This month we will do a deeper dive into the differences between taking out ads and boosting posts on Facebook.

Most of you know or have heard how effective Facebook advertising is for bringing in new customers. However, there is quite a bit of confusion around the topic, especially when it comes to Facebook advertising versus boosting posts.

Let’s get into the meat and potatoes of the primary differences between boosting a post and taking out an ad on Facebook.

Boosting is Basic

Facebook offers four simple choices when you boost a post.

• Who do you want to reach?
• What is your max budget?
• How long do you want to boost the post?
• What is your goal?

As a simpler way of advertising, boosting posts on Facebook is effective. You are paying money to have your post seen by a larger audience. To be clear, boosting posts is a form of advertising. One bonus of boosting posts is that you don’t need a larger budget to be effective. You can boost a post for 24 hours or only spend $5.00, and your post will be seen. Boosting a post is easy, fast, and effective; however, it does not provide a deep dive into your demographic and analytics.

A primary difference between a boosted post and an ad is that your post originally started out organically as a post on your business page.

A Facebook Ad is more than a Fad

Facebook ads are different from a boosted post, as the ad was never a post and will not show up on your wall. A true ad on Facebook will live within Meta Business Suite or Facebook Business Manager, depending on your update. With a Facebook Ad, you have a much more dynamic interface that allows you to dive deeper into your target audience along with many more features and options. 

A true Facebook ad originates and lives within Facebook’s Business Manager or the Meta Business Suite. These two platforms are quite advanced, allowing you to maneuver through organic posts, your business page, and paid advertising.

Both types of advertising are effective and recommended 

At Bird’s iSocial, we boost posts and take out ads for our clients frequently and recommend using both.

Why boost your post?

Well, if you have a small budget, say under $100. Or, if you want to float your post in front of a larger audience, then boosting is for you. When you create a post, it is usually only seen by 20% of your audience without a bost. If your goal is to target those who already like your page or you want to promote for a small window of time, boosting is for you. And, if you simply want to tackle marketing yourself without enlisting a professional, we recommend that you boost your posts.

When and why you want to take out a Facebook Ad

If you have a specific goal in mind and want to track it, measure your return on investment for your marketing, create a specific call-to-action or want to target a specific demographic, then taking out a Facebook ad is the way to go.

When your goal is to get more people to like your page, make an appointment with you, sign up for your email list, sign up for a class or call you, then a traditional Facebook ad is right for you.

When you take out a Facebook ad, you have options to enhance and optimize them geared toward specific outcomes called “objectives.”

With Facebook advertising, you can optimize and tailor ads for people who meet your desired demographic; Facebook floats your ad to people who meet your criteria and are likely to ‘like’ your page or click your link.

If you are interested in diving deeper into your ads insights, Meta pixel is code placed on your page that allows Facebook to follow people after leaving Facebook and into your website ‘property’.

to like a page. If you are running an ad designed to get people to click a link, they will show the ad to people who both meet your criteria and are also likely to click a link.

You Want To Measure ROI – Facebook ads have an advanced set of insights (analytics) that allow you to see how effective your ads are performing. These insights are driven by the Meta Pixel. This pixel is code that you intentionally place on your website or landing page, allowing Facebook to see what happens once people leave Facebook and go to your web property. Rest assured that without intentionally embedding this pixel onto your website, there is no way to track this data.

In summary, boosting posts is excellent to market to your current audience, and ads are perfect for marketing to the audience you want.

Please keep in mind that Facebook is continually updating its platforms and may update post boosting and ad policies and procedures.

As you can see, boosting posts and taking out ads on Facebook are both highly effective, yet it is important you are using each of these for the right purpose. If you have any questions or would like help with your social media accounts, turn to the professionals at Bird’s iSocial. We are here to help!