Hey fellow marketers,
Tom here, and I want to talk to you about what you need to do if your Facebook ad account is disabled in 2020. We'll also talk about how high-converting copy can potentially harm your Facebook marketing.
As you probably know, copywriting is the business of writing words that compel people to take action.
That action can be to subscribe to a YouTube channel, email list or to buy a product or service.
Copywriting teaches you how to use and leverage human psychology, intensive research and best practices to design ads, write compelling blog posts and sell, sell, sell.
In 2020, major online marketing platforms that many of you use to push your products and services are changing rapidly. Especially with how strict their advertising policies are becoming, and how harshly they're being enforced.
the problem with facebook.
Some of you may have noticed that advertising on Facebook has become more and more difficult. And no, I'm not talking about finding new creatives, scaling to the moon, or juggling a hundred ad sets.
I'm talking about excessively strict advertising policies and Facebook's ruthless enforcement of them.
When I say ruthless, I mean shutting down entire business managers along with all their attached ad accounts. The deactivation of pixels worth a fortune of customer data. Pixels we spent cash, sweat and tears building over many months.
There are even instances where Facebook shuts down the ad accounts of innocent advertisers who haven't broken any rules, but were wrongly flagged by the algorithm.
Facebook's ruthless punishments against those who may have unknowingly breached its ads policies, has led many frustrated advertisers to move their ad spend over to other alternatives such as Google and YouTube ads.
So here's what you need to know..
After getting initial approval to run your creative, Facebook still continues to measure your ad's quality by detecting user signals and using them as feedback. Facebook uses the subtlest of user signals to determine whether or not people enjoy seeing your ad.
For example if someone sees your ad and clicks on 'Hide ad', Facebook will notice. If it happens over and over, Facebook will show your ad to less people because it will conclude that people don't enjoy seeing your ad. You'll also see the cost of your CPM (Cost Per 1,000 Impressions) rise significantly.
Before you know it, Facebook will lower your 'quality score' and your ad account will appear on the algorithm's radar for potential flagging.
The same applies if a lot of people are clicking on 'Report ad'—which is an even stronger signal that people aren't big fans of your ad.
You must understand, Facebook is ALL about user experience.
Facebook is a social network first and foremost. It wants people to spend time engaging with it for as long as possible. It wants you to spend time liking posts, commenting on videos, sharing content, tagging friends and scrolling endlessly.
And if ANYTHING stops people from having a positive experience while they scroll down their feed—like hate speech, conspiracy theories, fake news, spam or YOUR annoying ads—then Facebook will show you the door and have your ad account deactivated before you can even open your mouth to protest.
Yup.. It's pretty harsh. But you MUST accept that this is how it is.
The truth is, you NEED Facebook, while Facebook doesn't need YOU.
Yes, advertisers are Facebook's primary source of revenue. However, think of it this way, if you go to McDonalds and start bothering other customers who are waiting inline to order, do you really think McDonalds won't kick you out because they're worried about losing out on your $15?
I know you probably spend more than $15 on Facebook ads. But unless you're a multi million dollar brand, then Facebook won't hesitate to take swift action against you for violating their policies.
Also, don't forget that Facebook assigns dedicated account representatives to big accounts like Coca Cola and Amazon. These account reps make sure that ads are in compliance with Facebook's policies and that any issues get addressed promptly. Basically, big brand accounts get special treatment.
The bottom line for you though, is this:
If Facebook sees you as a pesky advertiser who
- Publishes ads that aren't in compliance. (Getting your ads approved the first time in the ad center doesn't mean you're in compliance, it only means you got through the first filter.)
- Disrupts the experience of other users
- Keeps doing it over and over
Then it won't be long before Facebook takes action.
What does this mean for copywriting?
As a copywriter, I can tell you that being specific is of great importance when writing advertisements. As you advertise, you want to be specific and you want to address your target market on an individual level to personalize your message.
However
This immediately collides with Facebook's ad policies which insist that you cannot call people out. This means you can't say things like 'Do YOU want to lose weight.'
You also can't be too specific. For example, you can't say 'This powerful technique will allow you to make $1352/Week.' Are people actually going too make $1352 PER week if they buy your product/service?
Talk about making LARGE claims! Yeah, Facebook hates that.
DON'T make substantial claims that aim to prompt a quick, impulsive response. Because, anything that comes across as 'click bait' or too exaggerated, will be flagged by the algorithm.
You need to fully abide by Facebook's policies in order to prevent getting your ads banned. So if there is any grain of doubt that you may be in violation, then DON'T run your ad. Change what you need to change, then try again!
So back to the main question.
What does this mean for copywriting? Well, compromise is necessary here, because on one hand, you want your copy to be vibrant, compelling and detailed. At the same time, you want to be in compliance with Facebook's policies!
The problem is
If you only focus on writing excellent copy that converts, then you're likely going to be in violation of Facebook's ad policies.
The reason for this is, excellent copy would likely involve being specific (Making claims that are too specific can get you in trouble on Facebook), creating a unique relationship with your reader, (Or as Facebook puts it, "calling people out") and writing slightly exaggerated headlines to grab attention. (Again, Facebook doesn't like ANY kind of exaggeration.)
So as you can see, you need a fine balance between writing excellent copy and abiding by Facebook's ad policies.
This essentially means that you may have to sacrifice a few pillars of good copy in pursuit of ad policy compliance. Read that again.
Yes, Facebook has become a real pain in the a** to work with. However, let's not forget that Facebook is an excellent marketing platform and without a doubt, the greatest way to reach and target potential customers.
So now, let's take a look at how you can significantly boost your chances of NOT getting flagged by Facebook's algorithm.
***If your ad account was already deactivated, then you need to appeal the decision ASAP. In the explanation section, make sure you're very respectful. Any insults or negativity won't help your case.
In fact, the agent who examines your appeal will probably ignore your request if you're being disrespectful and rude. Be patient. Nowadays with the pandemic, things get done a lot slower than before. Once you get your account back, it's time to take steps to make sure it never gets deactivated again***
How To NOT get your facebook ad account deactivated
- Go over Facebook's ad policy: This is SUPER important, you can’t be lazy here. You have to read Facebook's ad policy several times over before you start advertising again.
Here's why
Once you've been flagged by Facebook's algorithm, it's extremely difficult to shake it off. That's because the algorithm tracks you through your Credit Card information, Facebook Page, ad account, business manager, device IP address, internet IP address and your Facebook profile!
So even if you change your credit card, your entire business manager, and your internet provider, you'll still be immediately flagged through your device's IP address. (And god knows what else!)
And things will only get worse for you from there since the algorithm knows you're trying to escape punishment.
Facebook's algorithm feels like a credit score. If you don't pay your bills on time, your credit score suffers. Keep doing it and eventually your credit score may never be the same. You'll reach a point where you'll struggle to get loans, lease a car or rent an apartment.
Similarly, if you repeatedly violate Facebooks ad policies, the algorithm will flag you so that at first,
- Your ads have a higher CPM (Cost per 1,000 impressions) than everyone else, then
- Your ad account will be deactivated, then before you know it
- Your entire business manager is gone and you can no longer run ads
In other words, you wont find any success with Facebook advertising, which is a huge loss.
So quit being lazy and go over Facebook's ad policy. Read it a couple of times until you fully understand and internalize it.
- Don't be too specific! Contrary to a copywriting rule of thumb which claims that the more specific you are, the better—Facebook doesn't like it. So don't apply that rule of thumb. Be more general in your copy when advertising on facebook. Try to avoid using the word 'you' and speak for yourself.
- Make sure your ads DON'T sound deceiving in any way! Statements like "Here's how you can revive dead batteries and save $485/Month!" or "This incredible marketing technique teaches you how to make $3,423/Day!" will immediately appear on the algorithm's radar for potential flagging.
- DISCLAIMERS: These are important because they help you avoid legal troubles and keep you on Facebook's good books. Something as simple as "results may vary" should suffice. Mention it on both your ad copy and landing page
- Don't call people out, don’t say "Do you want to lose weight?" Instead say something like "Being in shape has been the greatest commitment I made to my body"
- OPTIMIZE your landing page. Facebook not only crawls your ad, it also crawls your destination link to check if it adheres to its ad policies. In other words, Facebook's advertising policy ALSO applies to your landing page. A super tip, is to keep your landing page colour scheme, messaging, headline and media very similar to that on the Facebook ad itself.
- ALWAYS include a terms of service, disclaimer and privacy policy in your landing page footer to boost credibility in Facebook's eyes.
- Beneath your Footer ALWAYS mention this piece of text:
'This site is not a part of the Facebook website or Facebook Inc.
Additionally, this site is NOT endorsed by Facebook in any way.
FACEBOOK is a trademark of FACEBOOK, Inc.'
And there you have it.
If you guys follow all the steps above, I can pretty much guarantee that you won't have any issues running ads on Facebook. You may get accidentally targeted by the algorithm, but that's not an issue. That's just a faulty mechanism they're still working out. Just appeal it and you'll have your ad account back and good as new.
Conclusion
Nowadays, achieving success through Facebook ads isn't only about writing copy that sells. It's also about writing copy that's in compliance. The Facebook marketing game will continue to change. Being aware of those changes and maneuvering your business accordingly will give you the upper hand.
I hope you enjoyed my article on what to do when your Facebook ad account gets deactivated. I also hope you walk away from this article with a solid understanding of Facebook and what its bottom line is. Because if you understand Facebook's bottom line, then you'll instinctively understand which advertisements are acceptable and which ones aren't.
Make sure to check out my video as I discuss everything we just covered.
Talk soon!
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