Why Instagram could reject your ads (and what you can do to sort them out)
Creating the perfect Instagram ad can take a lot of time and resources, so it’s important your audience actually gets to see it. Instagram has an ad approval system that can reject unsuitable ads. Therefore, you must understand the reasons Instagram might disapprove of your ad and how to fix them.
Instagram is a powerful platform that marketers can utilise within their paid social strategy and achieve great results. Like with any social media platform, there are certain regulations and guidelines advertisers must follow to ensure victory on the platform.
To find out everything you need to know about Instagram’s ad approval process and how you can make sure you follow the rules, keep reading!
How Instagram ad approval works
Before your ad can make its way onto a user’s feed, Instagram makes sure to review all ads to make sure they are fit for the platform. This process can take up to 24 hours and Instagram can approve or disapprove ads. If your ad is disapproved, your ad will not go live.
Instagram has several benefits for business, so you must be aware of the reasons Instagram will disapprove ads. By knowing this, you can make sure your ads are fit for Instagram and reap the benefits of the platform.
You shouldn’t just disregard Instagram if your ad gets rejected. It could be a small error you’ve made whilst setting up your ad or your social media strategy might be adapting. Whatever the reason, you can rectify the mistake, submit your ad again and still drive significant results.
Let’s explore the main reasons Instagram might disapprove of your ad.
8 reasons Instagram could disapprove of your ad
1. You need an Instagram business account
Although it might sound obvious, having an Instagram business account is the only way to create and publish paid ads. Without switching your account to a business profile, getting your ad onto feeds is almost impossible.
This is the very first step, so make sure you have an Instagram business account set up before you continue reading.
To note: you must also be a ‘page admin’ on Meta Ads Manager to create ads. Meta is the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp; Instagram ads are created, managed and published by Meta’s ad manager.
2. Instagram has ad guidelines you must follow
You must follow Meta’s advertising policies and Instagram’s terms of use, community guidelines, platform policy and music guidelines.
If Instagram finds you to be guilty of breaking any of the rules they outline, not only will your ads be rejected but your profile could be banned from the platform entirely. Therefore, you must take note and follow the guidelines.
3. You have used the wrong ad format
One of the main benefits for businesses using Instagram is the wide range of creative ad formats you can use to spread your message. Although Instagram won’t directly reject an ad because of ad format choice, choosing an ad format that doesn’t align with your message/content can negatively impact how Instagram delivers your ad.
Types of Instagram ad formats
Single image ads: These are clear and simple ad formats that feature one image. They can be extremely effective in clearly conveying a message but may be less engaging than other formats, like videos or carousel ads.
Video ads: These ads include one video that can capture more attention than image ads because of the sound and motion elements. These can be effective for storytelling and showcasing product features, how-to guides and recipes.
Carousel ads: Within a carousel ad, multiple images/videos are shown in succession. These ads are extremely effective for boosting engagement and generating conversions; each carousel item has its own call to action and description. Therefore, you can promote multiple products, and services within one ad.
Story ads: Instagram stories are brilliant for increasing reach and engagement. They automatically play and blend in with the user’s content. Story reactions also help to increase engagement and provide feedback to advertisers. Once you reach 10,000 followers you can also add a link to your story which will help with increasing conversions.
Explore ads: Having Instagram ads placed on the Explore feed helps to increase reach and engagement. Users on the explore page are likely to be more receptive to ads as they are in an ‘open to discovery’ mindset. They also get your ads in front of a wider audience.
Choosing the right ad format can have a significant impact on how your ad is delivered and received. The Instagram algorithm favours ads that receive high engagement, so making sure you maximise engagement is essential.
4. Your ads aren’t reaching the right people
Instagram allows advertisers the opportunity to specifically target their ideal audience with their ads. You can create the most creative, engaging ads but you won’t drive results if your audience isn’t actually seeing them – this is where targeting comes in.
Instagram won’t directly reject your ad but as mentioned earlier, poor targeting can impact the results of your ads. You need to make sure your targeting choices are reflective of your audience to make the most out of your ads.
5. Ad content is inappropriate or invaluable
Content that violates any guidelines mentioned earlier can result in your ad being dismissed by Instagram but you should also ensure your content is relevant for your audience to ensure maximum engagement.
The more your audience resonates with your content the more likely they are to trust your brand and engage with your ad. You must also ensure that your content doesn’t annoy your audience by being too promotional; all of your content should add value to your audience. A good headline and a strong call to action (CTA) are essential.
6. Ignoring Instagram Insights
If you don’t monitor your insights regularly, how do you know if your ads are performing well? You must understand you know what content is performing well and what you need to improve on. Refining your strategy is a crucial step in social success.
7. Your profile needs to be optimised for mobile
Since you can only do Instagram advertising on mobile and the Instagram app is mobile-only, your content and profile must be optimised for mobile.
The landing page your Instagram profile links to also needs to be optimised for mobile, to make the most out of your conversions.
Top tip: To make sure your content is optimised for mobile use, stick to the platform specs/recommendations for content and include captions with audio.
8. You must not violate copyright regulations
If your ad infringes on copyright regulations, Instagram can penalise you by rejecting your ad.
It can be very tempting to take a trending meme or image but you need to be aware that business Instagram accounts have more restrictions than personal accounts.
If your content doesn’t belong to you and is posted without the proper permission/accreditation, Instagram can reject your ad quickly.
Need support with your Instagram ads?
Here at Embryo, our team of experts can help you create showstopping ads that drive results and won’t get rejected by Instagram. Not only that, Embryo’s team can support your business with all aspects of paid social. Get in touch with us and start your journey to success with us today!
