Have you boosted a post on Facebook or Instagram recently? If you have, or if you’re wondering if boosting a post is worth it, then you’re going to want to keep reading.
We are here to tell you: STOP boosting posts! If you are going to spend money on social media marketing, the best thing you can do is create a unique ad.
Before you roll your eyes and click away – we have 3 key reasons why you should not be boosting posts but instead creating social media ads.
Boosting Posts: It’s a Trap!
As a small business owner, you are likely very busy. It may seem easy to simply push the Boost button and consider it a marketing “job well done”. However, as a small business owner you are also likely trying to make the most out of your investments. Simply put, there are more effective ways to spend the money you are spending when you boost a Facebook or Instagram post. For small businesses that are looking to stretch their marketing budgets, boosting a post is NOT a good strategy.
sWhen you boost a post you do not get to target a specific audience or make any of the other targeting specifications that come with creating an ad. This means that while you are reaching a wider audience – you have no idea if those people are actually interested in what your small business offers or not. It is like closing your eyes before you throw a dart and simply trusting yourself that you’ll hit the bullseye (which if you can do this, kudos to you). So yes, boosting a post is easy, BUT it is not effective and a waste of money for small businesses.
Let’s talk about what boosting posts is actually good for. Increasing post engagement and raising brand awareness. While this boost in comments, shares, likes, etc., may seem like a win – does that translate to sales? Most likely it will not. These numbers are what we call vanity metrics – yes they look and feel good, but are they actually helping you reach your goal for the marketing initiative? (Hence why an ad that is designed to convert to sales is the best use of your money.) And while brand awareness is important, most small businesses do not have the luxury of funneling money into marketing initiatives with ONLY that goal in mind.
There’s No Drive to Action!
Meta’s goal when a post is boosted is to simply show the content to as many people as possible. Which is great. Except there is no action! The post is not going to drive people to go to your online store, or to purchase an item. Creating a customized ad will allow you to drive your target audience to action – and will likely cost you around the same amount of money. Not to mention, an ad will include a call to action button while a regular post will not.
You Don’t Get A Choice
At the end of the day, the main difference between a boosted post and an ad is customization. When boosting posts you have very limited say as to how your money is being spent. The three main examples are:
With boosting posts you can specify the age, gender, and interest of the target audience. That’s it. However, when you create an ad you can specify: age, gender, interest, location, language, and behaviors. This allows you to narrow down your audience and be more targeted (and effective) with your budget.
When it comes to delivery location, you are limited as well. Your boosted post will only be visible on Instagram, Facebook desktop, and Facebook mobile. An ad can be visible on the following: Instagram, Facebook desktop, Facebook mobile, Instagram stories, Facebook side ads, and audience networks. You can even specify which locations you do or don’t want your ad to be displayed on.
Again, boosted posts are only for brand awareness. They do not include “call to actions”, while an ad does. With an ad, you can specify which “call to action” to focus on – which allows you to drive traffic to your desired result.
eAt the end of the day, boosted posts are just not as effective as social media ads. As small business owners, we are trying to make the most out of our limited budget – and a boosted post is just a waste of hard earned money.
Did you find this content useful? Check out our other free resources.
Feel free to share your thoughts with me, I can be reached at vivian@theseasonedmarketer.com!
Looking for more free marketing tips and content specifically for small business owners? Check out our podcast, S.O.B. Marketing Podcast. Every Wednesday we discuss a new topic to help small business owners take on marketing on their own. Listen to our episode of the S.O.B. Marketing podcast wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube! Have a topic you want us to discuss? Email us at Help@TheSeasonedMarketer.com!
Interested in elevating your event marketing game? Check out our FREE mini training course! Learn 3 mistakes you could possibly be making that are impacting your participation in events, craft fairs, and pop-ups. Not only is this training course FREE, but you will get a special discount at the end for our new course, ROCK YOUR FAIR! Click here to check it out.
Recent Comments