Facebook Ads vs. Boosted Posts
Advertising in the Modern Age
Image courtesy of Austin Distel.
How and where to spend your ad dollars is a crucial decision every business must make. As media has shifted, effective ad campaigns have followed eyeballs from magazines to billboards to television. Now, there are 2.89 billion active Facebook and 1.39 billion active Instagram users per month—that’s a lot of eyeballs. It is imperative for every company to consider the best ways to reach this massive built-in audience.
The easiest way to take advantage of these active users is by working with Meta (the recently re-named parent company of Facebook and Instagram) directly. Fortunately, Meta has tools accessible for business pages to create ads and boosted posts. Ads and boosted posts may sound similar, but they are actually unique actions you can take through the platform. Let’s dive into the pros and cons of both to find out what type of Facebook ad campaign is right for you!
Benefits of Facebook Boosted Posts
A Boosted Post is exactly what it sounds like: a normal post on your feed that, for a small fee, will be promoted to an audience you can choose.
The best attribute of Boosted Posts is their simplicity. It takes just a few minutes to set up an ad account and then you can begin boosting whichever posts you want. Often, when you have a post that is doing particularly well, Facebook or Instagram will suggest you boost the post for even further exposure (see the screenshot below). We all love the idea of growing our audience organically through Facebook and Instagram, but sometimes the algorithm needs a little help to get the gears turning.
Another benefit of Boosted Posts is apart from simply getting more attention and eyeballs to your page, is you can choose the exact types of people who will receive the Boosted Post in their feed. With three clicks you are able to specify audiences by their interests, age and gender.
Benefits of Facebook Ads
Now, Facebook Ads are similar to Boosted Posts in the way a computer is similar to a typewriter. Both have the ability to communicate and preserve information, but the options and creativity available to the former greatly outpaces the latter.
All Facebook Ads will be created within the Ads Manager, a native plugin that lets you build carousel ads, descriptions and even specific call-to-action buttons (like “Buy Now”) that can really take your advertising to the next level.
The targeting of Facebook Ads can be incredibly precise. While Boosted Posts enable you to specify audiences by interests, age and gender, Facebook Ads allow you to create overlapping audiences and dial in demographics. Additionally, you can choose placements for Facebook Ads to be displayed outside of users’ main feed (such as side ads, Messenger ads, Instant Articles, and more).
Image courtesy of Alexander Shatov.
Which Is Right For You?
To break it down as simply as possible, Boosted Posts are easier to deploy. While Facebook Ads take more time to set up, the precision they provide may be worth the time invested when it comes to effectively utilizing your marketing budget.
If you’re simply trying to grow your page by gaining more followers and increasing engagement, or if there’s one post that is already performing really well, Boosted Posts are a great choice. If you’re rolling out a specific campaign that requires an attention to detail, Facebook Ads will provide you the control you need.
Update Your Digital Marketing
Meerkat Media Group has a vast range of experience with everything from daily content creation to complete brand marketing. If you’re looking for guidance on how to effectively navigate Facebook Advertising, we’re here to help. Contact us, today, to learn how to take your take your digital marketing to the next level!
