So you want to run a social media contest. A Twitter one, in fact. Well, there are a few things to watch out for:
Did the NHL's auto-tweeting app just offer the Edmonton Oilers a gift card? pic.twitter.com/3x5prVQ1UE
— Puq (@ducksallday) October 30, 2014
First, great catch by @ducksallday.
Second, automation is a tricky thing on social media. For a league the size of the NHL, it’s imperative to use these types of resources to run successful (and legitimate) contests. Rules have to be followed, depending on the social platform used. And, rules have to be written. NOTE: the NHL tweet has since been deleted.
From what I can tell, the NHL used an app called Photo Contest. (I did my best desktop – PC – screen capture below.)
In the photo above, the tweet shows this was sent by an app called Photo Contest. It’s from a company called Offerpop. Offerpop offers “products and support” to companies to aid in their marketing efforts. According to the website, the Photo Contest App allows users to, “Create photo contests where fans can submit and vote on their favorite pictures across social networks”. The app provides contest capabilities through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. One can only imagine how an account the size of the NHL (Facebook: 3.5M+ Likes, Instagram: 636k+ followers, Twitter: 2.8M+ followers) could monitor a contest without the use of automation.
They can’t. But, they do write the rules. Whether it was a breakdown on their part or in the app itself, I don’t know. In the grand scheme of things, maybe it’s not a big deal. By the weekend, it’s sure to be forgotten. However, it’s a great reminder to sweat the small stuff when it comes to working in social media.
Every little detail counts.
And no, I’m sure the Oilers aren’t eligible to win.
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