It is easy to see why there is so much confusion about substance abuse marketing being banned. This article tries to cover a few of the main reasons why this myth has come to life, and also why there is so much confusion in the first place.
Some Platforms Just Say No
If you sign onto some affiliate advertising networks, or some social media platforms, some websites, some servers, and even in some countries, you are going to be met with the word “No.” They may have a problem with your visuals, with the words you use, with your subject matter, or even with the services you provide. There are also competitor services that may have a monopoly over a certain set of websites or networks.
They are not going to allow you to market your substance abuse services on their networks and/or in their country, and there is nothing you can do about it. In some cases, you may feel it is a little justified. For example, if there is a website that targets young girls aged 5 to 9, then they probably don’t want anything relating to substance abuse anywhere near their website.
The Words Are Banned
For some networks and websites, it is not the content of your adverts, it is simply their associated keywords that are banned. Even the word “Abuse” may be banned from some networks to the point where you cannot promote your healing or curative services.
There are many occasions where the words themselves are all that matters to the network. On a slightly different subject, look at YouTube and how if people mention substance abuse in their video, then they cannot run adverts on their video. This is not because of anything to do with the content of their video, or even the quality of their video, it is just because they mention a substance or substance abuse in their video.
The Visuals Are Banned
As you can imagine, there are plenty of networks, countries, platforms, and websites that accept the promotion of substance abuse services. However, some of them have less of a problem with the type of services you are providing and are more concerned about the types of visuals that are associated with the services.
Let’s say that the image on your advert shows a person who is down, depressed, in the dark, and suffering a little. Perhaps it shows visuals of their mental state without actually showing the abuse (or signs of the abuse). In some cases, even these toothless adverts wouldn’t be allowed on a website because they have a negative association. Perhaps the super-fun-happy-time website doesn’t want an advert showing something sad or depressing.
Get a Team of Professionals to Help You
The fact is that substance abuse marketing is a tricky issue with many different elements and facets. It is difficult due to the various rules that each platform seems to set up. Many of them make little sense because the rules are not created to help the consumer. They are built to keep from scaring away sponsors. If you are having trouble promoting your services in any way, or you need a little guidance on the matter, then get in touch with the team at Reputation Rehab, and let’s start moving your campaign forwards.