Although social media platforms haven’t changed significantly over the past couple of years, from time to time there are some updates that affect marketers. Meta recently announced a handful of Facebook ad changes. Some of these are subtle, some might seem arbitrary, and others a welcome change. Here are the top four Facebook ad changes you need to know in 2023.
Vehicle listings
Auto dealerships, as with all other businesses, must use a “Business Page” for their business. However, the first Facebook ad change you need to know is that effective January 30, 2023, dealership business pages can no longer post for-sale vehicle listings. However, an individual salesperson or business owner could still theoretically post vehicle listings from their personal profile — just not the business page itself.
Real estate listings
Business pages can no longer advertise their real estate for-sale listings. This change takes effect at the end of January 2023, although the Facebook ad change is similar to vehicle listings. Business pages can no longer utilize this feature, though personal (or “friend”) pages can still list their for-sale listings via Facebook.
Meta rolled out the Variance Reduction System, a method to try and eliminate problems that had been identified with its previous real estate listings. This also applies to countries outside of the US.
Rental listings
Likewise, landlords cannot post rental listings using a professional business page. A landlord could use their personal Facebook profile to run ads, similar to real estate and vehicle listings.
Interestingly, as with real estate listings, these Facebook ad changes seem to be a result of discriminatory exclusions within Facebook’s advertising algorithm. In fact, both of these changes are a direct result of a Federal lawsuit that accused Meta of age and racial discrimination within its real estate and rental listings. The aforementioned Variance Reduction System is the solution to this bias, with Meta under regulatory watch until 2026.
Age-based advertisements
For Meta users (which includes WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook) under the age of 18, new Facebook ad changes will prevent advertisers from using gender as a means of advertising targeting. This limitation also extends to using the Pages Likes and Page Follows as another way of targeting under eighteen users. And later in March, this same demographic will be able to hide entire ad categories.
Will there be more Facebook ad changes in 2023?
The answer to this question is difficult to answer, though there are some signs to point to it possibly being, “Yes.” As most people know, Facebook itself is a free service because its ad-driven revenue is what supports the platform. Inflation concerns seem to be sparking some general caution, which means Facebook (to support its growth) may be more aggressive in promoting its advertising business.
Regardless of what 2023 holds, it’s helpful when you’re partnered with an agency that understands and stays on top of Facebook Ad changes. Learn more about our digital advertising services here or send us a message and let us know your need and how we can help.
