Facebook groups for compers
Are you a member of any Facebook groups? They can be really useful for compers in lots of ways! In this post I explaining how they work, how to set them up and the best ways to use them.
Types of Facebook groups
Public groups: Competition Winners is an example of a public group where anyone can access the page and search the posts. When you request to join and are approved, you will be able to like and comment on the posts, and make your own posts.
Private groups (visible on search): My Lucky Learners group is an examples of a private group – anyone can see the group information and list of members, and it’s visible on a Facebook search. When you request to join and are approved, you can see the group posts – as well as sharing your own posts and liking/commenting.
Private groups (hidden from search): These private groups cannot be found by searching. You can’t share a link with a non-member – but you can invite them to join via email, or add a Facebook friend to the group. Once you’re a member you can see all the posts, make your own posts and like/comment on them. Compers set these up with a group of friends and they may focus on sharing certain types of competition – eg. radio or photo.
List of local Facebook comping groups
Local comping groups can be really handy if you want to find likeminded local friends (and you’re not yet a member of a real life Comp Club).
Use a local Facebook group to:
- share competitions from local Facebook pages, Instagram or Twitter accounts
- share competitions from local radio, magazine or event websites (see my tips on Googling)
- upload photos of comps you’ve spotted locally in magazine, newspapers – even on bus stops or in shop windows
- organise real life comp club meetings or Zoom calls
- swap prizes – eg. if you’ve won tickets to a local event without enough notice to go
Local groups work because the members often want to win different prizes – for example, some might want tickets to family events, other members might be looking for local sporting tickets, and others might love the theatre or gigs. Working together, you’re able to source a lot more competitions – even if it’s not something you particularly want, there’s bound to be a local comper who would love that prize!
Members of the Lucky Learners group have joined forces and we’ve created a set of local groups for areas across the UK & Northern Ireland. Simply click the name of the group closest to you, request to join and wait for one of the admin team to approve your request (this may take a little while if there are only one or two admins, so be patient!)
All these groups were active on 1 January 2022:
- Berkshire Compers
- Berkshire/Hampshire/Wiltshire Compers Group
- Bristol Compers Club
- Buckinghamshire Compers
- Cambridgeshire Compers
- Cheshire Competitions
- Cornwall Compers
- Coventry Compers
- Cumbria Compers
- Devon Compers
- Dorset only: Comps, Coupons and Freebies
- East Midlands Compers
- Edinburgh & East Scotland compers
- Essex & South Suffolk Giveaways
- Glasgow and the West Local Competitions
- Glasgow Compers Club
- Gloucester Compers
- Greater Manchester Competitions
- Hampshire Compers
- Hampshire/Surrey/Dorset Compers
- Herts & Beds Compers
- IOW,UK – competitions, raffles for fun
- Kent Compers
- Lancashire Compers
- NEW! Leeds Compers
- Lincolnshire Compers
- London Compers
- Midlands Competitions
- Norfolk & Norwich Local comps & compers group
- North East Compers
- Lucky vibes NI (Northern Ireland)
- Northern Ireland & Ireland Compers
- North Wales Compers
- North Yorkshire Compers
- Nottingham Competition Sharing
- NEW! Oxfordshire Compers
- ROI Compers
- South Wales Compers
- Surrey Compers
- Sussex/ Brighton Competition Sharers
- West Country Compers
- West Midlands Compers
- West Yorkshire Compers
- Wiltshire Compers
- Yorkshire Compers
Don’t see a group local to you? Use the advice below to set one up – then comment with your link and I’ll add you to the list!
How to set up a group
- Go to www.facebook.com/groups and click Create New group on the left hand menu. On a mobile, go to the More menu and scroll down to Create Group.
- Select your privacy setting from Private or Public – this can be changed at any time for a local group, I suggest Private is the best option, and choose the visible setting so people can find it!
- Add at least one member to your group by typing their name – they must be a friend of yours.
Growing your Facebook Group
- Add members to the group by typing in the Add people to group box – or tap the blue + icon on a mobile, then type in their name and select them.
- Add members by typing in their email address to send an invite.
- If your group is Public or Private (Visible), you can share the link with people and they can request to join.
- Only members with admin privileges can approve requests from new members.
- You can give members admin status by going into the members list and clicking the gear icon – on a mobile device go to the star badge (top right of the screen) and swipe down to Members, then tap their name to give them an admin role. You can remove or block members with the same process.
Tips for Group admins
- Add a cover photo that explains what the group is about
- Add several members as admin so you can share the job of approving/ignoring the requests to join.
- Add a group description – with a Private (Visible) group, this is the only thing visible to non-members so put as much information as you can!
- A set of basic rules is essential – eg. no vote requests or spam.
- In Group Settings, set questions for people to answer when they join: ‘How long have you been comping?’ is a good one, or ask for the first part of their postcode for a local group.
- If you get a request from a profile from outside the UK, with no visible competitions or just aren’t sure whether they’re a spammer, it’s safer to ignore them – if they request again you might want to send them a polite message, just to check they’re a genuine comper!
- You can have up to ten featured posts at the top of the group page – this could be a list of links, or information for the members, or perhaps a post asking for the members to introduce themselves and say where they live! Click on the three dots top right of a post to get a drop-down menu, and choose Pin to Featured. Click … at the top of your featured posts and you can Move them – use the Move to Front option for the most important post that you want new members to see first.
- To make certain posts easy to find, post a photo along with the text – you can then find the photo quickly in the Photos section of the group.
- Use the … menu to add topics to your posts, then people can search on that topic hashtag to find relevant content.
- Edit your settings by clicking Group Settings from the main menu on the left of the page. Here, you can change the group’s name, colours, description and web address (it’s helpful to have the group name in the web address rather than the default numbers!)
Tips for Group members
- If you’re requesting to join a group, you’ll be approved more quickly if your profile is set to public and that you have at least one competition on it.
- To share a comp into a group, look for the share button under a Facebook post, and click or tap it – you can choose to share it in a public group rather than on your personal profile.
- If you use Facebook groups regularly, pin them so they appear at the top of your Groups list (go to the group and tap … then Pin Group)
- Notifications from groups can be overwhelming – to adjust the amount you get (or turn them off completely) click Joined on the group’s cover photo, then tap Manage Notifications.
Secret comping groups
When you’ve been comping for a while you’ll make friends with people who enjoy the same type of competitions as you – it can be a nice idea to start secret (private and hidden) Facebook groups to share competitions, for example radio competitions or Instagram competitions. You’ll need to be committed though – these groups only work when every members is keen to share and contribute!
Good luck with your Facebook groups – do comment if you have any tips or are looking for members for your own comping group!
(photos adapted from Facebook Groups website)
Could you please accept me to the FB group, is says pending
Done!
I left Facebook a few years ago because of the algorithms (not seeing posts from people I followed, tuns of erelevant ads) but now Im comping again I was thinking of joining LL, so could I join Facebook just for being a member of groups, so as to avoid the problems I mentioned?
Absolutely! I think quite a few people only use Facebook to be a member of Lucky learners!
Brilliant, please look out for my request to join, Thanks Di x
Hi there, so I recently set up a competition group and wondered how I can get the traffic through without using my friends list as most don’t like comping. I’ve tried to share the link but it gets taken down every time, is there a way to promote myself ?
Regards
Cally
Hi Cally! What kind of group is it, and where are you sharing the link?
Hello Di.
First of all, let me just say that I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog posts as they have helped me in my journey on becoming a somewhat successful comper. I have found that I seem to have the most luck at winning Gleam and Rafflecopter comps.
However, there are particular types of competitions I have struggle at winning though, and those are Facebook competitions. I avoid the ones which ask me to share as this is going against Facebook rules and I also go for reasonably low entry ones, but despite doing this and the fact I have been entering many Facebook comps for a couple of years, I have not won a thing off Facebook. So I was just wondering as to whether or not there could be something wrong with my Facebook profile? Seeing as you are an experienced comper, could you please check my profile to see if there is anything holding me back from winning? I would really appreciate it. Thanks!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008667902470
Your profile looks fine to me Alice – although I might share a non-competition post on your profile at the end of your comping session, as your profile does seem to only be comps. You might also want to try using a photo for your profile photo rather than a cartoon, some people think that makes a difference as you look human!! Do you manage to find many local, low entry comps on Facebook?
Hi can you add my group please for Yorkshire compers https://www.facebook.com/groups/356017274996433/
Done! Thanks Mel
Good Morning!
Unsure if this is ok to be shared here, so apologies if not. Just wanted to invite locals to my group for Nottingham Competitions where you can share and enter local comps. Hope to meet some more comping locals soon!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/127440824581632/?ref=share
Thanks Laura! I’ve added you to the list with the link http://bit.ly/NottmCompers
Link to group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1559064574171411/?ref=share
I’ve added you and given you a shortlink of http://bit.ly/NewForestCompers Tracey!
I’ve set up a group for those of us living in the New Forest/Bournemouth areas
hi di, ive created a cheshire group https://www.facebook.com/groups/223594465055358/
Thanks Janet – I’ve added to the list and also created you a short link – http://bit.ly/CheshireCompers
hi DI trying to the code in for Barnyrangers safari win wont let me any tips anyone had trouble withthis site
This one closed last year Helena , so the website link (www.barnyrangers.co.uk) isn’t active any more – sorry!
thanks Di a big tip look at he date haha just because its on the shelves doesn.t mean I can enter enjoy your tips xx
I have a Worthy Winners Meeting in Worthing on the middle Thursday of the Month at 8pm at my house inWorthing
Hi Di, Could you please add the Cambridgeshire Compers group to the list? https://www.facebook.com/groups/227359067600522/328636520806109/?notif_t=like¬if_id=1473099219791184
Thanks!
One question Superlucky Di if numerous members are constantly posting giveaways to your group how do you manage to remove old posts? When ever I share anything to any group I ALWAYS put in a description at least the end date. Makes cleaning up a bit easier. I find a lot of groups, members either unaware how to remove their shared posts, forget or are lazy when it comes to the housecleaning.
Thanks for the comment Mark! I have to admit, I’ve never once deleted an old post in a group – I think if people want to use a more organised format, they use a competition forum such as Compers News, MSE, or Loquax. I just don’t think Facebook is designed to be organised in a way that forums are, and you’re right – it simply takes too much time to do the ‘housekeeping’! I think the local groups work well as the number of posts is limited, but I just don’t think sharing comps in a group works once you get over 500 or so active members!
Great tips as always Superlucky Di.
I’ve created a group focused on international giveaways. I find sorting through giveaways listed in most sites/groups spend too much time wading through T&C’s etc to find out if they are worldwide. For now will have to message me if anyone is keen and willing to contribute.
The group I would describe as unique. I’ve decided put my handy organisation techniques into a Facebook group with a few useful resources.
I’ve just set up a London area group for ALL of London (inside M25!) – https://www.facebook.com/groups/LondonCompers/
Thanks Steve – I’ll edit into the list and have also sent a join request as I often look out for London comps too!
Thanks for adding the group to your list, Di! I’ve received and approved your join request. It’s great to have comping royalty amongst our members! 😉 Hope you find some new & interesting comps from the group.
I’ve set up a Coventry Compers group for anyone who is interested
https://www.facebook.com/groups/504911019679478/
Hi Di – I’ve got a group for South West compers and competitions – link here! https://www.facebook.com/groups/527684287347167/
Nothing oin Gloucester area!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/GloucesterCompers/
none of the eastmidlands groups are live
Try this link KIrstie – https://www.facebook.com/groups/EastMidsCompers/
thank you
just requested to join the south wales group 🙂
I tried the link for Glasgow and it didnt work 🙁 and cant find it on FB either… any suggestions?
if there is any compers from cornwall please feel free to join cornwall compers
if there is any compers from cornwall please feel free to join cornwall compers