A giveaway can introduce your work to local people, but “like, tag and share to win” is still a promotion with rules. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says the CAP Code applies to social media promotions and that the promoter is responsible for running the promotion fairly.

Put the important terms in the first post

The ASA's guidance says significant conditions should appear in the initial promotional material. For a small trade business, that usually means making these points easy to find:

  • How to enter and whether an entry is limited to one per person.
  • The opening and closing dates, including the time and time zone if needed.
  • What the prize is, its number and any material restrictions.
  • Who can enter, such as age, location or customer-status limits.
  • How and when the winner will be contacted.

Link to full terms for the detail, but do not rely on a link to carry every important condition. Keep the original post and terms together so you can show what entrants saw.

Run the draw as promised

Do not change the rules after entries open unless the terms and law allow it. Select a winner using a process you can verify: for example, a documented random selection from eligible entries or an independent person supervising the process. Contact the winner using the method stated in the terms and keep a record of the result.

Avoid requiring people to spam friends, post personal information publicly or buy something to enter without checking the legal implications. The ASA warns promoters to seek legal advice so a prize draw does not become an illegal lottery. Platform rules may apply separately, so check the current Facebook or Instagram promotion terms too.

A simple pre-launch check

Read the terms from an entrant's point of view. Can they tell what they may win, who can enter, how to take part and when the draw closes without sending you a message? If not, make the initial post clearer before it goes live.

See the ASA advice for prize draws on social media and Section 8 of the CAP Code. This article is general information and is not legal advice.