The key elements point to making sure that you do not confuse any people about who is sponsoring the promotion, not using any Facebook elements as entry elements to you competition (IE: using the like button to enter the competition) and to refrain from the use of the Facebook brand to promote promotions.

Here are the details straight from the Facebook blog:

Promotions Guidelines

These Promotion Guidelines, along with the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, the Ad Guidelines, the Platform Policies and all other applicable Facebook policies, govern your communication about or administration of any contest, competition, sweepstakes or other similar offering (each, a “promotion”) using Facebook.

If you use Facebook to communicate about or administer a promotion, you are responsible for the lawful operation of that promotion, including the official rules, offer terms and eligibility requirements (e.g., age and residency restrictions), and compliance with regulations governing the promotion and all prizes offered in connection with the promotion (e.g., registration and obtaining necessary regulatory approvals). Please note that compliance with these Guidelines does not constitute the lawfulness of a promotion. Promotions are subject to many regulations and if you are not certain that your promotion complies with applicable law, please consult with an expert.

Facing new challenges

These new regulations do provide new challenges to promotions taking place on Facebook. The biggest impact will be that fans will be expected to install applications in order take part in competitions. This has often lead to a smaller number of competition entrants.

In addition, companies looking to run promotions on Facebook will now need to lean on the expertise of Facebook developers and social media agencies to implement their competitions on Facebook.

What are the trends being used that are shifting the way the recruitment industry works? There are two obvious and high impact trends that have risen out of social media and online technology that are worth looking at:

Move Towards Headhunting

Wall Street Journal makes an interesting observation that social media has made headhunting easier and cheaper. Networking websites like Linkedin have opened the door to finding people based on expertise, experience and CV. We are able to see immediate recommendations of people we are thinking about hiring and can make more comprehensive decisions about people before starting the interview process.

On a global scale we see business looking to decrease their job board subscriptions and move towards using social technology like Facebook and Linkedin to find great employees. The general consensus being that jobs boards create too many unqualified leads that waste HR time. Social Media channels however, allow recruiter to check out potential candidates before the invitation is sent. Leaving the power of selection in the hands of the recruiter and not with the job seeker.

Search Tools vs Career Portals

Search based jobs websites

Google has successfully created a search culture. When we need something we search for it – usually in Google. The same happens in recruitment. We find that candidates will turn to Google before they turn to job and career portals, simply because thats what they know.

Search works differently to portals. Portals let people browse though positions and candidates available in the network. Search allows you to scour the internet for exactly what you are looking for without bias to a particular website. This is where Indeed comes in. A South African Jobs Search Engine that searches all job sites, classified and any other source it can find to produce a search result for exactly the job you are looking for, allowing you to apply for the position of your dreams quickly and easily.

The impact of search based tools vs directory tools online to find employment may very well change the way we promote our job openings. An easy example would be that we need to start considering our the Search Engine Optimisation of every single job post and there may even be opportunity in using advertising vehicles like Google Adwords to promote top positions.

Career Portals need to integrate with social technology

Jobs.co.za have recently started using the Linkedin API allowing candidates to update their profiles directly from their Linkedin Profile. They have also opened up the possibility “or its members to register, search for jobs, create job alerts, see who’s hiring and find useful career advice all directly from the Facebook page.” (Bizcommunity) All of this social media integration is simply in aid of making it simpler and easier to recruiters to find candidates.

This level of social media integration is the only way, I believe, that Jobs and Career portals can remain relevant in the recruitment industry. Although we are not seeing these portals opening up headhunting opportunities like Linkedin, this is still a step in the right direction.

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The findings were quite interesting and echoed many generalizations about generation Y.

In South Africa, Generation Y uses digital platforms for communication and prefer Facebook and BBM over any other communication tool. Email continues to lose its effectiveness as a communication vehicle with this generation.

Google is starting to lose search market share to Facebook as 50% of Gen Y chooses to use Facebook as a search engine over Google.

Although MXit is popular it’s loyalty is much lower (less than one hour a day) than Facebook (up to five hours per day).

When given the choice Gen Y chose the internet over magazines, their cellphone over the internet and tertiary education over their cell phone. They are also a healthy bunch of individuals choosing healthy food over junk food, restaurants over fast food and bottled water over fizzy drinks.

Here is a list of some of our findings

Use of the internet

• 85% have an email address, but only half check it more than once a month
• 99% use the internet – most about 2 hours a day
• They do not regard facebook as the internet
• 73% access the internet on their phone (even though over 90% have the internet at home)
• 11% watch webinars / webisodes (online seminars / online episodes)
• 91% use facebook; 30% use twitter
• 69% have a Mxit account – but most only check it for less than an hour a day
• 60% watch YouTube (funnies & music videos firstly and also instructional videos
• 50% use Google as a Search Engine – 50% use facebook

Use of Non-Digital Media

• 91% listen to the radio (during drive time) and all of those claim to listen to 5fm, but then also mention other stations – no loyalty
• 64% read books
• 42% read the newspaper
• 73% read magazines (Female – fashion & gossip (Heat Magazine and You Magazine), Male – sports and Men’s Health)
• 85% go to the cinema – primarily the evening show
• 64% watching DSTV (in the evening)

Facebook and Social Media

• They do not regard facebook as the internet
• 60% spend more than 5hrs a day on facebook
• 84% use facebook to send messages rather than email
• Prefer facebook over twitter
• 50% use facebook as a search engine (other 50% use Google)
• Watch on YouTube – Funny & Music Videos and then How To /Instructional videos
• Very few read blogs, 2 write their own
• 69% have a Mxit account – but most either don’t use it, or only check it for less than an hour a day
• Other social networks used – BBM & Skype

Choice

• Internet over magazines
• Healthy food over junk food
• Tertiary education over getting a job
• Own music over radio
• Medical aid over funeral policy
• Bottled water over fizzy drinks
• Restaurant over fast food
• Facebook over Mxit
• Cellphone over internet (100%)
• Tertiary education over cellphone
• Social media over emails (98%)

Here is an excerpt of the article to explain the fundamental changes:

You can now switch roles

The most fundamental change is the ability to now change your role on Facebook.

Now that has all changed. Facebook allows you to “switch your role” on Facebook and let your browse the Facebook network as an organisation, company, brand, product, celebrity or business. I decided to outline a few of the benefits of the new changes:

What Changed?

• You can now act on behalf of your page on Facebook
• Your page can ‘like’ other pages
• Your page can’t become friends with a  persons profile
• Your page can’t comment on a persons status update
• Your page can comment on another page
• Your page now has a newsfeed that collates all the news from the pages you follow meaning you can now track business partners, sponsors, industry experts and competitors on Facebook
• Your profile now sports a funky looking picture banner at the top of your page.

What are the benefits?

• You now get notifications of comments on your page via email
• When you “switch” your account to a page account your notifications list will house the page notifications
• Your new friends button will now show a list of the people who recently ‘liked’ your page
• Your business or brand now has a bigger voice on Facebook which can increase your share in the conversation
• Your CEO can now speak on your business page as himself even if he has admin rights to the Facebook page.
• Your sales people will also be able to sell over Facebook using their personal profile which avoids confusion over the ownership of leads.

I hope this quick review of the latest Facebook changes helps you get a handle on what’s happening.

If you would like to know more about using Facebook and Social Media as a marketing and business tool please take a look our my series of Social Media Workshops.

I believe that any campaign launched in the digital space should consider the digital lifestyle of the consumer they are targeting. Too often we end up targeting low technology users with high end smart phone applications. Yes that target market may own a smart phone but their digital lifestyle is such that the application may not engage the consumer.

TNS surveys have created a great framework to use called Digital Lifestyles. Take a read through the lifestyles and leave a comment letting me know which lifestyle best describes you.

INFLUENCERS

The internet is an integral part of my life. I’m young and a big mobile Internet user and generally access everywhere, all of the time. I’m a blogger, a passionate social networker with many social network friends. I’m also a big online shopper, even via my mobile. I want to make sure as many people as possible hear my online voice.

COMMUNICATORS

I just love talking and expressing myself, whether that’s face to face, on a fixed line, mobile or on social networking sites, instant messaging or just emailing people. I really want to express myself in the online world in the way that I can’t in the offline one. I tend to be a smart phone user and I’m connecting online from my mobile, at home, at work or at college.

KNOWLEDGE-SEEKERS

I use the internet to gain knowledge, information and to educate myself about the world. I’m not very interested in social networking but I do want to hear from like-minded people especially to help me make purchase decisions. I’m very interested in the latest thing.

NETWORKERS

The internet is important for me to establish and maintain relationships. I have a busy life whether it’s my profession or managing the home. I use things like social networking to keep in touch with people I wouldn’t have time to otherwise. I’m a big home internet home user and I’m very open to talking to brands and looking for promotions. That said I’m not really the kind of person to voice my opinions online.

ASPIRERS

I’m looking to create a personal space online. I’m very new to the Internet and I’m accessing via mobile and internet cafes but mostly from home. I’m not doing a great deal at the moment online but I’m desperate to do more of everything, especially from a mobile device.

FUNCTIONALS

The internet is a functional tool, I don’t want to express myself online. I like emailing, checking the news, sport & weather but also online shopping. I’m really not interested in anything new (like social networking )and I am worried about data privacy and security. I am older and have been using the internet for a long time.

This information comes from the Buyershpere report which I believe shows great insight into the platforms neccessary to create business to business sales leads from the internet.

A Summary: How important is your company website?

When looking at buying business services there are three stages of the purchase that have been identified:

1. Identifying and defining the need
2. Indentifying potential suppliers
3. Final selection of the supplier

In all three stages a company’s website was the primary channel used to gather information, even more than web searches. In stage one industry press, word of mouth and events were next in line as channels used to identify and define the need for the purchase.

The company website in this case has the opportunity to establish brand, share product details and specifications and add value to the different purchase stages. the interesting fact that rose oot of the study though was that the company website had very little influence on the conclusion of each stage.

The effect of social media on business to business purchasing decisions

It’s all about influence!

Every stage of the purchase cycle revealed that  social media channels and word of mouth were the primary influential channels that influenced the decisions made.

Stage one indicated blogs and word of mouth as the primary influencer, whilst stage two and three showed a preference towards twitter, blogs and Facebook.

So the question has become – is TV on the way out?

I would argue no. It seems that TV programs are actually experiencing an increase in viewership. So why is this happening if people are obviously spending more and more time online?

I would like to suggest that social media is shaping a new way of watching TV and that rather than phasing out TV it has chosen a symbiotic relationship. Here are a few quick thoughts about how this works:

1) Social media helps promote TV

Social media is often used as an outlet to express watt important to us. When people are excited about important TV episodes/programmes they will use social media to share their enthusiasm. The last Survivor episode, an important rugby match and the chilean miners rescue are all examples of TV being shared in excitement on social networks.

Once this excitement is shared more people are exposed to the TV event taking place and the potential of more people ‘tuning in’ increases.

2) Social Media adds a new layer of engagement

Once the game is on and people are sitting around the beloved box there is often a conversation that begins. It usually is focused around the game/event they are watching and the experience is more enjoyable. In other words, its more fun to watch a game of Rugby with friends than on our own.

Search Springboks on Twitter during the next Springbok game

Social media lets people take that conversation outside of the room, outside of the stadium and off the television. As people share their thoughts on the game the experience is now felt all over the world from anyone who is interested.

If you don’t understand what I am talking about here run a search on twitter the next time your team is playing a match and see what the twitter community is saying about the game.

3) Smart people – Smart Phones

Smart people take social media on the move. They pack it into their cellphone. Almost every social network has a mobile website and smart phones even have beautifully designed interfaces for these networks.

So as people are able to tweet and share on the go, it becomes easier to start or take part in the conversation online.

A new way of watching TV?

Does social media add a new dynamic to the way you watch TV?

Please leave a comment with your thoughts I would love to hear from you.

Bearing in mind alot of the content here is just my opinion but we looked some case studies, why social media is important, how I launched my consultancy, the most important asset to social media and B2B marketing online.

You can download/listen the podcast here