When it comes to managing business pages on Facebook, it’s easy to type in a status update and just hit “post”. And, while the process for drafting a Facebook ad may seem just as easy, time and again those carefully crafted ads are being denied. Facebook has come a long way in terms of advertising since its early days of simple banner ads but changes in layouts, algorithms and advertising terms have made creating and managing your community’s ads a much more complex proposition.

Don’t worry – a quick primer on how to manage the ins and outs of Facebook’s advertising system will have your ads approved and posting in no time. Here are some dos and don’ts of Facebook ad posting to help get you started.

IMAGES

DON’T clutter your advertised image with text. If an image has text that covers more than 20% of the graphic, expect your ad to be automatically removed.

DO use high-quality images that are engaging, and use Facebook’s grid tool to make sure your image is in compliance with its policy.

DO post all of your event or advertised promotional content in the caption of your photo.

PROHIBITED CONTENT

DON’T post material that can be misconstrued as restricted content. For example, a post about root beer may seem harmless, but Facebook’s system may pick up on the word “beer” and deny your ad if your audience is younger than 21. Word your content carefully to avoid falling into the prohibited content trap.

DON’T post content with bad grammar or punctuation. Facebook is a stickler for avoiding spam, so use symbols, numbers and letters properly to avoid the appearance of junk content. As an example, combining uppercase and lowercase letters characters isn’t always a good idea since Facebook will likely view that as spam and remove your ad.

TARGETING AND POSITIONING

DO post content that directs your audience to landing pages or links that accurately reflect your promotion.

DON’T share links or other information in your ad that doesn’t relate to your promoted post.

DO use the targeting functions on your ad to reach the right audience for your post.

THE USE OF FACEBOOK BRANDING ON ADS

DON’T post anything that may be confused as a Facebook endorsement or partnership of any kind.

DON’T use the Facebook logos or other copyrighted content in your ad. The Facebook logo may not be used in place of the word “Facebook”. Facebook’s copyrights or trademarks, including The Facebook and F logos, Face, and Book or any other similar marks, are disallowable in ads and posts promoted by site users.

DON’T make the word Facebook plural, use it as a verb or abbreviate it within your content.

DO write “Facebook” with a capital “F” and keep it is the same font size and style as the content surrounding it.

While it may seem like there are a lot of rules involved with creating a Facebook ad, it’s not as complicated as it seems and the rules are ultimately in place to protect Facebook users from junk and spam content. By creating engaging and informative copy that adheres to these guidelines, you can expect to get better performance from your ads. Successful page posting and management is easy when you keep your posts creative, have fun with your content and never post anything that makes you look like a spammer.

Article by Kayla McCain