Has Facebook ever rejected your ads? You might be surprised. There was nothing dodgy in your ad or illegal, so why didn’t Facebook accept it?
Is there a way to avoid rejection or even overturn Facebook’s decision?
There are common mistakes that negatively impact Facebook ads. This blog post will help you handle ads that were disapproved and we’ll show you how to submit a request for a review of a disputed ad.
Plus, we’ll deliver some top tips for getting your ad approved.
Typically, the Rejected notification means you must edit something within your ad or change the target audience selections. Once you’ve rectified the issue you can resubmit your ad, which usually is approved within a few minutes.
But sometimes an ad is rejected for good and no amount of editing can make it appropriate for the Facebook platform.
Why did Facebook reject my ad?
Facebook is stringent about what ad content is allowed on its platform. They have a long list of restricted and prohibited content in its policies. Restricted content is allowed but must meet certain conditions, often based on your location. Prohibited content is never allowed.
Some of the main reasons Facebook Ads get rejected due to violations with restricted content are:
- Illegal content for certain parties, like advertising products containing alcohol to people under 18 years of age
- Discriminatory content
- Ads that use Facebook brand assets
- Lead ads requesting sensitive information like health
- Ads with poor positioning, such as inaccurate product descriptions or irrelevant images/copy
See the link above to view their list of content that is prohibited.
Facebook will often give a general reason to explain why the ad was rejected. If you believe the reason is wrong, for example Facebook states the ad is about cryptocurrency and that is incorrect, you can dispute the rejection. We’ll explore that in a moment.
If the reason isn’t obviously incorrect, you can read Facebook’s ads terms and policies to shed some light.
A Facebook ad needs to be worded correctly, and there is a fine line between what is acceptable and what is not.
Request a review of a disapproved ad
You can request a review to dispute a rejection. The easiest way to do this is to click Request Review at the ad level of your campaign.
Another option is to visit Facebook Business Help where you can ask for more support. You’ll need to tell Facebook why your ad was disapproved and why you believe it complies with Facebook’s ad content policies.
Follow up with Facebook if you don’t hear from them after a few days.
How can I get my ad approved?
- Don’t use too much text
Facebook’s ad policy states you can’t have text over 20% of the ad area. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words. Images are more engaging and result in higher click-through rates.
- Does your landing page match your ad?
Facebook also examines the landing page that you’re sending people to. So if it doesn’t match your ad, your ad will be rejected. Your landing page URL should also reflect the copy in the ad and the landing page itself.
- Don’t overly personalise your copy
But isn’t personalisation what customers want?! Yes, but not until they’ve given their permission for their data to be used. Facebook won’t approve an ad that directly references a person’s personal information or attributes. You need to direct your ad content to your target audience but be clever with your wording and don’t highlight any personal attributes. Use your audience selection to target the people you want.
For example, ad that says ‘Meet Pet Lovers Near You’ is fine but if it says ‘Meet Other Pet Lovers Near You’ assumes you’re a pet lover and therefore you need to change the wording. You can’t use personal information.
- Follow Facebook’s brand guidelines
Be careful when referring to Facebook or Instagram pages. Use Facebook’s policy on using their brand in advertising. For example:
- Avoid any suggestion your brand is related to Facebook
- Don’t add the Facebook logo
- Don’t make Facebook branding the focus of the ad
Get Advertising!
Nearly all marketers will agree that Facebook ads are great for generating awareness, bringing in new leads, and converting prospects.
However, understanding Facebook’s approval process for ads is paramount to advertising success. It can seem frustrating navigating their policies and trying to get support from them when disputing an ad rejection, but keep your ads simple, clear, informative and engaging. Abide by the rules and you’ll be playing the Facebook ad game successfully.
If you need help with running a successful Facebook ad campaign, here at Future Marketing we have an unending amount of experience in Facebook marketing. Contact us today at info@future-marketing.co.uk and let us know your ideas and goals so we can help.
