How to Run Facebook Ads for Supplements Without Being Restricted

Running Facebook ads for supplements can be highly effective. However, it’s not without challenges, as advertising supplements is strictly regulated. You must understand Facebook’s policies and navigate compliance issues carefully. In this blog, I’ll explain everything you need to create successful supplement ads on Facebook.

Why Use Facebook Ads to Promote Supplements?

The truth is that Facebook advertising comes with several advantages. Some of the common benefits of it for promoting supplements include the following:

Reach a Wide Audience

With 3.065 billion monthly active users, according to Backlinko, Facebook offers supplement brands a massive platform to showcase their products. It provides unparalleled access to a broad range of demographics, making it easier to reach potential customers globally.

Target Health-Conscious Consumers Easily

Facebook ads allow supplement brands to connect with a vast audience of health-conscious individuals who are already interested in wellness products. With targeted campaigns, you can zero in on specific groups such as fitness enthusiasts, people focused on weight loss, or those seeking nutritional support.

Cost-Effective Advertising

If you’re looking for quick results, Facebook ads are an excellent tool to drive immediate traffic and conversions.

Facebook ads are highly cost-effective, especially for smaller supplement brands. You can set a budget based on your goals and scale up gradually. By optimizing targeting and ad formats, you ensure that every dollar is spent efficiently, maximizing ROAS.

Facebook Ads Health Policy on Supplements

I could debate all day about the effectiveness of Facebook advertising for supplements. But it’s a different story when it comes to promoting this type of product on this platform.

Facebook has a set of strict advertising policies that all advertisers must follow, and these policies can make it difficult to promote supplements. 

Trust me, you don’t want to invoke the wrath of the Zuckerberg machine.

So, in order to advertise your supplement products, you need to be familiar with Facebook advertising policies, particlularly the prohibited content you should watch out for:

• Misleading or false claims: Your ad must not include misleading or false claims, such as promising “miraculous” results, “cures,” or guaranteed outcomes.
• Before-and-after images: Your ad cannot use exaggerated before-and-after images that imply unrealistic transformations.
• Unsafe weight loss products or claims: Your ad must not promote unsafe weight loss products or make claims about rapid, unrealistic weight loss.
• Implications of self-diagnosis or treatment: Your ad should not suggest self-diagnosis or treatment for any medical condition.
• Non-compliant health products: Your ad must not promote the sale or use of unsafe, non-compliant supplements with unapproved ingredients or health claims.

If you’re advertising in multiple countries, some policies may vary by region.

For instance, in Canada, you can directly mention specific health conditions in your ad copy to engage consumers. However, using the same strategy in the United States will result in your ad being disapproved.

Best Facebook Ad Types for Promoting Supplements

When it comes to promoting supplements on Facebook, choosing the right ad format can make a significant difference in reaching potential customers effectively. Here are three of the best ad types for supplement brands:

Image Ads

Facebook image ads are perfect for showcasing supplement packaging and emphasizing key benefits.

This ad type is ideal for promoting supplements because it allows you to quickly grab the audience’s attention with an attractive, clean visual. Whether it’s a vibrant shot of the product packaging, ingredients, or a lifestyle image of the product being used, an image ad can create an immediate impact.

Brands with the goal of introducing the supplement and its key benefits in mind should definitely take advantage of image ads.

Video Ads

Facebook video ads offer the opportunity to demonstrate product usage, highlight customer testimonials, or provide behind-the-scenes insights into the manufacturing process.

For supplements, video ads offer the ability to tell a more compelling story. With supplements, trust is key, and video ads allow you to visually demonstrate how the product works, show real-life customer testimonials, or present the science behind the supplement.

This format helps supplement brands build credibility and engage viewers more effectively.

Carousel Ads

Carousel ads on Facebook allow brands to display multiple images or videos within a single ad, each with its own link. Users can swipe through the different cards to see various aspects of the product or other items in the brand’s lineup.

This format works particularly well for supplements as it enables brands to introduce a variety of products in one go, or to break down multiple benefits of a single supplement.

For example, if you have a range of vitamins, you can display each one in a separate card. Alternatively, you can highlight various benefits of one supplement, like “boosts energy,” “improves digestion,” or “supports immunity,” all in a single ad.

Facebook Ads Benchmark for Supplementary [2024 Data]

When running Facebook ads for supplements, it’s crucial to understand how your campaigns are performing compared to industry standards. The table above highlights the key metrics for two supplement categories: Vitamins & Supplements and Dietary Supplements.

Metric	Vitamins & Supplements	Dietary Supplements
CPM (Cost per 1,000 Impressions)	$15.8	$15.92
CVR (Conversion Rate)	3.42%	3.54%
ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)	1.61	1.31
CTR (Click-Through Rate)	0.97%	0.87%
CPC (Cost per Click)	$1.74	$1.84

>>> Read more: Facebook Ads Benchmarks for 19 Industries: What Experts Say?

Best Practices to Optimize Facebook Ads for Supplements

Facebook’s limits on advertisements for health supplements may require you to plan your ad campaigns more carefully, but there are several effective practices for getting your ads approved – and generating the growth and money you seek.

Here are six highly actionable best practices for running effective Facebook ads for supplements:

1. Highlight Limited-Time Offers and Discounts

Limited-time offers and discounts create a sense of scarcity, encouraging people to purchase your supplements before the deal expires. People are more likely to make a decision quickly when they feel they might miss out on a good offer.

Create urgency with limited-time offers or flash sales for your supplements. Highlight seasonal promotions or exclusive discount codes to encourage immediate purchases, especially for first-time buyers looking to try your product.

2. Promote Bundled Supplement Packages

Bundling supplements allows you to increase the average order value by offering multiple products at a discounted rate. Customers perceive bundles as a better deal, which increases their likelihood to purchase, especially if the supplements are complementary, such as a wellness bundle that includes immunity, energy, and sleep support.

Offer bundled deals featuring multiple supplements that work well together. For example, create ads that promote a “Wellness Bundle” or a “Fitness Essentials Pack” to boost overall sales.

3. Emphasize Scientific Backing or Certifications

Trust is essential when selling supplements. Consumers want to know that the products they are ingesting are safe and effective, and showcasing this can significantly influence purchasing decisions.

Include badges or certifications (such as “FDA-approved” or “GMP-certified”) prominently in your ad creatives. Feature testimonials from healthcare professionals or nutritionists to reinforce the product’s credibility.

4. State the problems the product can solve

People are more likely to engage with products that address a specific issue they’re facing. Therefore, your health product ads should focus on addressing a specific problem that your target audience is experiencing.

Clearly explain how your product offers an effective solution to that problem. When people can relate to the challenges your product solves, they are more likely to pay attention and engage with your Facebook ads. 

5. Feature Customer Testimonials and Success Stories

Social proof plays a significant role in convincing potential customers to buy. Let your consumers tell the narrative behind your product by including user-generated content in your ads. User-generated content makes your health product Facebook advertisements more authentic and trustworthy.

Highlight the benefits that your existing customers have experienced, such as increased energy, or improved wellness.

6. Advertise Specific Benefits for Different Customer Segments

Not all customers are looking for the same benefits from supplements. Make sure your ads speak directly to the needs of specific demographics.

For example, create targeted ads for athletes, seniors, or busy professionals that focus on supplements designed to boost energy, enhance recovery, or support overall health.

This segmentation allows you to address unique needs and increase conversion rates.

Case Study: Mega Digital Boosts Supplement Brand to 2.5x ROAS with Facebook Ads

Pure Health Essentials is a small but growing supplement brand specializing in natural vitamins and wellness products. The brand approached Mega Digital to improve its Facebook advertising performance and increase online sales, especially for its best-selling product: a natural immunity-boosting supplement.

Challenge

Before working with Mega Digital, Pure Health Essentials struggled with low engagement and conversion rates on Facebook. Their previous campaigns didn’t deliver enough results they were hoping for. The challenge was to increase visibility and drive conversions while keeping costs under control.

Strategy

Mega Digital took a data-driven approach to revamp Pure Health Essentials’ Facebook ad campaigns. Here’s what made the campaign effective:

• Targeted audiences: Mega Digital implemented advanced audience segmentation, targeting health-conscious individuals, fitness enthusiasts, and people interested in natural wellness products.
• Seasonal offers and bundles: To encourage immediate action, Mega Digital launched a “Winter Immunity Bundle” that featured multiple products at a discounted price.
• Optimized ad copy: The ad copy focused on the benefits of natural health supplements and why Pure Health Essentials was a trusted source, instead of being overly promotional.
• A/B testing: Mega Digital continuously tested different ad formats (image, video, and carousel ads), copy variations, and call-to-actions to determine what resonated most with the target audience.

Result

The result was phenomenal:

• ROAS: After a three-month campaign, Pure Health Essentials saw a 2.5x return on ad spend (ROAS), a significant improvement from their previous campaigns.
• Conversion Rate: The targeted ads led to a 30% increase in conversion rates, especially from retargeting efforts.
• CPC: The cost per click (CPC) dropped by 25%, indicating that the optimized creatives and targeting resonated with the right audience.

Wrap-up

While tricky, advertising your supplements with Facebook ads is not impossible. It can actually be quite effective, if you do it the right way. Make sure to familiarize yourself with Facebook’s ad policies, and continuously test the strategies above to find what works for your brand.