We’re seeing and reading a lot of questions around advertising on social media, and in particular people voicing concerns about misleading ads and advertisers. While we have plenty of information available to people who want to know about social media marketing and how to stick to the rules, we thought we’d share some basic advice to not only help businesses stick to the rules, but also to help non-marketers understand when something they’re seeing online might be breaking those rules.
But before we dive into our three tips, we should say that the fundamental idea underpinning all of this is that all UK ads, whether they are on TV, billboards, or social media, should be legal, decent, honest and truthful. Very few of the rules in the advertising codes are specific to social media, as the vast majority are based on principles that apply to all media. So it’s just as wrong for a TV ad to mislead as it is for a social post to do so.
The tips below are just to start you thinking, and each links to more complete and detailed information to help really get to grips with each topic. But without further ado, here are some things to get you started with understanding social media marketing and the ad rules.
1. What you don’t say can be as important as what you do say
One of the characteristics of social media is that content is generally short and, ideally, sweet. Marketers will often try to use pithy posts to grab attention, but that brevity can be a source of risk too. Ads try to get people to make a choice to purchase, donate or take an action, and those choices should be informed decisions. For example, if you’re advertising a promotion or competition, you can’t leave out key information that might affect a person’s decision as to whether to enter. Always be sure that you’re saying everything that’s important, and you’re not misleading by omission.
2. Ads should be obviously identifiable
Some media are open to the possibility of the distinction between ads and editorial content becoming blurred. In years gone by the main example was ‘advertorial’ content, where newspapers or magazines featured sponsored articles that sometimes read like news pieces or reviews, but were actually trying to promote a product or service. The same thing happens on social media.
One of the key rules to know for advertising on social media is that people should always know when they’re being advertised to – ads should be ‘obviously identifiable’. We recently updated our ‘Influencer’s Guide’, which tells you everything you need to know about making sure you’re not misleading people with ads disguised as editorial content.
3. Know your audience
Not all ads are meant to be seen by all people. There are tight rules in place to ensure that age-restricted products are only advertised to people old enough to use them, for example with gambling or alcohol ads. Particular care should be given to these kinds of products, not only with ‘organic’ content, but also with targeted, paid-for ads. CAP has some excellent guidance on targeting ads to ensure children and young people are protected.
These are just some of the basics that people should be aware of when it comes to marketing on social media. We don’t want to give the impression that this is all there is to it. Whether you’re a marketer or not, it’s worth checking out our other guidance and advice on the topic to make sure that you know what the ad rules say.
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