How can you run Facebook Ads if you’re a Sex Educator?
With Reid Mihalko from ReidAboutSex.com and Cathy Vartuli from TheIntimacyDojo.com.
Cathy: Facebook ads. They’re great way to reach people but they can be a pain in the butt espe-
Reid: Especially when you’re a sex educator.
Cathy: They get rejected time after time after time.
Reid: Facebook is like, “No! You deal with sex and intimacy. Shame on you. You may not pass.”
Cathy: You’re a bad person. Yes. This is Reid Mihalko from ReidAboutSex.com.
Reid: This is Cathy Vartuli from TheIntimacyDojo.com.
Cathy: There are some ways that you can still advertise on Facebook even if you are talking about more intimate or sexual issue.
Reid: How do we do that Cathy?
Cathy: When we do it is we start off with something that’s relatively safe.
Reid: I’m dying. Because Facebook shamed me.
Cathy: Yes, yes, they’ve rejected many of our ads. We discovered this through the process of what not to do. We start off with something that’s very tame. You can show a couple together in a picture but they better be fully clothed and not be doing too much passionate kissing. You want to indicate that you’re working on physical or attraction issue but you want to keep the topic very light. It cannot include anything about sex. Kissing is usually okay. Reid has done one on how to make that first kiss less awkward. It’s something that’s relatively innocuous like Facebook is not going to ban it. We can still reach people that are wanting to go into explore and geek out on how they can be more physical with each other.
Also, when you’re making that ad, Facebook will often just ban your ad and you don’t know why. They’re not good, they’ll send you to a generic page with a list of things that says why you can’t do it. You want to make sure your ad, the picture, the wording and the landing page you’re sending them to are all very tamed. Anything that’s a little sexier has to be behind an opt in so that Facebook doesn’t see it on a casual page.
Reid: What’s an opt in mean?
Cathy: Meaning that you’re sending them to a page where they can give you their email and name or just their email so that they can get the information on how to make that kiss less awkward or whatever you’re promising. That’s really important that anything Facebook seen on the outside is very tamed. Mind you, they still may ban it. They may decide that kissing is too passionate or something but it’s a great way to reach people that are looking for that kind of information. Then you can offer, “Okay, here’s how to kiss less awkwardly and if you’d like to learn about how to get into heavy petting, here’s where you can go for a product that I’m selling.” Or whatever.
Reid: That’s behind the opt in because heavy petting, unless it’s a picture of a cat or a dog… Oh my God, would that actually work? Probably won’t work on Facebook.
Cathy: We can try it if you want.
Reid: You can try it and if it works tell us in the comments below.
Cathy: Then you also want to make sure your ad is always going, anything that’s dating related, has to be an 18 or older people. They will automatically ban if it looks anything like sex or dating that goes to anyone below 18. Always automatically put that in the attributes that you’re selecting. For some reason, I’m not sure why, Facebook really seems to like it if you’re doing anything on dating that it goes to either all men or all women. You need to make two different ads and have it one go to men, one go to women or you can just make one ad that goes to over 18 men, another goes to over 18 women.
Reid: It’s segregating it by gender may help it not get banned.
Cathy: Make sure that you have only 20% writing on those ads because they’re going to be much happier with you. They won’t let it go through if it’s more than-
Reid: 20% writing means what?
Cathy: You have a picture, which Facebook loves, and you have a couple lines to write stuff in. Now, some people have gone in and started writing on the pictures that they’ve put it.
Reid: Sneaky. Good try. Eeehh Facebook has figured you out.
Cathy: Generally, when we’ve tried it, occasionally you can get away with a couple words that’s kind of emphasizing the picture. If you’re actually giving copy or trying to convince someone something they’ll generally ban it. Try not to get discourage, you will get some banned, I still don’t know why a few of ours have been banned.
Reid: Talk to our entrepreneurs, other people that are running Facebook ads. Especially in the relationship world and pow or talk to them about what’s good. What’s working? What’s not? Share your worst stories and your triumphs and in your hanging out in those communities, you guys can skill set share and have “Aha!” moments together about things that have worked in the past, things that didn’t worked. Of course, your mileage is going to vary and next week Facebook’s is going to change whatever algorithm they’re changing so you might have to shake up your extra skits and start all over again. Don’t give up, there are people out there that need your information. Facebook again and Facebook ads can be a really great way for you to get there to them.
Cathy: Check out Reid’s free videos on SexGeekSummerCamp.com. If you want to find a way to connect with a lot of really cool geeky people and maybe we’ll see you there.
Reid: All right, bye!