Navigating Meta’s advertising platform has become second nature for many businesses.

It’s been a reliable source for reaching targeted audiences and driving measurable results.

However, starting January 2025, the way health and wellness brands interact with Meta’s powerful ad tools is set to change drastically.

This policy update is raising questions across the industry, not just for brands directly in the health space, but also for businesses operating in adjacent sectors.

These wide-reaching changes have the potential to disrupt established strategies, limit performance marketing outcomes, and present new challenges for campaign tracking.

Continue reading this blog to understand the changes and ensure you stay ahead of the curve.

What You Need to Know About Meta’s Policy Update 

Meta’s new restrictions focus on limiting the actions health and wellness brands can track and optimise for.

Under these changes, businesses in this category will lose access to key lower-funnel event tracking, such as “Purchase” or “Add to Cart,” which have traditionally been invaluable for conversion-focused campaigns.

Instead, businesses will need to shift their focus to non-restricted events like “Landing Page Views” or “Engagement” for campaign objectives and measurement.

The reasoning behind these restrictions, according to Meta, is user privacy.

By reclassifying health and wellness as a “sensitive category,” Meta intends to limit the amount of personal or health-related information that its algorithms receive from brands.

While this move aligns with global trends towards greater data privacy, it introduces significant operational complexities for advertisers.

Meta’s definition of “health and wellness” is broad.

This means a wide variety of businesses—beyond traditional health brands—could be flagged by Meta.

Think fitness apps, supplement companies, mental health resources, or even personal injury law firms.

Meta’s algorithms will be responsible for categorising accounts based on website content, business activities, and ad emphasis, but these automated systems could mistakenly classify unrelated brands within the health and wellness category as well.

Impacts on Campaign Performance 

For many health and wellness businesses, losing access to high-intent events like “Purchase” fundamentally alters the effectiveness of their advertising.

Lower-funnel events are crucial for conversion optimisation, as they allow Meta’s algorithm to focus on audiences most likely to complete purchases.

Without these events, businesses may struggle to achieve the same return on ad spend or might see a decline in measurable campaign results.

Campaigns relying on these restricted events will not be paused outright by Meta.

Instead, advertisers will receive notifications through platforms like Events Manager or Ads Manager, as well as direct email updates.

These notifications will identify affected campaigns and outline the restrictions placed on them.

Nevertheless, brands must proactively adapt their strategies to minimise disruption and ensure continued ad performance.

What Industries Are Affected? 

The health and wellness category is expansive, covering everything from supplements to healthcare services.

However, industries that intersect with this area could also see ramifications, depending on how Meta’s system categorises their products and services.

Here are a few industries that may need to take note:

• Fitness and Lifestyle Apps offering workout or mental health features may face restrictions on conversion tracking.
• Medical Organisations conducting telemedicine efforts or selling prescriptions could lose access to high-intent events.
• Legal Firms operating in personal injury law may also fall under Meta’s broader definitions if their messaging focuses on health-related outcomes.
• Wellness Brands selling nutrition supplements or self-care products are directly in Meta’s crosshairs and will need to adapt their objectives.

If your business operates even tangentially in these areas, it’s vital to review your campaigns now and prepare for the upcoming shift.

Prepare Today to Thrive Tomorrow 

To remain competitive in an advertising landscape that’s increasingly concerned with privacy and accountability, health and wellness businesses should focus on creating flexible, forward-thinking ad strategies.

By re-evaluating how you manage campaigns and optimise audience engagement, you can continue delivering exceptional results—even in the face of Meta’s significant changes.

At Mosaic Digital Media, we specialise in helping businesses like yours adapt to evolving advertising policies.

Our team can guide you through navigating restrictions, creating impactful campaigns, and maintaining effective outreach amidst a shifting landscape.

Are you ready to future-proof your advertising strategy?

Contact us today to explore how we can help your business thrive.