To boost or to create ad, that is the question
If you have been using Facebook as a platform to market your business, you would have quickly learned that Facebook is very much a case of Pay-to-play. If you want to really unlock the marketing potential of Facebook for business, you’ll need to accept that you will have to part ways with a little doe. Without it, it’s a very slow, uphill struggle to gain real traction and engagement for your business using Facebook.
Unlike its visual counterpart, Instagram, it can be quite a slog to increase visibility, audience growth and engagement organically. Subtract the use of your carefully thought out 30 hashtags and you’re already at a disadvantage. By now you would have realized that a promotional spend on Facebook is pretty much essential. If you aren’t prepared to spend a little cashola on Facebook Ads, you’re wasting your time. Sounds brutal doesn’t it, but it’s true.
What is Boosting?
For argument sake, we are going to assume that you have seen the option to boost a post. You may have also noticed that if a post is performing well, Facebook will send you a notification to prompt you to Boost so its visibility is increased. A show of hands now; who has boosted because Facebook told you to (ahem, us too!), After all, who are we to argue with Facebook.
In a nutshell, Boosting a post is simply paying Facebook money to further its reach beyond your existing audience. It’s an entry level Facebook Ad, without the intimidation of Ads Manager. Boosting a post tends to be the first step a business takes when they embark on their Paid Facebook Marketing journey. It’s dabbling, but it isn’t diving in to discover the wonders beyond. It really isn’t that romantic.
To Boost a post, you can select the big blue “Boost” button at the bottom of every post. A series of options will present themselves. A “Call to Action” option allows you to select whether you want your audience to shop, call, follow a link, send a message etc. You can also select your target audience based on location, age, gender and interests. You then choose your budget and duration and away you go. Facebook just made more money! But did you?
While we still believe there is merit in boosting posts, the options for targeting and measuring optics are far more advanced when you Create an Ad via Ads Manager.
What is a Facebook Ad?
Facebook ads are a more advanced way to advertise on Facebook. Facebook ads allow you to target your content to a much more defined audience in various areas throughout Facebook’s network. When you stop running a Facebook ad, it ceases to exist – unlike a boosted post, which will remain on your Facebook Page.
Creating an Ad allows you to define your exact objective including lead generation and conversions. You can also select your placements which means that you get to decide WHERE your audience will see your Ad (i.e. Instagram Stories).
Another little beauty about the Facebook Ads Manager is Split Testing! Split testing (also known as A/B testing) is when you show two or more versions of an ad to similar audiences to see which one performs better for your chosen variable (how epic is that!). Providing your audience is large enough and you have some wiggle room to divvy up your ad, it’s a super duper efficient way to learn what it will take to stop the scroll and convert.
Use Facebook split testing to learn which creative, audience, delivery and placements are best for meeting your marketing goals.
The Nutshell
99.9% of the time, creating a more comprehensive Ad Campaign will be more effective. We’re not going to lie, it can be overwhelming AF to a not so savvy user but trial and error always prevails and to be honest, failing at Ads will only strengthen your future campaigns. Believe me, when we started the Ads dabble, it was an epic stab in the dark. Play around, research, implement split testing, find out what works for you.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy solution to increase engagement or if you want to promote a specific message, boosted posts can work. With our clients, we Boost posts such as events, announcements and user generated content. It works.
Need help with your Facebook Ads? Contact The Social Cue! We can discuss your strategy and go through a step-by-step guide to run a kick ass Ad Campaign.
UNTIL NEXT TIME.