Sometimes Meta puts businesses on a spending diet by restricting their spend limits. Unfortunately, startups take the heaviest hit as a result of such restrictions. So, what can we do about it? Let’s examine why they even happen first.
What Are Spending Restrictions in Meta Business Manager?
Before we can understand the reasons why spending restrictions were placed on your Meta Business Manager, we need to distinguish between the different kinds of restrictions that can be placed on the account. Spending restrictions in Meta Business Manager are essentially limits placed on how much you can spend on advertising across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. These restrictions can come in different forms, such as:
- Account-level: This applies to the entire Meta Business Manager and restricts the total spending across all campaigns and ad sets.
- Campaign-level: This limits the spending for a specific campaign.
- Ad set-level: This restricts the spending for a specific ad set within a campaign.
Now that we understand the different types of restrictions, let’s discuss the possible reasons that caused your spending restrictions.
- New account: As mentioned previously, new accounts often have lower spending limits until they establish a positive track record with Meta’s advertising policies and terms.
- Policy violations: Meta may restrict spending if your ads or business page violate their advertising standards or other policies, such as promoting prohibited content or misleading claims.
- Low ad quality/feedback: Poor ad performance, like low click-through rates or high negative feedback, can trigger spending restrictions.
- Suspicious activity: Unusual spending patterns, multiple billing issues, or unauthorized access attempts can raise concerns and lead to restrictions.
- Payment issues: Expired credit cards, insufficient funds, or other payment problems can cause temporary spending restrictions.
- Daily spending limits: Meta may automatically set daily spending limits based on your account history and overall advertising ecosystem health.
- Industry-specific restrictions: Certain industries with a higher risk of fraudulent activity or sensitive content may have stricter spending limits.
- Global economic conditions: During economic downturns, Meta may tighten spending limits across all platforms to mitigate risk.
Spending Restrictions in Meta Business Manager and Startups
These spending restrictions are bad news for your startup. As a startup business, your primary concern is maximum efficiency on a minimum budget. This means being able to scale your highest-performing campaigns whenever needed. For instance, when you see a campaign exceed all expectations, as a startup owner, you want the ability to bank on this campaign to the maximum. So, when this ability is taken from you or if it’s highly limited, you will struggle to make the most out of your success. How can we solve this issue? We can either appeal it once it has occurred or simply avoid it right from the start.
How to Manage Spending Restrictions in Meta Business Manager?
There are a few ways to deal with spending restrictions on your Meta Business Manager. One approach is to try appealing the decision after it’s made. Another method is to simply circumvent the issue and never be faced with this challenge to begin with.
Appealing the Restrictions
By trial and error, we have discerned some of the most useful tips when it comes to the appeal process. We’re sharing them with you here:
- Review the reason for the restriction: First, check your notifications or emails from Meta for any details about the restriction cause. This will help you focus your appeal.
- Gather evidence: If you believe the restriction is incorrect, gather any relevant evidence to support your case. This could include screenshots of your ad content, proof of your compliance with policies, or data showing positive ad performance.
- Contact Meta Support: You can appeal through the Meta Business Manager Help Center or Facebook Ads Help Center. Make sure to clearly explain why you believe the restriction is unjustified and provide your supporting evidence. Be polite and professional in your communication.
- Be patient: The appeal process might take some time, so be patient and wait for Meta’s response. You may receive an email or notification in your account once a decision is made.
Avoiding the Restrictions
The best way to deal with this issue is to bypass it altogether. Here are some useful tips on circumventing the issue of spending restrictions.
- Familiarize yourself with Meta’s Advertising Policies and Standards: This is crucial to prevent violations that can trigger spending restrictions. Read the relevant documents carefully and ensure your ads and business page adhere to all guidelines.
- Use payment methods with sufficient funds: Avoid having expired credit cards or insufficient funds in your account, as this can cause temporary spending restrictions.
- Monitor your spending closely: Track your ad spending regularly and ensure it stays within your set budget. Sudden spikes in spending can raise red flags for Meta.
- Get a verified Meta Business Manager: A verified BM will come with a significantly higher spending capacity, thus limiting the chances of any spending restrictions.
Maximizing Results
To help you maximize your results further, we have compiled some of the most efficient strategies for running ads on Meta platforms:
- Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO): Utilize CBO to dynamically allocate your budget across ad sets within a campaign, prioritizing the ones with the best performance potential. This avoids spreading your resources thin and maximizes return on ad spend (ROAS).
- Target the Right Audience: Precise targeting is crucial. Craft detailed audience personas based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and purchase intent. Avoid overly broad targeting that wastes impressions.
- Test Different Ad Formats and Creatives: Experiment with various formats like images, videos, carousels, and Stories. Use compelling visuals and persuasive copy that resonates with your target audience. A/B tests different variations to identify the most effective combinations.
- Use Automated Bidding Strategies: Leverage Meta’s built-in bidding strategies like “Target Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)” or “Target Cost Per Click (CPC)” to automate bidding based on your desired campaign goals. This optimizes bids in real-time for better conversion rates or reach.
- Schedule Ad Delivery: Optimize ad delivery based on when your target audience is most active. For example, schedule ads for lunch breaks or evenings when they’re likely to be online and engaged.
Use these tips, appeal restrictions or avoid them and your startup will be set for success on Meta ads!
