Writing Facebook Ads for Sensitive Products and Services : Social Media Examiner

Are your Facebook or Instagram ads getting rejected? Wondering how to attract your ideal client and comply with Facebook ads policies?

In this article, you'll learn how to create Facebook ads that won't get rejected—even if your business is in a sensitive field.

How Facebook Ads Policies Impact Your Facebook and Instagram Ads

Writing copy for Facebook and Instagram ads is different from writing social media posts. There's an art to writing copy that gets potential clients to stop scrolling and click to read more—while navigating Facebook's ad policies.

Facebook wants people to stay on the platform as long as possible. It's designed as a social platform for people to connect with friends and family, and along the way, has become a place for advertisers to reach their audience. As such, algorithms are in place to protect users while also creating and expanding opportunities for advertisers.

Facebook doesn't like ads that reference moneymaking opportunities or point out negative attributes of their users. For this reason, if you're in a sensitive field, like weight loss, your ad copy has to speak to your ideal client and also make them feel good as they scroll through their news feed.

An ad like this would get flagged in Ads Manager because it mentions personal attributes:

To avoid these kinds of issues, here's a five-part framework that will help you attract your ideal client and comply with Facebook's ad policies.

#1: Open With a Qualifier

The first two or three lines of your ad copy should be your qualifier. The text should speak to your ideal customer so they qualify themselves as needing to read more to learn what your campaign is about and how it can serve them.

These lines are just as important as the image and headline you use in your campaign. And they're typically followed by three dots that people have to click to read the rest of the copy.

Here's an example of an ad from my Facebook feed. Immediately, I know what this ad is about and why I should click See More to find out how to use bots in my marketing.

The qualifier does two things. It helps you connect with the people you want to serve and makes your ideal client say, “Yep, that's me.”

When working in an industry with sensitive topics (plastic surgery, weight loss, therapy, etc.), there are some tactics you can use to create an effective qualifier that complies with Facebook's ad policies.

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For instance, asking a question in your opening copy can be a powerful qualifier and help you avoid including personal attributes:

Another effective tactic is using an ‘I' statement in your qualifier. This lets you put the gist of your message in the first line so you can quickly connect with readers.

If people decide they want to know more about your campaign and how it might help them, they'll click on the See More button to read the rest of your ad copy.

#2: Reference the Pain Point

Once you've piqued the interest of your dream clients with your qualifying statement, it's time to help them focus on their problem and pain points. Because your campaign is offering a solution, you have to direct your audience's attention to the uncomfortable feelings their problem creates.

For the health niche, you might want to direct people to their feelings of discomfort in not knowing what foods provide the best energy or how to stop eating pints of ice cream at 10PM.

For entrepreneurs, you could talk about how tired they are of being in Facebook groups at all hours of the day trying to find clients.

The aim is to take your audience to a moment in time when they know they need to make a change. Although you're ruffling their feathers a bit, it's only because you have the solution that might change their life. You just need to help them connect with their problem first.

#3: Make Yourself Relatable

The relatability section of your ad copy is where you get to ride in like a knight in shining armor to save the day. Let your ideal client know that you've either been in their shoes or you've helped clients in a similar situation who have gotten great results working with you.

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Your credibility is highlighted here as well. Have you written for a large publication in your industry? Do you have a certification, degree, or signature tools? You want to create a bond with people, and at the same time, present yourself as the expert who knows where they've been and where they're going.

Here's an example for the health and wellness industry:

#4: Present the Solution

While it seems like you're writing a lot of copy before you get to mention your solution, that copy is important for setting the stage for people to emotionally connect with your message of transformation.

Here's an example of how you might present your solution:

In most cases, this will be a free lead magnet people can use to help solve their problem. The lead magnet should be aligned with your paid offers and programs. I call this the ‘aligned freebie' because it gives your ideal audience a taste of what it would be like to work with you.

For instance, if you teach people to lose weight and feel great in your $495 program, you might create a lead magnet called the Ultimate Blueprint on Intermittent Fasting.

Give Your Audience a Quick Win

Your lead magnet should do two important things.

First, it should give your audience a quick win. If you're in the social media coaching space and you want to teach them how to get their listings on the front page of Etsy, your lead magnet should be something they can easily do that they may not have thought of before, like using the right keywords for their listings.

Second, your freebie should be something people can implement immediately. You want them to see that a swift, simple action can move the needle on the path to their dreams. When they see that your tools can help them, they may transition into a paying client or student for your coaching, courses, and programs.

Here are three ways to package your lead magnet:

Download: This is the easiest lead magnet to create. Simply head to your favorite graphics program and choose a template to create your PDF. This gives your audience something they can implement today and provides a quick win.
Video series: A video series allows your ideal client to get a sense of who you are and how you can help them. When you show them something that inspires, educates, or entertains them, you're building the know, like, and trust factor that's so important in online marketing.
Masterclass: Most masterclasses are free, with a pitch at the end for a paid program. It's a lead magnet that helps get people on your email list even if they don't buy from the masterclass right away. It gives you the opportunity to educate people and showcase how your tools can help them solve their problem.

Highlight Key Takeways

At the end of this section, add bullet points that convey what people will take away from your solution. They're a great way to catch the eye of people who only scan your ad copy.

The bullet points should tell people why each takeaway is important to them. You could use a ‘so that' statement at the end of the bullet point to make sure they see how valuable the solution is.

Here's an example of possible bullet points for the Five Foods Framework:

#5: Invite Them to the Offer

Now you're ready to make your audience an offer to help solve their problem. This is where you invite them to download or watch your freebie.

The invitation also paints a picture of what life might look like after taking the steps outlined in your solution. Do they want to look like a million bucks on a date? Rock that bikini again? Sell out their programs? Whatever they desire, make sure you highlight that and put them in that future event.

Here are some examples:

Conclusion

When you're writing Facebook ad copy, use this five-part framework to craft messaging that makes it easy for your ideal clients to understand the problem you're trying to solve for them. Over time and with enough copywriting practice, you'll be able to do this easily.

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