If you’re a social media marketer or advertiser, the odds are that you have run into trouble with getting your company’s ad approved on Facebook’s self serve advertising service.

This is due to Facebook’s 20% rule, which means that any promoted page posts through their services will need to include no more than 20% text. The promoted page post feature on Facebook wants all of its advertisements to have more focus on the images themselves versus the words on them.

With advertiser’s energy sliding away from generating page “likes,” if you can capture the attention of the news feed browser, you’ll be well on your way to generating clicks and business. 

So you need to work out how to stay within the rules.

So what is this 20% rule?

If your text takes up more than 20% of the overall image for a promoted page post, you’ll receive a notification from Facebook in your ads manager stating that your ad has been disapproved. If you have spent a decent amount of time creating the graphic, this can be extremely frustrating (which is why we’re informing you about this). In the image below, you’ll see on the top of the image the text takes up over 30% of the image. Facebook would disapprove this advertisement and you’d have to start from scratch.

At the bottom of the image, that text takes up less than 20% of the overall image so your advertisement would be approved. Facebook is hoping that the image will be the captivating part of the advertisement. Any text you want to include can be added to the status.

Where to begin

You’ll need to decide the overall objective for your advertising campaign. The promoted page post option through Facebook will provides you with the opportunity to target a precise audience. Think of this form of advertising as a billboard. People will only see the image for a second, so make sure that you capture their attention with strong imagery and messaging!
Here are several steps to follow to ensure success with this form of advertising:

1. Within Facebook’s ad manager, make sure you are targeting a precise audience that can connect with your brand. For instance, if you are selling fishing gear, it would be wise to target people who “like” Bass Pro Shop’s fan page
2. Choose a captivating image that will relate to the product you are wanting to promote and will stand out amongst all of the clutter in Facebook’s newsfeed
3. Select your wording wisely. The verbiage can only take up 20% of the image so the choice of messaging will be crucial
4. Include a trackable link within the status that will take people to either a landing page or custom tab within Facebook where you can capture people’s contact information or lead them in the right direction to make a purchase

Can regular Facebook posts include more than 20% text?  

Absolutely! If you are just making a Facebook post geared towards people who “like” your page, you will have a lot more freedom. Text can take up the entire image if that is the angle you are taking. For instance, I like to include quotes about online marketing.

A great way to generate more interaction from my fans is by creating a graphic that shows the verbiage from the quote. While Facebook would certainly disapprove this image if you were to run a promoted page post, it will work perfectly for a generic post onto your wall. Remember; think of your Facebook posts as billboards. The more catchy an image, the more likely someone will interact.

Where can I find examples of promoted page post perfection?

My suggestion is to look at various large companies’ Facebook pages. If a brand has more “likes” than people that can fit into a football stadium, they are taking social marketing seriously. These companies have teams of people dedicated to their social media accounts, so why not learn from those who are at the top of the mountain?

If you are a local clothing store, look to Target, Urban Outfitters and other large brands for inspiration. Make sure though that all of your posts are personable and still convey the vibe of your business.

You’ll see the Target has a perfect grasp on the 20% rule. Their main focal point of the image is different products that Dads would be interested in for Father’s Day. Other than the brand name at the bottom left, there is no text on the image. All of the information is included in the status.
To take this a step further, Target has inserted a trackable link on their status, which means they can see how many people have clicked on this link compared to other posts. Additionally, it takes the Facebook browser to a landing page for Cartwheel promoting Father’s Day which means that the photo, messaging and landing page all resonate perfect which will likely yield in high conversions.

Wrapping it up

Remember, if you are a business wanting more exposure, a promoted page post advertisement on Facebook is a great option. This form of online promotion won’t convert as many “likes” for your page, but more importantly, it will generate great interaction on a specific post and generate clicks to your specified landing page which can result in business. 

Don’t forget, the focal point of the advertisement needs to be the image! If you include text, the messaging needs to be strong and take up less than 20% of the overall size of the image. If you are trying to explain your advertisement, the verbiage needs to be placed in the status. Always include a trackable link that goes to a relatable landing page and you will be well on your way to perfecting Facebook’s promoted page posts.

Guest author: Jason Parks is the Owner of The Media Captain. Follow The Media Captain on Twitter for digital marketing updates!   

 

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