When the World Is on Fire: How War Affects Meta Ads and Social Media Marketing

Let’s talk about the thing no one really wants to talk about, but that every business needs to be aware of.

When conflict breaks out - whether it's war in the Middle East or protests down in the states - it doesn’t just shift the headlines. It shifts everything. It changes how people scroll, how they spend, what they pay attention to, and what they absolutely do not want to see on their feed right now.

Online attention can be scarce during war times, even when you live half a world away.

If you run a business that markets online (hi, welcome to the club), here’s what you need to know about how war and geopolitical conflict affect Meta ads and social media marketing, and how to respond with clarity, compassion, and strategy.

Meta’s Ad Review Process Gets Even Stricter

Even though Canadian users aren’t seeing official news stories, Meta’s internal policies do still respond to global events. Their ad review systems get stricter, especially around anything that could be seen as political, divisive, or “sensitive.”

That means ads with certain words (“support,” “freedom,” “resistance,” “crisis”) or emotionally charged imagery might get flagged or rejected—even if they’re totally unrelated to what’s going on in the world.

What to do:

• Give yourself extra lead time on campaigns.

• Avoid ambiguity in your copy. Clarity reduces the chance of automated rejection.

• Don’t be afraid to appeal if your ad gets disapproved. It’s often just a bot being overly cautious.

Audiences Are Still Feeling the Weight Even If They’re Not Seeing the News

Just because the news isn’t showing up on Facebook doesn’t mean your audience doesn’t know what’s going on. They do. They’re getting it from other places: TikTok, group chats, Reddit, late-night doomscrolls. Speaking for myself, my TikTok feed is wall-to-wall news coverage right now.

The result? People are emotionally tapped out. Their attention is fractured. It's not necessarily that they don't want to hear about your summer sale; it's that they're distracted.

What to do:

• Shift to a softer tone. Less urgency, more empathy.

• Hold off on anything overly promotional or cheeky unless it’s clearly lighthearted and on-brand.

• Remember: your audience is human. Meet them where they are emotionally, not just where they are algorithmically.

Marketing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Like all things, it exists within the context of the world at large, which includes geopolitical events. You may have noticed your reach tank and your ads not performing well during the weeks surrounding the last US election.

Ad Reach May Be Limited in Certain Regions

Meta often restricts or suspends ad delivery in or around conflict zones. If you run international campaigns, your reach may drop without warning or suddenly shift to different regions as Meta reallocates delivery.

Even if you're only targeting Canadian users, your campaigns are still part of a global platform that’s constantly reshuffling behind the scenes.

What to do:

• Check your ad analytics frequently. Watch for sudden changes in reach or cost.

• If something’s off, rule out external causes before tweaking your creative.

CPMs and CPCs Might Spike (or Crash)

Cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM) are deeply tied to market demand. When a global event unfolds, brands often pause or pivot their spending. That can flood certain regions or audiences with extra competition, or leave other spaces wide open.

What you’ll pay for ads can change quickly, even if your strategy stays the same.

What to do:

• Keep an eye on ad costs and don’t panic over short-term fluctuations.

• Consider small experiments with audience targeting or placements to find stability.

It's not that your ad is underperforming; it's that the attention economy is getting re-priced.

Organic Reach Gets Weirder Than Usual

Here’s the catch: while Meta deprioritizes news content in Canada, it does still try to surface “relevant” or emotionally resonant content when global events break, but since it’s not pulling from news sources, the algorithm leans on reactive content, meaning feeds are filled with takes, emotions, commentary, and a significant amount of outright bs.

Which pushes your regular brand content even further down.

What to do:

• Don’t chase the algorithm. Just show up with steady, grounded content.

• Make sure your posts speak clearly to your audience’s current emotional state.

• Try stories, carousels, and lower-lift connection content that cuts through quietly.

Remember, Meta is a business that sells attention. Anything that shifts attention will affect your marketing.

Brands Are Being Watched (Now More Than Ever)

In the absence of news, people notice what brands say (and don’t say). You might think “I’ll just keep posting business as usual,” but that can come across as disconnected - or worse, opportunistic - if the moment calls for a little more care.

You don’t need to make a political statement. But you do need to be aware that the emotional context has shifted.

What to do:

• Reread any scheduled content before it goes live.

• Ask: Does this feel helpful, appropriate, or at least harmless right now?

• If your brand has values around justice, equity, or community, this may be a moment to lead with heart. But only if it's truly from the heart. If it's a performance for likes, skip it. Say only what’s true and real for you.

TLDR;

• Meta won’t show your audience news, but your audience still feels what’s happening.

• Tone matters. Clarity matters. Timing matters.

• Ads may cost more (or less). Reaches may rise or fall. But your reputation sticks.

• When in doubt, show up as a human (not just a marketer).

  
  

We believe you can market ethically, connect meaningfully, and still meet your goals, even when the world feels heavy.

Need support? Let’s talk strategy that makes sense right now. [Book a free discovery call here.]

Author's Note: This was an incredibly challenging post to write - not because of the information, but because it feels extraordinarily off to talk about the suffering of others in the context of increased ad spend and attention economics. That said, I strongly believe that small business owners are the backbone of the Canadian economy, and that you deserve good, actionable information to help your business continue to thrive during unstable times.