How to Run a Radio Advertiser Competition
A good advertiser competition should feel simple to the listener and safe for the station. The listener sees a clear Facebook post, follows one clear entry step, and waits for the draw. Behind the scenes, you need a clean record of what was promised, who entered, how the winner was chosen, and what was sent back to the advertiser.
This is where many busy stations get caught. The post goes live before the prize details are firm. Someone checks comments by hand. Someone else screenshots a few entries. Then, when the advertiser asks what happened, the team has to rebuild the story from memory. Here is how I would run a radio advertiser competition from a Facebook post, with less risk of muddle and fewer manual checks.
Agree the basics before you post
Before anything goes near Facebook, agree the shape of the competition with the advertiser. Keep it plain. What is the prize? Who provides it? When can the winner use it? Are there any limits, booking steps, collection details or dates that listeners must know before they enter?
Do not treat this as admin for later. If the prize is not clear, your post will not be clear. If your post is not clear, you will get messy entries and awkward questions.
Also agree what the advertiser wants from the campaign. They may want more attention on a new offer, more people seeing their brand, more visits to their page, or a simple feel good giveaway. You do not need to turn this into a long planning meeting. You just need enough detail to write the post and judge whether the campaign did its job.
Before publishing, check the terms of the social platform and any requirements that apply to your station. Rules can differ depending on where you broadcast, how the prize is offered, and how the competition is promoted. Make that check part of the set up, not a last minute panic.
- Prize name and plain description
- Who supplies the prize and who handles handover
- Start date, closing date and draw time
- Entry method from the Facebook post