I have a way to go yet at 160 odd likes, but I wanted to hold a giveaway once I reach 200 likes. How soon do you actually start the giveaway before you reach the 200? I wouldn’t want to start too soon, in case I don’t reach the 200 by the end of the giveaway, that would be very embarrassing 
Or do you actually start it once you reach 200, ? im confused. Any tips from those who have held these before would be great 
Snap! I’m about 31 likes away from my next round number and have decided to have a giveaway once I hit it.
I last did a giveaway when I got to 300 fans- for about two weeks beforehand I posted that I was going to do it, asked for shares and drip fed info on what the prize would be. Once I hit it, I unveiled the prize and let it run for a week with loads of reminders. Got a whole load of new fans that week too!( Be aware that some will leave once the winner has been announced.)
Not sure how I’m going to do it this time- to be honest, not in a rush as I’d like to make sure I have good content ready for posting whilst I’m doing the giveaway, and times a bit scarce at the moment!
What’s your fb page and I’ll pop over and ‘like’ if I haven’t already 
(mines is www.facebook.com/maramjewellery)
PS Make sure you check the current rules for FB giveaways as they are always changing.
i usually wait for “the number” (although, i sometimes pick random numbers that i just like, so you could always have a giveaway to celebrate reaching 167 likes for eg??!) but there’s no rules to any of this stuff - do whatever feels right for you!
i don’t tend to ask people to share - just to comment if they’d like a go at winning - my facebook ‘likes’ have kind of grown organically, and i’ve built up relationships with a lot of the folks on my page who are actually interested in my work/waffle, so the last thing i want from a giveaway is people who just show up for free stuff never to be heard from again.
i like to think of my fb giveaways as… as a kind of a bribe or reward for the people that’re already there, for sticking with me 
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Thanks for the tips, I need to get my act together then, and make some more stuff so when people visit me, there is plenty on offer ! Thanks for taking the time to pop over to FB 
I might actually wait til it reaches the 200 then go for it, as im nervous about starting it too early in case I don’t reach it! thanks for the advice
I mentioned my current 500 likers giveaway at 495 likes, and made a point of saying I wouldn’t actually unveil the giveaway until 500 had been reached but I had an idea what I was going to do so I showed a pic of the raw materials as a tease. I got those extra 5 likes within the day and more. Facebookers do love a giveaway don’t they? So I think you’d be ok to mention a giveaway fairly close to your target.
Jo
p.s. If anyone want to enter mine it’s open until Sunday 11th - https://www.facebook.com/JosaraDesign
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Hi Jo, I entered your giveaway earlier today ,too irresistible to miss , and it made me think of holding my own , I think I’ll wait til 195 and then mention it , like you say then unveil at 200. Is there anything you shouldn’t do?
Hi Suzanne, I saw your entry
I have no idea what’s right or wrong with these things. I did a quick survey of other giveaways and some are sticking in the ‘shares are not compulsory’, and I remember that being a problem in the past with people insisting you shared the post to enter, and Facebook not liking that. So I stuck that in.
To be honest,I agree with that rule. I don’t want people to feel obliged to share. I like to control what’s on my own page so I can understand that other people would too. You might want to enter a giveaway that would have no relevance to the people who like your page, so why be forced to put it into their timelines too.
Apart from that, I’ve asked for a quick comment on the post because that’s how I’m doing the draw. I’m going to copy and paste, snip and fold and draw from them. I would also specify if you aren’t going to post abroad, things like that. Just make it really clear what you’re doing and it should be fine.
Jo
thank for the reply, I won’t ask people to share, just comment and like. Thanks for the tips, and I would never have thought about where im willing to post to, so I must include that as well - it will be UK only - you may have saved my bacon there 
Hi Suzanne,
What @JoSara said, plus this:
Facebook don’t seem to like us asking people to share - I’ve heard people say their page was temporarily suspended for doing this.
Also, the rules about giveaways seem to say that you must indemnify Facebook - ie. you need to make it clear that you are taking full responsibility for the prize etc, so that if you were to Not send the prize or never actually do your “giveaway draw”, nobody could go knocking on Facebook’s front door and demand that they provide an alternative prize, yada-yada-yada… Most people put a very short thing like “This Giveaway is not in any way connected with Facebook or its employees” or something… you will probably find a number of examples of this, if you look around on busy Pages that are doing giveaways.
There are rules in Facebook’s terms and conditions (somewhere - they can be hard to find!), but these do seem to be the main conditions - along with not being allowed to sell “raffle / draw” tickets - because of legal stuff covering prize draws etc I should think.
Good luck!
Lizzie
LizzieMade Hand Bound Books
I had a giveaway when I reached 1000 likes .It is amazing how many people actually comment on your stuff when they know there is a giveaway. I said sharing would be nice but not compulsory. I actually made two sales directly through having the giveaway so for me it was worth it .Also I do like to interact with people on fb. As people who know me would say I am quite a chatterbox - I prefer to use the term networker .LOL As Lizzie and Jo have both said there are quite a few strict rules to adhere to on fb as they do have a habit of banning people. But giveaways are fun .
Nora XX
I may be on my own here, but why give your items away, just to get likes. Your time is precious, and your items cost money to make. I feel that if you give stuff away, why spend the time trying to sell it. I have never given anything away, and yet I have a good customer base and a fair few likes on my page, don’t under value your products, your time or yourself by GIVING THEM AWAY !!
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yes that’s a good point about the ‘disclaimer’ I’ve seen similar on some of them, was a bit confused why it was there, but I will include that too to cover the rules. Thanks for the advice
yes the reason I want to hold one is not only do you gain more likes, comments, if people do share (even one person) then a whole new possibilities open up and so on, kind of like a domino effect I suppose. I’ve noticed that when people share my work, it generates a whole lot more interest and sometimes sales! Im quite the opposite to a chatterbox, but im learning to get more involved, this is another way for me to do that
I can understand your viewpoint, especially if you make more labour intensive pieces, I’d be reluctant to give away one of my bracelets, they take the longest to make. Im planning on making a smaller less time consuming piece for the giveaway. It’s not just likes you gain, but the possibility of gaining more ‘exposure’ to other potential customers, and the more I share ,comment ,like etc, people notice a new name up on there page, so they check you out, etc etc , and so it carries on like that. I’ve definately had more sales, before that I kind of stagnated and didn’t get involved much, I had a very dry spell for over a month 
so if there is anything I can do to improve sales, I think it’s worth doing.
I think it’s a personal choice in the end. I thought it would be nice to offer one as I’d got to 500 page likers, and I really wanted to offer a ‘thank you’.
I think it is a nice way to get people involved with my page. I wasn’t really expecting to gain from it apart from maybe a bit more exposure. But it has led directly to a couple of sales. Indirectly I can’t tell, but this week I’ve been running it I have been very busy, so maybe it’s contributed to people hopping off to look at my other items on my website.
The giveaway I’ve chosen is something that isn’t too expensive to make and my time costs aren’t huge. If I look at what I’ve gained (even if I just take the direct sales that I know are sparked from the giveaway) against what I’ve laid out (materials/time) I’m well up, so that’s a plus. And as Suzanne says, I’ve gained more page likers who will hopefully stick around and see what I’m up to.
I can’t really see a minus to me doing it. But other people might try one and not see any benefit from doing it, or might have items that aren’t suitable to be given away because of labour/material costs. I think if you try one, don’t expect to gain from it financially, immediate sales are a bonus. It’s more about the extra promotion a giveaway gives you. Think of it as paying for marketing and choose what you giveaway to how much you’re willing to ‘pay’ for that.
Jo
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I always get a jump in sales, and new likers (good quality likers, lol) after an FB giveaway. I think they are well worth while. I recommend using the Rafflecopter Facebook app to manage your giveaway for you, makes choosing a winner an absolute cinch. http://fbflash.rafflecopter.com/
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Thank you I will have a look. They are creeping up so I better get organised