Brand reputation can be destroyed in an instant if your ads are shown with objectionable material. For advertisers with YouTube ad campaigns, a potential danger is having your ads show up on children’s content where they shouldn’t show up, for wasting budget if nothing else.
This is a step-by-step guide that will demonstrate how to safeguard your brand by making sure that your ads are not shown on children’s content on the biggest ad platforms.
Why Ad Placement on Children’s Content Matters
When your ads appear on children’s content, several things can go awry. One, you’re likely advertising to a group that can’t buy, so the ad money is wasted. Two, appearing on children’s content can result in compliance issues with ad rule and platform policy. Three, poor ad placement taints your brand and erodes trust with your target adult audience.
The good news is that all the ad platforms have powerful tools to control where your ads are displayed. The challenge is knowing how to use them, as well as implementing a YouTube placement exclusion list and other tools.
Google Ads and YouTube Settings Setup
Google Ads offers several ways you can exclude your campaigns from kids’ content. You start by going to your campaign settings and choosing the “Content” tab. In this tab, you can use content exclusions to avoid ads showing on kids-rated content.
In your ad campaigns on YouTube, enable the “Exclude content suitable for families” option. This option prevents your ads from appearing on videos that YouTube has classed as suitable for families or that are targeted at children under the age of 13.
You can also use placement exclusions to avoid showing ads on specific channels or videos that are intended for children. Monitor your placement reports constantly to discover any kids’ content on which your ads have been shown, and then add these placements to your exclusion list.
Using Facebook and Instagram Controls
Facebook’s advertising platform has age targeting that ensures ads are not displayed to users below 18 years. Content exclusions work in a different manner on this platform. Prioritize limiting your audience targeting to block children’s content-based interests and behaviors.
For Instagram ad campaigns, use precise targeting functions to deliver adult interests and behaviors. Avoid broad targeting, which can reach individuals who frequently engage with children or family content.
Content Exclusion Techniques Implementation
Keyword exclusions are an effective practice to prevent ads from appearing on children’s content. Create huge negative keyword lists with keywords such as “kids,” “children,” “toddler,” “baby,” “nursery rhyme,” “cartoon,” “toy,” and “family fun.”
Include titles of popular children’s characters, toddler-oriented educational content, and children-rated video game content to your exclusion lists. Update and enlarge these lists occasionally to stay in line with new trends and creators.
Attempt to exclude whole categories of content that are largely youth-oriented, i.e., game content suitable for all, learning content for pre-school students, and entertainment content aimed at family viewing.
Third-Party Tools and Exclusion Lists
There are third parties whose pre-existing exclusion lists try to help advertisers steer clear of children’s content. These platforms are regularly updated by scanning and including new channels and creators.
Some of the ad management platforms also provide automated content filtering, which uses machine learning to discover and remove potentially objectionable placements from showing your ads.
Protecting Your Brand through Active Management
Making sure your ads don’t appear on children’s content requires ongoing attention and regular optimization. Set automatic reporting so you can monitor where your ads are appearing, and check your placement reports on a regular basis, such as monthly.
Try to implement a multi-layered strategy that uses platform-specific controls, wide keyword blocking, and third-party solutions. This approach gives you the best possible protection for your brand while allowing the ad budget to reach your target audience.
Remember that ad placement policies and what is targetable are evolving regularly. Stay on top of platform changes and adjust your exclusion plans accordingly. By being proactive in these actions, you’ll have more control of your brand’s ad visibility and protect your reputation on all digital channels.
