.
Although from what we all see on Facebook, these ‘rules’ are clearly not policed with consistency. Many pages violate them and so many self proclaimed experts actually encourage the activities that Facebook has been known to shut down pages for.
Policing the rules or not does not make it right to try pulling a fast one.
I find myself explaining this kind of thing at least once a week to someone who is either already actively engaged in some activity that could get a sever FB wrist slap (page removed) or are thinking about doing it. I usually end the conversation (whether they like my answer or not) with something like:
Would a real Facebook marketing expert like Mari Smith do that? If not, why not?
Would a social media expert like Chris Brogan do that? If not, why not?
Would someone as popular as Gary Vaynerchuk do that? If not, why not?
Have you ever known a well read author like Seth Godin do it? If not, why not?
Would “6 Pixels of Separation” author Mitch Joel do that? If not, why not?
I could go on but I’ll assume you get my point.
I encourage anyone to carve out their own path and do something different but… There are lines that can easily be crossed into murky waters and some rules are there for a reason.
If the only people you’ve seen ‘do’ something that feels wrong (in your gut, ethically or morally) are not, in your opinion, ‘in the know’ then just think about it… Maybe you’re listening to the wrong people who, themselves, haven’t a clue what they’re doing.
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