As a business owner, advertising on Facebook is often a wise course of action. However, one thing you need to know when you do this is that the platform has certain “special categories” that help prevent discrimination, ensure fairness, and comply with regulations. As a business owner, you need to pay special attention to your ad content and the audience you target if your ads fall into one of these special categories. Whether your business is involved in financial services, employment, or housing, running a successful campaign means understanding how these categories work.
There are several categories you need to consider when advertising on Facebook:
- Financial Products & Services: This category was previously called Credit and included ads related to credit, loans, financing, banking, and related terms. As of October 2024, this category has been renamed to Financial Products and Services. Along with renaming this category, the range of topics included in this category has also expanded. In addition to the previously mentioned terms, anything related to insurance, investments, and other financial services now falls under this category.
- Employment: If you need to run ads promoting job opportunities, you must select this category. False positives are common in this category, especially if your ads use phrases like “we’re the right team for the job.” Appeals can usually help fix these issues.
- Housing: This is a tricky category that applies to housing-related services, like mortgages. This category also flags ads for home services, such as landscaping or cleaning, which need to be cleared up with appeals.
- Social Issues, Elections, or Politics: This category is not relevant to businesses very often. However, if you run an ad touching on social issues or politics, it will be flagged. Some examples include social justice fundraisers and political campaign materials.
If you miss a special category selection and your ad is disapproved, you will receive a prompt from Facebook asking you to “request review.” If you can solve the issue during the review, you can run your ad as normal. Otherwise, your ad will need to be adjusted to include the appropriate category.
Targeting Limitations within Special Categories
When you select a special category, you do have limited targeting options. For example, instead of being able to target by ZIP code, you will only be able to target a broad radius. Your ads must also target those between the ages of 18-65+, and you cannot target any specific gender.
As you might have guessed, navigating the special ad categories can be a tricky process. Even still, it is essential for ad performance and compliance. Staying informed can help you avoid disapproved ads and get the best results possible for your ad campaigns. If you need help with your next Facebook ad campaign, contact your WordJack Marketing Manager today.
