In today’s modern business world, Facebook is an indispensable platform for digital advertising, offering significant potential to reach audiences numbering up to an incredible 2.8 million people.

Although launching campaigns may not seem like an overly complicated task at first glance, it is essential to know certain rules that will allow you to truly “hit” your target audience and trigger the desired emotional response.

However, all of this will not be enough if you are not familiar with the basic rules about what is allowed and what is not when advertising. A reliable team must be thoroughly acquainted with all the regulations – which is why hiring a professional social media advertising agency is a very wise investment!

It is important to emphasize that all advertising rules also apply to Instagram posts, as both platforms belong to the same company.

We have decided to take a closer look at Facebook advertising and guide you through the basic rules.

Basic community guidelines

First and foremost, it is necessary to point out what many of you may already know, but is still worth mentioning. Do not be surprised if your posts are rejected for advertising if they contain any of the following:

• insults or calls to violence
• content that could potentially threaten anyone’s safety
• sensitive content such as hate speech, graphic violence, nudity
• false news
• unauthorized or stolen content

These are the fundamental rules you simply must follow – and we believe you will if you intend to take advertising on Facebook seriously and develop your business there.

Restrictions on advertising “sensitive” products

In the first section, we briefly outlined elements that cannot appear in advertising posts at all, but it is worth noting that there are certain categories that fall somewhere in between. They can be displayed, but only under specific restrictions.

You must have official written permission from Facebook if you wish to promote products in the following categories:

• alcohol – targeting rules differ from country to country and must comply with local laws;
• dating websites – careful attention must be paid to terminology when writing post content;
• online gambling – as with alcohol, rules vary by local law, but restrictions are focused mainly on avoiding any outreach to minors;
• pharmaceutical products – prescriptions cannot be advertised, and certain wording must be avoided;
• insurance services;
• cryptocurrencies;
• weight-loss supplements;
• cosmetic surgery;
• “before and after” posts.

If your business is based on any of these products, be cautious and ensure that you comply with all legal regulations and Facebook’s rules.

Pay attention to the appearance of the post and the page your link leads to, if present

Social media posts must also be created according to certain rules, which makes the choice of image, headline, and accompanying text very important, as they are intended for a wide audience.

It is essential to maintain a high standard of quality in published content. What you offer your audience should be clear, concise, creative, and easy to consume. Your target group will not react well to content that upsets or irritates them. Pay attention to grammatical accuracy, the quality of visuals and video content, originality, and the relevance of all elements to your products and brand.

The following words cannot be used in posts: “we are giving away,” “gift promotion,” “giveaway,” “like,” “comment,” “share,” “tag,” “discount,” “prize game,” and similar terms – otherwise the post will be deleted.

Be mindful of the page your post link leads to

Many are unaware that Facebook also checks “external” content. While this may seem to go beyond its scope, it is actually logical that the platform would be concerned about content directly linked to posts on its own network.

Accordingly, you should ensure the following:

• the landing page must be clean, concise, and easy to navigate;
• check that the content is relevant and directly related to the advertising post;
• visitors must clearly understand that both the post and the landing page represent the same brand.

The conclusion is that the linked page must be entirely relevant to your post and free from any vulgar or explicit content.

Be careful with logo usage

Facebook takes great care in how its logo is used, and Instagram is no exception – meaning you must use only their original and most up-to-date versions.

You must make it clear that you are not in partnership with Facebook, and nothing should imply otherwise. Likewise, no visual in your post should confuse users by suggesting similarities with the Facebook or Instagram logos.

There are clear guidelines on how logos and brand terms can be used – a topic worth more in-depth research. Our recommendation is to avoid including them in your posts and instead focus on building your own brand to prevent complications.

Not following the rules only wastes your own time and effort

Facebook is very clear about adherence to its rules, so do not waste energy trying to bypass them. If you are bold enough to do so, you will face consequences in the form of wasted time and effort. Furthermore, money invested in sponsoring a post that is later removed by Facebook will not be refunded to the extent it was spent before removal.

Focus on achieving the best possible positioning, target your audience effectively, prioritize high-quality posts, and always create two versions of an ad to test and determine which performs better.

Only in this way – and by complying with all regulations – can you achieve profit on social media!

We hope you found this article both useful and engaging, and that it inspires you to enhance your advertising efforts. If you need digital marketing services, consider working with a professional agency to maximize your results.