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DACH & EU specifics you must get right
In one sentence
Inbox ads only reach opted-in members, Groups targeting is gone, GDPR shapes every set-up, and copy is formal Sie. Never promise inbox reach in Germany.
Oct 2024inbox opt-in rule2023DSA removed Groups targetingEUR / CHFset once, foreverImpressumrequired on every page
DE
Germany · ≈ 22 m members
- Currency EUR, set once
- Formal Sie in copy
- Impressum + Datenschutzerklärung on every page
- UWG: no "Nr. 1" claims without proof
AT
Austria · ≈ 2 m members
- Currency EUR
- German with local references
- Same GDPR rules as DE
- Small audiences — check the forecast
CH
Switzerland · ≈ 4 m members
- Currency CHF, set once
- Hochdeutsch copy, often EN too
- Not EU, but the inbox opt-in rule applies
- Own data-protection law (nDSG)
- Sponsored Messaging in the EEA + Switzerland: paused Jan 2022; since Oct 2024 message/conversation ads serve only to members who opted in to ads in their inbox. Audience sizes are smaller; don't promise inbox reach in Germany.
- Groups targeting is unavailable for EU members (Digital Services Act, 2023); age/gender targeting restricted. Ads Library shows every EU ad with targeting info.
- GDPR / DSGVO: Insight Tag and CAPI require consent management (CMP) — expect legal to ask. Hashed uploads only; Lead Gen Forms need a Datenschutz URL; downstream double opt-in for newsletters.
- Impressum and Datenschutzerklärung are legally required on German company Pages/landing pages; UWG rules on comparative and superlative claims ("Nr. 1") cause ad rejections.
- Language: separate ad sets for German and English profiles; formal Sie in copy unless the brand is clearly casual; Swiss German clients often prefer Hochdeutsch copy with CHF pricing; Austria: German with local references.
- Currency: account currency EUR (DE/AT) or CHF (CH) — set once, cannot be changed.
- Calendar: Q4 budgets freeze from mid-December; Feiertage differ by Bundesland; trade-fair calendar (Hannover Messe, DMEXCO Cologne, OMR Hamburg, IAA, bauma, MEDICA) drives burst campaigns.
- Buyer culture: Mittelstand values proof, references, Datenschutz, and long-term relationships; decision cycles are longer, buying groups larger; expect Betriebsrat/works-council sensitivity around employee data (Sales Navigator, Recruiter).
- Invoicing: many DACH enterprises buy on IO with invoicing (Rechnung) rather than credit card; procurement (Einkauf) and Rahmenverträge matter.
Remember
- Separate ad sets for German and English profiles.
- Hashed uploads, consent management for the tag, privacy URL on forms — have the Datenschutz answer ready.
- DACH buys on invoice (IO) through procurement; expect longer cycles and bigger buying groups.