Considering the strict Facebook contest guidelines the social platform has in place, businesses are turning to a third-party Facebook contest app to help them run Facebook contests. A good Facebook app, such as Contest Domination, not only helps you comply with Facebook's rules but also comes with tons of perks to streamline your Facebook contest set-up.

Look out for these top 8 features of a stellar Facebook contest app:

1. Customizability

Marketing is about branding and your Facebook contest should reflect your company's brand just as any other component of your online presence does. Minimally, your Facebook contest app will allow you to easily include your logo and an image of the prize as well as text to describe the contest. A good Facebook contest app will also allow you to embed video, add fields to your sign-up form (usually set to just name and email), and even customize the template, fonts and colors of your contest page.

2. Affordability

A Facebook contest app can cost thousands of dollars each month. If it's your first few times hosting Facebook contests, opt for a cheaper option such as Contest Domination, which provides a multitude of features for a minimal price. This decreases the risk of investment as you test the waters and see if Facebook contests can be beneficial to your business.

3. Analytics

One of the most important benefits of marketing on the Internet is being able to accurately measure results and the same should be expected of Facebook contests. Your Facebook contest app should either have its own analytics system or have the capability to link to Google Analytics, so you can analyze the data and measure ROI after each venture.

4. Facebook Tab Creation

The Facebook contest guidelines clearly state that you are not allowed to host a contest directly on Facebook. A typical Facebook contest app complies with this rule by automatically setting up a tab in your Facebook page where the contest will be run. This is the link you'll send others, where the contest sign-up form will be. It should handle the gateway, requiring users to Like your page before continuing on to the form for one of your Facebook contests.

5. Viral Marketing

Facebook contests are an opportunity to get the word out about your business through viral marketing. Imagine if all your Facebook friends shared the contest with their friends and so on; you would potentially create brand awareness with millions of people! Through a good Facebook contest app, you can encourage viral marketing with a points system. Contest Domination encourages friend referrals by offering more entries for every referred friend who signs up for your contest.

6. Newsletter Integration

Add extra benefit to Facebook contests by having your contest form lead to two results: signing up to the contest and signing up for your monthly company newsletter. This way, you can build your list and stay in touch with all those new leads. Many Facebook contest apps automate this process for you when you link accounts.

7. Facebook Contest Rules

With a Facebook contest app, you no longer have to worry about the fine print and legalities. The app should provide you with an official rules page for Facebook contests that updates based on your specific contest information and will be linked to on your contest sign-up page.

8. Winner Selection

When the contest is over, it's time to a randomly choose a winner. This process can also be managed by a Facebook contest app. Either you manually press a button to choose a random winner (or more than one winner) from the list of sign-ups or the app may automatically do this for you as soon as the contest ends. Remember to notify the winners by email instead of through Facebook, another one of the Facebook contest guidelines.