How This Weird Facebook Rule Ruined Every Designer’s Life

10 May 2016

How This Weird Facebook Rule Ruined Every Designer's Life

Social media today forms an essential online marketing strategy owing to its cost effective and fast nature. Being the most used social networking website, Facebook is naturally the most used website for social media marketing throughout the world as well. However, little does the world outside digital marketing; know about a hassle, creative designers face, while marketing content on Facebook on a regular basis and it is called the "20 percent rule".

20% Rule? WTF? What is it?

As per the "20% content only rule", a designer can only have text content in a space occupying up to 20% of a creative visual. So basically it is a strategy which forces a creative communication to confine its message within a few words that Facebook decides.

Sounds irritating? Well, there’s more to it.

Because in order to fit the bill, your text needs to be repeatedly repositioned and dear Facebook, patience isn’t perennial like water of India? – Precisely the 20% rule does the same thing to a creative design as mild rain to South Calcutta Roads!

Because we the advertisers are creative rebels and we don’t like to be dictated about our creative preferences - okay Facebook, we know that you are providing us the publicity platform, but HEY, we are PAYING YOU FOR IT!!! Don’t we deserve our personalized preferences to be met?

Because Dude, India is a multilingual country! - Is it a designer’s fault that all languages do not have the same expression potential, when it comes to choice of words?

All your buyers will neither be an Einstein nor your soul mate - How can Facebook expect that buyers will get the hang of what an entrepreneur wants to say in such a few words? Isn’t effective communication, the key to successful advertising?

Less is not always more - What if an entrepreneur wants to convey his brand tagline in all his posts, to build a stronger brand value and recognition? No, you can’t! Its Facebook marketing, dude!

However, needless to say, that while the 20% rule curbs your communication potential to many extents, it also tests your mettle to express yourself in lesser words and as a good advertiser, and you must be able to adapt yourself to all circumstances, or you will starve!