Having trouble using pain points and running ads. Let me guess – you’re trying to run paid ads and your copy keeps getting denied?

I hear you. Using pain points in offers you’re running paid traffic to presents unique challenges. After writing for countless offers in a variety of industries, I’ve learned that when it comes to using pain points in paid advertising platforms like Facebook, there are just some industries that require more care.

Don’t worry though, I’m going to break it all down for you. Let’s start with the WHY.

Why Does Facebook Ads Hate My Offer?
I know sometimes it seems like Facebook hates certain offers or industries. I promise though – it’s not personal. The platform isn’t against you, it’s just FOR the user.

Because Facebook relies on users to be plugged in and engage and using the platform, it structures everything – ad policy, the algorithm, community rules and standards – around positive user experience. If users are happy, they’ll stay on Facebook. If they aren’t, they’ll leave.

Facebook’s goal is to keep as many users engaged and happy on the platform as possible. That means users come first, and advertisers come second. How does this translate in terms of our ability to use pain points in copy?

It depends on the industry.

Tricky Industries for Paid Ads
These industries commonly have trouble using pain points in advertising:

• Multi-level marketing
• Health and weight loss
• Business opportunity
• Real estate and investing
• Financial services
• Emotional/Psychological Services
• Supplements

If your offer lies in any of those industries, chances are you either have or may have trouble using pain points in your ad copy or on your landing page. Because yes, Facebook sweeps the pages your ads push traffic to as well. 

{Insert wailing and gnashing of teeth, right?}

Don’t worry! I’ve got you. There’s something going on behind the scenes here that you won’t necessarily see at first, but I’ll let you in on it. There are three issues that can raise red flags for Facebook policy that can make it hard to use pain points in ad and landing page copy for these industries. 

Once you know and understand these three issues, you can devise strategies and workarounds that make it possible to still use paid advertising well, no matter what industry you’re in.

Issue #1:  Results Claims
Copy with results claims will get denied FAST. Because so many factors can affect results, unless you’re telling a story on your own personal results or using a video testimonial, leave results claims out of your copy, and here’s why:

Ever been disappointed by something that didn’t pan out? We all have, right? Sometimes it’s the product or service’s fault, and sometimes it’s our own, but whatever happened, we end up feeling let down with a bad taste in our mouth.

Facebook doesn’t want their users to associate that kind of experience with their platform, so they’ll shut down anything they see as a results claim. Results claims include statements like:

• Stop struggling to make ends meet and build a 6-figure business
• Burn stubborn fat and lose 12 pounds in a week
• Stop wondering where your retirement is coming from and grow your portfolio by 50% FAST
• Leave your dead-end job behind and double your income 

Issue #2:  Negative Emotions
“Poor user experience” is a phrase that pops up sometimes in ad denials. What the heck is poor user experience? Well, it’s just another fancy way of saying that Facebook thinks your copy might make platform users feel bad about themselves.

Think about it this way:  Do you love hanging out in a place where you always feel down in the dumps and everywhere you look mentions problems and pain all the time? Of course not! 

People tend to avoid places that make them feel bad … and Facebook knows this. That’s why Facebook will deny ads they think are giving “poor user experience”. Here are some examples of how that might turn up in copy:

• Depression, anxiety, and fear will hold you back feel like a deep, dark hole. XYZ supplement will boost your mood!  
• Hate your boss? Wish you could escape a miserable career that’s going nowhere?
• It’s so hard wondering what investments to make. You’ve been cheated, lied to, and ripped off too many times.

Issue #3:  Targeting
No one likes to be singled out, especially when it comes to pain and suffering. Once again, Facebook’s preference for positive user experience comes into play here with the third issue that can cause people trouble when it comes to pain points and paid ads.

Facebook does not allow targeting in ad copy. What does that mean? Basically it means you can’t use pain to call out specific types of people, ethnicities, or those with certain traits and qualities. Here are some examples of what NOT to do:

• Hey drug addict! Want to learn how to quit?
• Are you 100 or more pounds overweight? Want to lose it all?
• If you’re a single mom who wants to generate passive income, real estate investing is for you!

See what I mean? Just don’t. Don’t do it. 

User Experience is King
The thing all three of these issues have in common is, you guessed it, user experience! We’ve come full circle again to Facebook’s emphasis on positive user experience. 

Looking at your copy in terms of giving Facebook users a positive experience, will help you create ads that will get approved by Facebook while still getting the point across.

I know it’s difficult and frustrating to not be able to just say what you really want to say. If you can learn how to work within Facebook’s guidelines, however, there’s a lot of reward to be had. Here are some of my favorite tips to helping my clients in tricky industries run effective ads.

Tip #1: Reframe It
Flip your messaging on its head and come at things from the perspective of the result they want instead of the circumstances they don’t. Instead of “lose weight”, try “feel energetic, confident, and fit by caring for your body like a boss”.

Tip #2:  Reword It
Can you say something in a different way that still gets the point across? Instead of “build a 6-figure business”, try “create a life of freedom doing something you love”. 

Tip #3:  Reroute It
If all else fails, go the super safe route. Prepare a free lead magnet or training that gives MASSIVE value and send the audience to a bridge page (a super simple, super safe page that “bridges” the audience to the actual content you want them to see) to opt in. 

Facebook policy applies to ad copy and landing page copy, but anywhere beyond that is out of Facebook’s reach. This method will take a little more time to get the viewer to the message you actually want them to see, but it gives you a way to utilize Facebook traffic, which in general is cheaper and more engaged than Google.

Don’t give up. I know it can be challenging, but knowing how to play by Facebook’s rules gives you an edge that other businesses may not have. And that’s not all I have for you, my friends in tricky industries! Tomorrow I’m going to give you even MORE ways to reach your audience with pain points even if Facebook policy gives you problems. 

Want a quick guide that will help you dial in on the right questions to ask BEFORE you write? Check out my FREE guide on the 8 Must-Ask Questions For No-Fail Copy That Connects & Converts at https://www.go.christanicholsmessaging.com/lead

I’d love to connect! Find me on Facebook @christanicholsmessaging