Advertising on social media can feel like a challenge at times due to the rules and restrictions put in place. For instance, many businesses who run targeted ads on Facebook have had ads denied or run on a limited basis (as determined by the platform) thanks to rules surrounding text on images. Historically, if your image was found to have over 20% text, you were met with denial messages. Now, Facebook has decided it’s time to ease this restriction and allow visuals to run with any amount of text.
The Evolution of the 20% Text Rule
When the 20% text rule was implemented, it was done in an effort to reduce clutter on users’ newsfeeds, ensuring that the experience of scrolling through didn’t feel overwhelming. However, as the platform evolved, it was found that text within an image was not as distracting as it had been previously, particularly now that users themselves can include text and other things on their own images. Eventually, Facebook became somewhat more relaxed on text, but if the amount of text wasn’t within the “sweet spot,” ads would either have limited reach or not run at all. Finding this specific amount of text and layout led to a lot of frustration for advertisers. Later, the Text Overlay Tool was created to help provide advertisers with immediate feedback on ads, but the rule itself still led to frustration for some.
What the Policy Update Means for Your Business
Many advertisers came across this update when attempting to use the Text Overlay Tool. However, Facebook has begun to send direct communication to buyers regarding the change. So, what does this rule change mean for you? You can relax a bit more when creating your social media advertising campaign. There won’t be much worry regarding the need to reformat graphics, taking valuable visibility time away from your campaign. The campaign delivery itself will also not be impacted regardless of how much text is included on the photo.
Just Because You Can… Doesn’t Mean You Should
While the pressure to create a graphic that meets the requirements is lifted, the fact is that the 20% text rule is still ideal. According to Facebook, using an image that has less than 20% text performs better, and they recommend to “keep your text short, clear and concise in order to get your message across effectively.” The less text your ad image includes, the more natural it will appear within users’ newsfeeds, increasing engagement, and improving your conversion rate.
For help navigating this new freedom and creating effective Facebook advertising campaigns, contact our team at Amplified Digital today.