SocioConnect Advertising - What is the Facebook Special Ad Category

As a SocioConnect user, you may have seen the Special Ad Category in our advertising tab. We get quite a few questions about this from our customers so we wanted to take the time to explain what it is and why it was implemented on SocioConnect. 

The Facebook Special Ad Category; what is it and why have we introduced it natively on our platform?

The Facebook Special Ad Category is a classification for ads that link to credit, employment, social issues, elections or politics. Facebook created the category to help enforce policies against discriminatory practices in advertising and prevent discrimination based on demographic characteristics which include age and gender. 

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Why Meta Introduced the Special Ad Category?

Before its implementation, Facebook allowed advertisers to target users based on several segments, such as their interests or backgrounds, and even permitted the ability to exclude specific groups, which were categorized under “Ethnic Affinities.”  For example, certain ads about job opportunities, home sales, and credit offers could be displayed only for white men in high-income neighbourhoods, while ads about payday loans or minimum wage jobs could target people of colour in low-income neighbourhoods. After numerous lawsuits, Facebook announced in March 2019 that they would limit niche targeting in these types of campaigns in an effort to remove discrimination on the platform.

This means that if your ads include any mention of these housing, credit, or job opportunities, you will need to specify so before making an ad campaign, and once this is selected, your ads will have limited targeting.

According to Meta, these “three types of ads were chosen because of the long-running history of discrimination in the housing, credit, and employment areas and because of the importance that a person be able to get a job, have a place to live, and have access to credit.”

If your ad falls under this classification, Meta will limit your audience targeting options and prevent you from creating a target audience based on age, gender, or zip code.

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What happens if I don't add a Special Ad Category to my campaign?

If you do not select the Special Ad Category, and Meta determines that your campaign includes ad(s) about social issues, elections or politics, Facebook may limit the reach of your ad or require additional information to ensure compliance with their policies. Failure to comply with Facebook's ad policies, including those related to special ad categories, could result in your ad being disapproved, limited in reach, or your ad account being penalised. It's essential to carefully review Facebook's ad policies and select the appropriate special ad category when creating your ad campaigns to ensure compliance and maximize your ad's effectiveness.

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Why did we add this functionality to SocioConnect?

We at SocioLocal want to ensure that all of your ads reach as many people as possible so that your brand increases awareness and reach and your in-store traffic grows! The most common occurrence when advertisers do not use this function is a rejected ad campaign. This wastes time & money for advertisers and marketers alike. Our goal is to make brand marketing at a local level quick, easy & effective. To do this, we needed to implement this functionality.

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If I forget to select a Special Ad Category, how do I appeal rejected ads?

Facebook’s ads review is not always perfect, and you might find your ad rejected because Facebook thinks it should be within the Special Ad Category when you believe it shouldn’t. When this happens, you can appeal the decision and request another review at the ad level. This can usually take up to four days, and will likely be reviewed by automated technology, although humans work at Facebook to review ads as well.

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So... Is it beneficial to advertisers and Meta users?

The Facebook special ad category serves several important purposes, making it a beneficial feature for both advertisers and users:

• Preventing Discrimination: Special ad categories help prevent discriminatory practices in advertising, particularly in areas such as housing, employment, and credit opportunities. By restricting targeting options and providing transparency, these categories help ensure that ads are shown to diverse audiences and comply with anti-discrimination laws and policies.
  

• Promoting Fairness and Inclusion: By requiring advertisers to use special ad categories for certain types of ads, Facebook promotes fairness and inclusion in advertising. This helps create a more level playing field for businesses and ensures that users from all backgrounds have equal access to opportunities advertised on the platform.
  

• Protecting User Privacy: Special ad categories often involve sensitive information such as housing preferences, employment status, or financial history. By categorizing these ads separately, Facebook can apply additional privacy protections and safeguards to ensure that users' personal information is handled responsibly and in compliance with applicable regulations.
  

• Building Trust: Implementing special ad categories demonstrates Facebook's commitment to responsible advertising practices and user protection. By clearly defining the rules and requirements for certain types of ads, Facebook helps build trust with both advertisers and users, fostering a safer and more trustworthy advertising ecosystem.
  

Overall, the Facebook special ad category is a good thing because it helps create a more inclusive, fair, and privacy-conscious advertising environment while also promoting compliance with legal and regulatory standards.

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