Why Your Facebook Ad Was Rejected
Love it or hate it, advertising on Facebook is an excellent way to get your business in front of millions of eyes. However, running a Facebook ad isn’t a guaranteed success. Many Facebook ads get rejected. Let’s look at why your Facebook advertising strategy might fail and how to prevent it.
Content that Violates Facebook’s Advertising Policies
Facebook’s policy is to create a safe and positive user experience. Ads that include prohibited or restricted content are the most common reasons they get rejected.
Prohibited Content
Illegal Products or Services: Advertising for drugs, counterfeit goods, or anything illegal is a surefire way to get your ad rejected.
Adult Content: Even mildly suggestive images or text can lead to your ad getting rejected.
Misinformation: Claims that Facebook says are misleading, unverified, or positively false get flagged.
Restricted Content
Alcohol: Advertising alcohol must comply with local laws and include age restrictions.
Health-Related Products: Weight loss products or other health products or supplements may be restricted.
Political Ads: These ads require special authorization and disclosure of their funding sources.
Misleading or Exaggerated Claims
If you want your ad to be accepted, it must be clear and transparent. If it makes exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims, like “Lose 20 Pounds in a Week!” or “How to Make a Six-Figure Income Without Working!” These ads will likely be rejected. Facebook also scrutinizes “before and after” images or unrealistic depictions of outcomes.
To avoid this, be truthful about your products or services and how they can benefit people. Also, avoid words like “guaranteed” or “instant.”
Poor Landing Pages
Facebook doesn’t only look at ads; they evaluate the landing page where users are redirected. If the landing page gives a poor experience, like broken links, excessive pop-up ads, or misleading content that doesn’t match the ad, it will get the ad rejected.
Make sure your landing pages are mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and aligned with your ad’s message. Also, avoid clickbait headlines that don’t deliver on what the ad says.
Issues with Ad Copy or Images
Facebook, like most big tech companies, works hard to respect users’ sensitivities. Here are some things that will likely see your ad turned down.
Shock or Fear Tactics: Graphic images or text intended to alarm or shock users are prohibited.
Image Text Limit Removed: Facebook has eliminated its “20% text rule” for images. This guideline restricted the amount of text permitted in advertisement images. Nevertheless, refrain from crowding your images with too much text to minimize the risk of being rejected.
Personal Attributes: Ads can’t directly reference personal attributes like race, religion, financial status, political affiliation, or sexual orientation. For example, an ad saying, “Are You Struggling With Debt?” might get flagged for rejection.
The key here is to use neutral language and focus on the benefits of your product or service instead of the user. Also, limit text and focus on high-quality visuals.
Non-Compliant Targeting
Another limitation Facebook puts on advertising is how they can use sensitive data to target users. For example, ads for housing, employment, or credit must adhere to special ad category guidelines, which limit audience targeting options. Targeting based on sensitive characteristics, like health or ethnicity, is also prohibited.
Facebook’s Audience Targeting Policies change, so it’s helpful to stay up to date on what they allow and don’t allow.
Technical or Formatting Issues
Sometimes, the ad is rejected for formatting or technical issues instead of policy-related. Common issues include:
- Incorrect ad dimensions for video or images.
- Incomplete ad setup, like missing headlines or calls to action.
- Errors in video captions or text overlays.
What to do if Your Ad is Rejected
First step: don’t panic. Facebook will provide feedback explaining why the ad was rejected. Review it, make the necessary adjustments, and request another review.
As you can see, plenty of landmines can get your Facebook ad nuked. Getting accepted is only the first step. You must create a message that inspires readers to click, which is another can of worms. You don’t have to struggle alone. Brandtastic can help. We’re a full-service marketing agency with the expertise to boost your brand’s awareness and help your bottom line.
Whether it’s Facebook ads, blogging, digital marketing, graphic design, web design, or anything else, we can handle it. Contact us today for a free consultation and let us show you what we can do for you.