Earlier this week, I received a PR pitch about a company's contest to be held on Facebook. The gist was that you had to have the most likes on a Facebook wall posting in order to win a really awesome prize (a prize, by the way, that I've been dreaming of since I was 16 years old). I swallowed that dream moment and decided to write back the company and let them know that this is WAY against Facebook's Terms of Service and as much as I want to compete and win, I cannot participate.
Really? Really. Straight from Facebook. (click to see larger)
Letter "v".
Now, I additionally work for a public relations firm myself.
And it's HARD to get fans to engage with you sometimes! But breaking Facebook rules isn't the answer because it can get your Page removed.
Additionally, I just hate popularity contests. I hate bugging everyone I know to please "comment on this photo" or "share this status" or "like this page". Also I refuse to pay people to like/share/comment for me (oh yes, this happens more than you know). I don't like losing either - and frankly, I lose a lot when it comes to popularity. (Except that ONE TIME I won Miss Congeniality in the same scholarship pageant that Eva Longoria won years ago. Seriously. Yes it was the last sentence in the article but I was proud of it.)
A dear friend from The Plastic Diaries wrote a similar posting today, which sparked mine. Please click on her logo to be directed to her blog posting.
And now I'm off for an evening of Zumba and later - blogging. I want to try out my new buttons.
Oh yes, and
Nothing To Disclose
I would like to see awards based on talent where the company can judge the talent of the entry. It's so hard to have to annoy your whole friends list begging for likes. And it's tempting to enter when there's a great prize like a trip to NYC or Bermuda or something, but in the end, I'm just not that person who is going to get on my soapbox to beg people to vote. I've done it once and it was for the honor of being noticed, not for a big trip. For a large $$$ prize or a big trip, you'd have to really pimp out your friends list. I just can't. I would just like to see some awards on talent, rather than popularity because in the end, what does it really prove?
ReplyDeleteYES! I like nail art ones where someone judges (Sally Hansen has one that I'm going to post!) and I held one with POP Beauty where we judged based on talent. ARG!
DeleteI may be a little bias but I agree with everything you said 4000%. Aside from how we feel as bloggers when we partake in these "contests", it is also clearly against the rules for many social media networks.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I love your new buttons!!
Well thank you love! I have been tweaking the buttons all day and I really like this one.
DeleteWell said!
ReplyDeleteIt's unfortunate that even if it was allowed, the only way to win is to beg for votes. You'd have to go on several times a day and post about the contest and ask people to share, like, etc. You aren't the best blogger if you win one of these. You just got lucky. It's hurtful to be left off lists when you know that your blog is better or at least equal to the winners.
ReplyDeleteExactly! I feel like it's Mean Girls for the Internet
DeleteWonderful post! And amen to everything to said.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWell said. I hate popularity contests :(
ReplyDeleteRight there with you!
DeleteI don't like popularity contests. I hate begging for likes :(
ReplyDeleteI like good bloggers - LIKE YOU!
DeleteI am right there with you! I remember one of the first nail art contests I entered on Facebook. I was also judged by "likes", which I didn't realize at the time, until I tried to enter a polish giveaway from another blogger, and one of the things you HAD to do to enter was like her entry! Seriously? She won of course, and I saw all the comments saying "Second place was way more talented than First". That's when I gave up on Facebook "like" polish contests. *Shakes head*
ReplyDeleteThat's all kinds of messed up right there.
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