One of the common questions we see regarding Facebook advertising is the difference between boosting Facebook posts and creating an ad. As Facebook focuses on the quality of content that appears in users’ news feeds, organic reach has decreased.
Organic reach is the free way to reach your company’s fans on Facebook. Paid reach includes Facebook Ads and boosted posts, which is what we’re discussing here.
The option to boost your posts seems enticing, because increased likes and comments are a good thing, right? Not quite! But before we get to the alternative, let’s talk about what boosting Facebook posts can do.
The Benefits of Boosting Facebook Posts
Boosting Facebook Posts Increases Post Engagement
One of the benefits of boosting your Facebook post is increased post engagement. This means that as more people see the post, more users will interact with it. This means clicking the link, reacting, commenting, or sharing.
This also means that you’re boosting a post to those who have already liked your page. These users are already fans of your company, and don’t need any convincing. However, they will see your posts in their news feed more often.
Boosting Facebook Posts Is Affordable
The days of limited marketing options are over, and Facebook is an excellent way to advertise on a budget. While the cost can vary, $5 can often boost your post to reach well over 1,200 users.
By creating a combination of boosted posts and ads, you can effectively use just a few hundred dollars a month to increase your exposure on Facebook. For small businesses with a tight marketing budget, the growth of Facebook marketing has become a key way to attract new business.
Why You May Want to Reconsider Boosting Posts
This Only Boosts Facebook Post Engagement
Even though it may sound beneficial to have increased post engagement, that’s the only benefit. When creating a Facebook ad, you have a number of different objectives. But when you boost your Facebook post, you’re spending your ad budget on a single post, instead of a targeted ad that could better serve your purposes.
While seeing those green numbers increase in your Page Manager is encouraging, these are what some marketers refer to as “vanity metrics”. Increasing the number of people interacting with your page is beneficial, but rarely will it convert Facebook users to paying customers.
You Can’t Choose Another Goal for Your Post
When you create a Facebook ad, you have the chance to choose from a number of objectives. This helps focus the ad’s reach towards the right set of users, making it a more effective advertising option.
This can be overwhelming, but it comes down to the three main categories mentioned above. Do you want to increase knowledge about your company, increase the number of people interacting with your ad, or focus on converting users to customers?
Facebook uses this information to determine who sees your ad and how the ad itself is formatted, so it’s important to choose the right one. When you know what you want to get out of your Facebook marketing dollars, you’ll be able to better focus your ad.
When choosing to boost a post, regardless of the content, Facebook automatically chooses to focus on interactions, including likes, shares, and comments.
There are a number of ways to market your small business on Facebook, and the choices can seem overwhelming. Boosting posts are less targeted, and can be a less effective way of spending your ad budget. Instead, using Facebook’s Ad Manager can create some truly effective advertising based on your objective.
If you would like to work with someone to maximize the effectiveness of your Facebook ads, give us a call at (415) 640-8009, or email us.
Marc Apple
Digital Strategist
I like inbound marketing strategy, creative design, website development, analytics, and organic and paid search. That's what I write about.
