Categories we don't run
- Adult content, gambling, and political advertising.
- Crypto, investment offers, and multi-level marketing.
- Medical and supplement claims — including hair-regrowth, anti-aging, and other drug-adjacent product claims. Injectables and med-spa offers are case-by-case, and we lean no.
- CBD and cannabis.
- Competing directories and booking platforms.
- Fake urgency, fake reviews, and any “#1” or “best in Spokane” style claim.
Identity verification
We verify that the advertiser is who they say they are: the destination domain has to plausibly match the business, and for service providers and schools we check Washington licensure where it applies. If we can't verify the business behind an ad, it doesn't run.
Images
You must own the rights to every image you submit, and any identifiable person pictured must have given written consent for its use in advertising. Before/after imagery is allowed only with typical-results framing — never as a promised outcome. No stock watermarks, no celebrity likeness.
The firewall
Here is the firewall: the ranking order is never for sale. No stylist or salon can buy a higher organic position — profiles rank on merit alone, full stop. What providers can buy is a clearly-labeled Featuredplacement: it's tagged “Featured,” sits apart from the merit list, and never reorders it. So a Featured stylist stands out without ever outranking anyone on merit. Salons may also advertise in the Journal for recruiting — hiring stylists or renting chairs — where the audience is the trade, not the client.
Tone
An ad should read like the Journal it sits in: plain, confident, local. If it reads like a coupon mailer, we'll ask for a rewrite — or write it for you, which is included.
Report an ad
See something that doesn't meet these standards? Email mail@spokanehairdressers.com with the subject “Ad report,” or use the contact form. A credible report pauses the ad within 48 hours pending review.