Contests and sharing
Competitions
We see them, we enter them, we share them… their primary goal? To increase the visibility of the companies that create them.
But beware of bogus contests: an all-inclusive trip to the South for 4? A Cadillac to win? A multinational company giving away gift cards to the first 100 people to respond? If it’s too good to be true… just think… it’s too good to be true!
Other, more legitimate-looking contests can still play tricks on you. Companies that hold draws, but never actually do the drawing… or send the prize to the winner: it happens.
Generally speaking, in these contests, it’s the companies that run them that win the most.
If you’d like to run a contest on Facebook yourself, you’ll need to comply with the rules and regulations of the social network, and if the prize is too high a value (over $100), the contest must be registered with La Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux du Québec. You can consult the rules via your Facebook account.
Share requests
Share this image and you’ll receive a mountain of money next month? Send this message to 10 people and you’ll be lucky? Let’s just say that chain letters are much easier to share in the digital age!
It’s important to remember, however, that very often their content is nothing more than click bait or click traps… created to lure you to a particular site, or to get clicks cheaply, to boost the visibility of a particular site or account. Sometimes, they’re just made to “pollute” social networks.
The rule of thumb we should all remember, and on the Internet in general: When in doubt, don’t do it 🙂
