How to Run a Facebook Competition in Australia: Complete Guide

Why Run a Competition on Facebook?

With over 18 million monthly active users in Australia, Facebook remains the largest social platform for reaching Australian consumers. Half the country logs in daily. For businesses running competitions, that means massive reach, built-in sharing mechanics, and a mature advertising platform to amplify results.

Massive Reach

Facebook reaches 64% of Australia's population through its ad platform. No other social network offers this combination of scale and targeting precision. Your competition can reach people by age, location, interests, and behaviours.

Built-in Engagement

Comment-to-enter mechanics are native to Facebook. Users don't need to leave the platform, download an app, or fill in a form. This frictionless entry drives higher participation rates compared to landing-page-based competitions.

Precise Targeting

Meta's ad platform lets you boost your competition post to exactly the audience you want: by age group, location (down to postcode), interests, purchase behaviour, and lookalike audiences based on your existing customers.

Measurable Results

Facebook provides detailed analytics on reach, engagement, shares, and click-throughs. You can track exactly how many people saw your competition, engaged with it, and clicked through to your website or landing page.

Australian Facebook demographics: The largest age group on Facebook in Australia is 25–39 (6.3 million users), followed by 40–55 (4.3 million). If your target market is Australian adults with purchasing power, Facebook is still the strongest platform.

Meta's Promotion Policies

Before you think about Australian competition law, you need to comply with Meta's own platform rules. Violating these can get your post removed, your page penalised, or your ad account restricted. These rules apply on top of all Australian legal requirements.

What You CAN Do

Ask users to comment on a post to enter
Ask users to like a post to enter
Ask users to like/follow your Page to enter
Ask users to message your Page to enter
Ask users to use a hashtag in their comment
Run the competition from a Page, Group, or Event
Use a third-party app (e.g. Gleam, ShortStack) for entries
Encourage (not require) sharing

What You CANNOT Do

Require users to share on their personal timeline
Require users to share on a friend's timeline
Require users to tag friends as a condition of entry
Ask users to tag themselves in photos they aren't depicted in
Run the competition from a personal profile
Imply that Meta/Facebook sponsors or endorses your competition
Use Facebook's features (e.g. reactions) as a voting mechanism
Collect data without user consent

The "share to enter" trap: This is the single most common violation by Australian businesses. "Like and share to win!" is technically against Meta's rules because it requires sharing on a personal timeline. You can encourage sharing ("We'd love it if you shared this!") but you cannot make it a condition of entry. Meta can remove your post, restrict your Page, or limit your ad account if reported.

Required disclaimer: Every Facebook competition must include a statement like: "This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook/Meta." Plus a release of Facebook from any liability. Include this in your post and your full T&Cs.

Facebook Entry Methods Compared

Your entry method determines engagement levels, data collection, and how much effort is required from entrants. Here are the most common approaches for Australian businesses, ranked by popularity and effectiveness.

Comment to Enter

Like + Comment to Enter

Combines a page like (or post like) with a comment. Grows your follower count while generating entries. The like gives you a longer-term audience; the comment drives immediate engagement.

Grows page followers

Double engagement signal

No email collection

Slight participation drop

Landing Page / Third-Party App

BEST FOR LEADS

Direct users from your Facebook post to a dedicated landing page or app (Gleam, ShortStack, Woobox). This lets you collect email addresses, phone numbers, and other data. The Facebook post promotes the competition; the actual entry happens off-platform.

Collects email & data

Automated winner selection

Lower participation (extra step)

App/platform cost

Photo or Video Contest

GAME OF SKILL

Users submit photos or videos in the comments or via a landing page. A judge or panel selects the winner based on creativity or merit. This is a game of skill, which means no permit is needed in any Australian state. Great for generating user-generated content (UGC) you can repurpose.

No permit required

Generates reusable UGC

Fewer entries (more effort)

Requires judging process

25 Words or Less

GAME OF SKILL

Ask entrants to answer a creative prompt in 25 words or less in the comments. An independent judge selects the most creative, original, or relevant answer. This is the gold standard for Australian competitions: it's a game of skill (no permits), encourages genuine engagement, and is perfectly suited to Facebook comments.

No permit required

Works natively in comments

Requires independent judging

Subjective selection

Pro tip: Hybrid approaches work well. Run a comment-to-enter competition on Facebook for reach and engagement, but include a link to a landing page where entrants can optionally provide their email for "bonus entries." This way you get both the engagement and the lead data.

Step-by-Step: Running a Facebook Competition

1

Define Your Objective & Entry Method

Decide what you want: followers, email leads, brand awareness, or sales. Then choose the entry method that matches. For awareness, use comment-to-enter. For leads, use a landing page. For UGC, use a photo contest. See our complete business guide for detailed objective planning.

2

Check Permit Requirements

If your competition is a game of chance (random draw), check whether you need state permits based on your prize value. Games of skill (25 words or less, photo contests) generally don't require permits. See our permits guide for the full state-by-state breakdown.

3

Write Your Terms & Conditions

Draft T&Cs covering: promoter details, eligibility, entry method, dates, prize details, draw/judging process, winner notification, and privacy notice. Host them on a public URL (your website) and link to them from your competition post. Include the Meta disclaimer.

4

Create Your Competition Post

Write a compelling post with a clear call to action. Include: the prize, how to enter, the close date, a link to full T&Cs, and the Meta disclaimer. Use a high-quality image or video — posts with visuals get significantly more engagement. Keep the copy concise; Facebook truncates long posts behind "See more."

5

Publish & Pin to Top of Page

Post your competition and pin it to the top of your Facebook Page so it's the first thing visitors see. This keeps it visible for the entire duration of the competition, even as you publish other content.

6

Boost & Promote

Boost your post or run a dedicated ad campaign through Meta Ads Manager. Target your ideal audience by location, age, interests, and behaviours. Even a small budget ($50–$200) can dramatically increase reach. See the boosting strategy section below for detailed guidance.

7

Monitor & Engage

Respond to comments and questions promptly. Like entrant comments to acknowledge them. Remove spam or inappropriate entries. Post "reminder" updates as the close date approaches to drive last-minute entries. Monitor for duplicate or fraudulent entries.

8

Select & Announce the Winner

For random draws, export your comments and use our Pick a Winner tool to run a fair, animated draw with video recording — or use the Random Number Generator for numbered entries. For games of skill, have your independent judge(s) evaluate entries. Announce the winner publicly on your Page, notify them via private message, and publish their name as required by your T&Cs and state regulations.

Facebook Competition Post Template

Your competition post needs to be clear, engaging, and compliant. Here's a template that covers all the essentials. Need T&Cs for the "Full T&Cs" link? Use our free T&C Generator to create them in minutes.

YB

Your Business Name

Facebook Ads & Boosting Strategy

Organic reach on Facebook averages 5–8% of your followers. If you want your competition to reach beyond your existing audience, you need to boost the post or run a dedicated ad campaign. Here's how to do it effectively.

Boost Post (Simple)

Click "Boost Post" directly on your competition post. Quick setup, ideal for smaller budgets and businesses new to Facebook advertising.

Choose audience by location, age, interests
Set budget and duration
Optimises for engagement (comments, likes)
Best for: $20–$500 budgets

Ads Manager (Advanced)

Create a campaign in Meta Ads Manager for more control over targeting, placement, and optimisation. Better for larger budgets and specific objectives.

Lookalike audiences from your customer list
A/B test different ad creatives
Retarget website visitors
Best for: $500+ budgets

Targeting Recommendations for Australian Competitions

Location

Target Australia-wide for national competitions, or specific states/cities if your prize is location-dependent (e.g. restaurant vouchers, local experiences).

Age

Match your target customer demographic. Facebook's strongest Australian audience is 25–55. Set minimum age to 18 to match your T&Cs eligibility.

Interests

Target people interested in your industry, your competitors, or related topics. For a travel prize, target "travel," "holidays," "Qantas," etc.

Budget Allocation

Spend 60% of your budget in the first 3 days (algorithm learning phase), then 20% mid-campaign, and 20% in the final 2 days for urgency.

Pro tip: Don't just boost to "people who like your page and their friends." The broadest audience isn't always the best. Narrow targeting by interests and demographics delivers higher-quality entries from people who are genuinely interested in your brand, not just the prize.

Amplify Your Reach Beyond Facebook

Facebook shouldn't be your only channel. Cross-promote your competition to maximise entries and reach audiences who might not see your Facebook post.

Email Newsletter

Send a dedicated email to your subscriber list. Include the prize image, clear entry instructions, and a direct link to your Facebook post.

Your Website

Add a banner or pop-up on your website linking to the competition. Embed the Facebook post if possible. Add it to your homepage and relevant product pages.

Competition Sites

List your competition on aggregator sites like Competitions.com.au to reach thousands of engaged compers actively looking for competitions to enter.

Instagram

Cross-post to Instagram with a similar entry mechanic. Use Stories to drive urgency. See our Instagram guide.

TikTok

Create a short video announcing the competition and direct viewers to your Facebook post. See our TikTok guide.

In-Store / Physical

If you have a physical location, display signage with a QR code linking to your Facebook competition post. Staff should mention it to customers.

Common Facebook Competition Mistakes

"Like and share to win!"

The most common violation. Meta prohibits requiring shares on personal timelines as a condition of entry. Your post can be removed and your Page penalised. Use "Like and comment to enter" instead.

"Tag 3 friends to enter"

Requiring tagging as an entry condition violates Meta's policies because it forces users to involve others. You can encourage tagging ("Tag a friend who'd love this!") but it cannot be mandatory for entry.

Running from a personal profile

Meta only allows competitions on Pages, Groups, or Events. Running a competition from your personal profile violates their terms and risks account suspension.

No terms and conditions

Every competition in Australia needs written T&Cs, regardless of prize value. Not having them exposes you to legal risk and makes winner disputes much harder to resolve. Link to your full T&Cs from every competition post.

Missing the Meta disclaimer

Your post must include a statement that the competition is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Facebook/Meta. It's a small line, but omitting it violates Meta's promotion policies.

No close date or vague timing

"Competition ends soon" is not compliant. You must specify exact open and close dates in your post and T&Cs. Include the timezone (AEST/AEDT) and be specific: "Closes 28 February 2026 at 11:59pm AEDT."

Australian Legal Requirements for Facebook Competitions

Running a competition on Facebook doesn't exempt you from Australian competition law. Here's a quick reference for the legal requirements that apply specifically to Facebook competitions. For the full state-by-state breakdown, see our complete business guide.

Facebook competitions must comply with both Meta's platform rules AND Australian law.

Game of Skill vs Game of Chance

If you're running a random draw from comments, that's a game of chance and may require permits (NSW over $10K, ACT over $3K, SA over $5K). If you're judging entries on creativity (25 words or less, photo contests), it's a game of skill and generally permit-free.

Written Terms & Conditions

Required for every competition. Must be publicly accessible (link from your Facebook post). Include promoter details, eligibility, entry method, dates, prize description, draw/judging process, winner notification, and privacy notice.

Privacy Act Compliance

When collecting personal information (even just a Facebook comment counts as data), you must include a privacy collection notice explaining what you collect, why, and how it will be used.

Winner Publication

Most states require you to publish the winner's name. A Facebook post announcing the winner satisfies this requirement in most cases, but check your specific state obligations.

Australian Consumer Law (ACL)

Your competition must not be misleading or deceptive. The prize must exist, the draw must be conducted as described, and all claims in your post must be truthful. Maximum penalties under the ACL exceed $1.1 million.

Facebook Competition Checklist

Before you publish your competition post:

Competition objective defined

Entry method chosen (compliant with Meta)

Prize sourced and valued

Permits applied for (if game of chance)

T&Cs written and hosted on public URL

Meta disclaimer included in post

Close date and time specified (with timezone)

Post includes: prize, how to enter, close date, T&C link

High-quality image or video attached

Running from a Page (not personal profile)

No "share to enter" or "tag to enter" requirement

Boosting budget and targeting planned

Winner selection method decided

Winner announcement plan in place

Privacy collection notice included in T&Cs

Cross-promotion channels identified

How to Run a Facebook Competition in Australia: Complete Guide