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Facebook Friend Lists: The Non-Annoying Way to Post Sweepstakes on Your Wall

By , About.com Guide

How to Share Facebook Sweepstakes without Annoying Your Non-Sweeper Friends

When you enter Facebook sweepstakes, you'll often be asked whether you want to post about the sweepstakes on your wall. Sure, you want to tell your sweeping friends about a great chance to win. But what about your friends, co-workers, or relatives who don't enter sweepstakes. Won't they be annoyed by these posts? Probably. But the good news is that you can use Facebook lists to post sweepstakes to only those people who are interested.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Setting Up a Facebook List is Easy to Do

Here's How:

  1. Visit Your Friends Page on Facebook

    Start out by logging into your Facebook account and going to your Facebook Friends Page. You can find the page by either of these methods:

    • Go to http://www.facebook.com/friends/
    • Click on the "Home" tab on the upper right-hand side of the Facebook page, then click on the "Friends" link in the menu on the left-hand side of the page.

  2. Start a New Friends' List

    On the right-hand side of the Friends page, you'll see a button to "Create a List." Click on it.

  3. Name Your New List

    A pop-up box will appear where you'll see a box to "Enter a Name." Put what you want to call the list in that box. Make it something that's easy to remember later, like "Sweepstakes" or "Contest Friends."

  4. Select Which Friends Should Be On Your Facebook List

    Pick which friends should be on the list. You can do this by either clicking on their names and pictures or by typing their names into the box above their pictures. When you're done, click on the "Create List" button.

    Note that you can edit your list's name and add or remove friends from it at a later date.

  5. Using Your List to Manage Your Sweepstakes Posts

    Now, when sweepstakes ask you if you want to post about them on your wall, you can use your list to post only to your sweepstakes friends by following these easy steps:

    1. Look for the lock symbol at the bottom right-hand side of the page, next to the "Publish" button.
    2. Click on the lock and then select the "Customize" option.
    3. On the next page, select the "Specific people" option from the drop-down box next to "These people:" option.
    4. In the box that comes up, type the name of the list you created for your sweepstakes friends.
    5. Click "Save Setting" and then "Publish." Voila!

Tips:

  1. If you hover your mouse over the lock symbol without clicking on it, you can see who is able to see the post before you make it. You can use this to double-check that your post is being published to the right list.
  2. You'll be able to see the post on your wall, but only the friends you've added to the list will be able to see it.
  3. It's a good idea to ask people if they want to be added to your sweepstakes list. Even if you know a friend enters sweepstakes, it's a good idea to verify that they want to see your sweepstakes updates.
  4. You can also use that list to post things that only other sweepstakes buddies will be interested in, like winning tips or news about wins.

What You Need

  • A Facebook account.
  • Facebook Sweepstakes to enter.

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