10 Dec 2021
In a bid to match people’s evolving expectations of how advertisers may reach them on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, the parent company now known as Meta changed the way advertisers can target LGBTQ+ audiences.
On January 19, 2022, Facebook removed audience targeting options relating to sensitive topics. Targeting options that reference causes, organizations, or public figures that relate to health, race or ethnicity, political affiliation, religion, or sexual orientation are no longer be available to advertisers.
This includes sexual orientation, as well as health causes, religious practices and groups, and political beliefs, social issues, causes, organizations, and figures. In other words, advertisers can no longer show LGBTQ+ specific social ads to gay, lesbian, trans, or other queer individuals on the largest social networks.
This also means products and services created specifically for LGBTQ+ people will face a greater challenge reaching their target audience.
What’s the alternative to reach LGBTQ+ users?
- Brands should use inclusive ads for all audiences
- First-party data can still be used for effective targeting
- Data-driven matching will work for robust conversion objectives
- We’ve created the first and largest ever global audiences of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Trans individuals that can be segmented by gender, orientation, interests, and used by our clients on social media (including Meta), search, and display advertising campaigns.
Advertisers on the OUT network can leverage privacy-first, data-led marketing technology to create ad campaigns specifically targeting LGBTQ+ people on websites and social media. Find out how the OUT network can help you reach LGBTQ+ audiences with new targeting options.