Facebook ads can grab attention, generate leads, and convert prospects … but only you can get them approved.
In our 2020 “Not Another State of Marketing Report,” we found that more than one in three marketers listed Facebook ads as the best performing in terms of ROI. That’s a higher ratio than Google Paid Search or Instagram.
Over 3 million companies used Facebook’s advertising platform in 2020 and 78% of American consumers said they had discovered products on Facebook in the past. Whether you are already one of them or are just starting out with Facebook advertising, understanding the Facebook ad approval process is critical to success.
Below are the most common disapproval causes, what to do if your ad is disapproved, and some best practices you need to follow to ensure success.
How to Get a Facebook Ad Approved
In theory, Facebook’s approval process is straightforward:
- Submit an ad that complies with Facebook’s advertising guidelines. New and edited ads go through the same review process.
- Facebook reviews ads using a combination of bots and manual reviewers.
- Your ad will either be approved or disapproved. You will be notified when the decision is made and approved ads will appear.
However, the verification process in Step 2 can seem like a kind of black box. What issues does the Facebook approval team consider when reviewing? How long does this process take? Let’s take a closer look at the review process and what you can do to make sure your ad is successful.
How long does Facebook’s ad review process take?
Most of the ads are reviewed within 24 hours according to Facebook’s advertising policies. You will receive an email or notification with the results of the review. However, it’s not uncommon for ads to take a few days to review. That is why it is important to plan ahead and try to follow the rules.
- New advertising campaigns are usually reviewed longer. However, if you’ve successfully published ads for a long time, it will cut your review time.
- Ads are checked manually. So if more people are submitting ads for review, the waiting time may be longer. Expect to wait longer during the holiday season.
- If you’ve submitted an ad to get it online as soon as possible, it will be posted once the review process is complete and the ad is approved.
Why wasn’t my Facebook ad approved?
There are many reasons Facebook may disapprove an ad, including:
- Selling products that are not allowed on Facebook (tobacco, illegal products or services, weapons, etc.).
- Make sensational claims, use click bait, or encourage misinformation.
- Ads that do not comply with Facebook’s advertising guidelines, such as: B. Branding Requirements and Text Restrictions.
- Disruptive or poor quality content that negatively impacts a Facebook user’s experience.
Fortunately, you don’t have to find out the reason for the rejection yourself. If your ad is disapproved, you can review the reason for the disapproval and either request another review or edit your ad to follow Facebook’s guidelines. To check your ad status or to make an appeal, go to the Account Quality page on your Facebook account.
Four common reasons for disapproved Facebook ads
A number of Facebook’s advertising policies can be confusing at first. Let’s break down these common disapproval reasons to understand how to get your ad approved faster.
1. There is too much text in the picture.
Facebook’s ad policy states that your picture may not contain more than 20% of the space. While it can be tempting to add more information to your picture, keep in mind that a picture is worth a thousand words.
Images are more appealing than text-based ads and lead to higher click-through rates. Even if it’s not a Facebook policy, we recommend reducing the amount of text in your ads.
2. Landing pages are not working.
Your ad copy isn’t the only thing that matters in getting your ad approved. Facebook also examines the landing page you send people to. If the landing page is significantly different from your ad, you can expect your ad to be disapproved.
Resist the temptation to be overly smart and pull a bait and switch with your ads (i.e., advertisements to lose the dead weight and link to a divorce attorney’s website). Your landing page url should also reflect the copy on the page.
Image source
Finally, make sure your landing page is functional. If customers have to click through popups to get to the content, or if there are broken links on the page, Facebook may reject your ad.
3. The copy of the ad is too personal.
Wait, isn’t personalization what customers want? Yes, but only if you have given your express permission to use your data. If an unknown advertiser (a third party) is using data, it can seem creepy or too far-reaching.
A study published in Harvard Business Review found that when there was “unacceptable third-party sharing, privacy concerns outweighed people’s appreciation for personalizing ads.” In other words, users are uncomfortable when advertisers appear to have access to more personal information than they gave directly to them.
This is one of the reasons Facebook doesn’t approve ads that link directly to a user’s personal information. According to Facebook’s policy, “Ads must not contain content that claims or implies personal attributes”.
For example, a copy of the ad stating the age or sexual orientation of a user is not permitted. While you might want to lure individual 20 year olds into your hip new bar, you can’t say “Hey single woman! Your 20s is the time to live it. Head to the O-Town Pub tonight!“You can still limit your ad audience to women in their twenties, however.
Yes, you should still try to target your advertising to your target audience. But avoid the “scary” factor.
4. Facebook’s branding guidelines were not followed.
Facebook offers a number of guidelines on how to refer to them. In general, ads should avoid indicating that they are related to Facebook, adding the Facebook logo, or making Facebook branding the main focus of the ad. Additionally;
- Do not pluralize Facebook or abbreviate it as “FB”.
- Do not use the “f” or Facebook logos in place of the word “Facebook” in the ad copy.
- Don’t change Facebook’s brand colors, even for animation purposes.
Four Facebook Ads Best Practices
Creating an ad that performs well goes a long way towards creating an ad that gets approved. Facebook wants its users to have a positive experience when interacting with ads.
If users can discover new products and services through Facebook ads, they will keep engaging with the platform. Following these Facebook ad best practices will ensure a positive experience for your visitors as well as a strong conversion rate.
1. Think visually.
Facebook ads compete for your audience’s attention alongside all the other posts on Facebook: pictures of your friends’ children, amazing pictures of nature, and tons of animal pictures. How is your ad going to get your target customer’s attention? It has to be visually appealing.
Check out the following video from Chive selling flower pots. The large green plant is immediately noticeable as the movement draws your attention. This is a great, simple, but visually eye-catching advertisement.
2. Have a clear call to action.
What do you want your audience to do next? Should they like your Facebook page? Download a free template? Are you signing up for a newsletter? A direct call to action encourages more engagement. Tell your customers what to do next, then make it very easy for them to assert themselves.
According to AdRoll, adding a call-to-action increases click-through rate by 2.85 times. The following advertisements take advantage of Facebook’s call-to-action buttons by inviting users to sign up for a free virtual event.
3. Keep it relevant.
With Facebook pixels and extensive ad targeting options, there’s no need to promote irrelevant content or offers. The best deals are aimed at your ideal customer based on their previous activity on the site and their preferences. For example, this plant propagation decor advertisement is very relevant to me as I previously purchased it from online nurseries.
4. Enter a value.
Why should a customer click on your landing page? Do you have any information you need? A product that will solve your problems? Or are you offering a deal? Know the value you offer your customers and make this clear in your advertising.
The following example from an online grocery store offers delicious food with a 10% discount on the first purchase. It is worth registering.
Get started with Facebook ads
Understanding their guidelines will help approve your Facebook ads faster and more reliably. Follow the tips above for better results when promoting on Facebook.