6

How to Run a Social Media “Contest” Without Losing the Prize

LEGAL LAND MINES

Scenarios that make you want to say more than “ugh!”

  •   You’re not exactly sure of the difference between a contest, a sweepstake, and a lottery, which can cause your business to get hit with some heavy fines and even criminal penalties.

  •   You announced your contest but forgot to register with the small state of Rhode Island and pay its $150 filing fee—and now the state attorney general is demanding an “injunction” to stop your contest and bellowing something about a “misdemeanor”!

  •   You decide to hold a Facebook contest by having contestants “like” your page and post their photo contest entries on your wall, and then you will announce the winners on ...

Get Social Media Law for Business: A Practical Guide for Using Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and Blogs Without Stepping on Legal Land Mines now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial