Tip 2: Know the Rules

Hey, {NAME}. This is the second email in my 10 Tips from 10 Years series, where I explore the most important lessons I've learned about Facebook advertising while in business. Thanks for joining me! In the first email, we talked about experimenting, and how important this is to learning about what works and what doesn't -- for you. What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. If you're curious about whether something would work, you should try it! Today, I want to underscore how important it is to understand Facebook's rules. Fail to know the rules, and you should expect to get ads rejected. Commit serious or repeated offenses, and you could end up with a disabled ad account, page, or business manager. That, of course, must be avoided. Make sure to read Facebook's ad policies: [( Part of this is common sense. Don't break the law. Don't deceive. Don't lie. Don't discriminate. Don't swear. Don't promote dangerous products. If you are an ethical marketer, that stuff is going to be easy. But even ethical marketers can struggle in other areas that are less straight-forward. Know that several industries are allowed, but restricted. For example, the following are "Special Ad Categories" that limit how you can target and run your ads: - Politics, elections, and social issues - Housing - Credit - Employment When you create a campaign promoting one of these four things, be sure to select the special ad category. The targeting will then be automatically restricted. Beyond that, there are a handful of things that come up regularly... No personal attributes. You can't suggest that you know someone's race, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender, disability, financial status, medical condition, voting status, criminal record, and more. For example, you can promote a financial service that helps people manage their debt, but you can't create an ad that suggests that the targeted user is having financial trouble. You can promote a medication, but you can't suggest that it would help the targeted user with THEIR condition. Non-functional landing pages. Sometimes your ad is fine, but it directs people to a problematic landing page or website. Error pages, automatic downloads, content that doesn't follow through on what was promised in the ad, and an inability to navigate away from the page can all get your ad rejected. Nonexistent functionality. Don't use images with buttons or checkboxes that don't actually do anything. For example, don't use a thumbnail image to promote a video that features a "play" button. Health. No before and after photos. No unnecessary skin. Multilevel Marketing (MLM). These are popular, but you can't use Facebook ads to promote them. Misleading claims. Don't make unrealistic guarantees and misleading claims regarding the effectiveness of your product. Think get-rich-quick schemes and claims that you'll make X dollars in one month. Facebook brand assets. Facebook gets really sensitive about how their assets are used in ads. Do not imply an endorsement made by Facebook or Instagram. Avoid use of the Facebook logo. Screenshots of the Facebook experience must represent the current UI. Sometimes ads are rejected by mistake. Oftentimes, there are automated filters that "review" your ads first. If you need a human to review, you can appeal any rejection. Know that everyone has ads rejected occasionally. It's very difficult to avoid, especially since you can get ads rejected erroneously. Do all you can to avoid it. Know the rules. Follow them. Don't try to bend or push the rules. Always do your best to be as ethical as possible. It will lead to fewer delays and a better reputation with Facebook. The bottom line is that bending and breaking the rules can come at an enormous cost. If you manage ads for others, it can mean shutting down your page, personal account, ad account, or business manager. Sometimes, you can get them back. Oftentimes, you cannot. And that, my friend, is not a risk worth taking. I hope this helps. I'll see you tomorrow! Cheers, Jon [Unsubscribe]( Jon Loomer Digital 17503 Ruxton Ct Parker, Colorado 80134 United States