Is it better to use Facebook Boost for Posts or Run Facebook Ads Campaign?

Let’s look at the pros and cons of Boosting Posts on Facebook and of Using Facebook Advertising Campaigns.

Those little ‘promote’ and ‘boost’ buttons on your Facebook and Instagram posts look so appealing, don’t they?

A quick, cheap and hassle-free way to get more business?

Yes, maybe. Or maybe not.

Here’s the thing. If you’re going to spend money boosting posts, you still need to be strategic. You need to know what you want to achieve and how to read the results, and before you part with any cash you should also weigh up whether you’d actually be better putting your money into ads created through Ads Manager – Facebook’s dedicated ad platform.

How do you decide between boosting a Facebook Post or using a Facebook Ads Campaign to Promote your business?

To help you reach the right decision for your business here are some pros and cons of both options. If you’re looking for any more clarification you are welcome to message me on Instagram or Facebook.

Before we start, “Boosting Posts” and “Promoting Posts” are one in the same thing.

Boosting/Promoting Facebook/Instagram Posts – the pros

 1     Boosting Facebook Posts is easy

Undeniably quick and easy – boosting posts won’t take a chunk out of your working day.

You can get more eyes on your business quickly and can attract people to engage with your Facebook page or Instagram profile. It’s really easy to work through Facebook’s step by step guide which helps you to boost posts.

2       Boosting Facebook Posts are a low-cost option

You don’t need to hire a professional and pay their fees to help you boost your Facebook posts. You don’t even need training, you’ll work it out for yourself in just a few minutes.

If you’re nervous about committing budget over an extended period, boosting is a good option. Thirty pounds over six days is a good place to start.

3     Facebook Boosting Gives You Options

The objectives and targeting of Facebook boosting are much better than they used to be. You can pick from a small range of options (such as asking for people to click on your link or watch your video).  You can also select your audience by location, age-range and some interests.

Boosting Facebook posts encourage engagement and build brand awareness for posts that may already be doing well.

Boosting Facebook Posts – The cons

1   You can’t promote any post

You need to choose carefully. If a post hasn’t done well organically, Facebook won’t want to show it to more people – even if you are prepared to pay!

Posts with plenty of social proof (likes, comments and shares) get the best results.

2    You might not get what you asked for

Whatever objective you pick, you’re likely to get likes and comments – but not necessarily the action you asked for.

Boosted posts definitely get engagement, but they don’t always create lots of website traffic, sign-ups or purchases.

3   It’s easy to waste a lot of money!

While boosted posts can get more eyes on your business, they don’t bring in the results that strategic, managed advertising can.

You may only be spending a fiver a day, but it all adds up and your spend may not get you the results you want.

It’s surprisingly easy to shell out as much on promoted posts as it is on a short, but much more targeted Facebook Advertising campaign.

Facebook Advertising campaigns – the pros

1   Facebook Ads Hit the Target (again and again)

The targeting in Facebook Ads manager is far superior to boosting options. You can select your chosen audience’s demographics, behaviours and interests – which can be from what music they like to which influencer pages they follow.

You can also ask Facebook to find the people most likely to take the action you want them to – such as watching a video or buying a product – and you can retarget people who have engaged with your brand both on and off the platforms.

2   You get more bang for your buck

The level of reporting and data that Facebook provides is amazing. This detailed info means you can see what’s working and what’s not and can improve your ads accordingly. The vital part of this is, first of all, to ensure that you have the Facebook Pixel installed on your website, from the data collected Facebook can track certain audiences that have visited your website through their platform and therefore, you can target whichever advertising campaigns you want them to see to them.

Ads have so much more potential for profit than a simple boosted post as well as the ability to be adjusted and tested with different wording and creative.

 3   You don’t have to do it yourself

This could be the best reason of all, you get to work with someone like me, ensuring you have time to work in your business!

An expert Facebook ads strategist can provide the service, running ads for you, saving you hours of time and stress. By getting to know your business, build your campaigns and ads, test and adjust to get the best results possible and report back to you without any strange Facebook-speak or jargon, it ensures that you gain the benefits of carefully built and managed campaigns without the stress.

If you are looking to increase your knowledge and see how Facebook Ad campaigns are set up and helped with a campaign, this is also a service that I offer.

Facebook Ad Campaigns – the cons

1  They’re a tough nut to crack

Getting down and dirty in Facebook Ads Manager is hard work. It’s complicated and you’ll need to put a lot of time in.

It’s wise to invest in training, otherwise, you can get out of your depth and waste a lot of money. Check out the nurture package available to those that are looking to run their own ads. By helping you set up (or audit) your Facebook Business and Ads Manager as well as giving you support on calls to build and maintain your first campaign, this can give you the direction and confidence that you need to run your own Facebook Advertising Campaigns.

Alternatively, you can invest in using a Facebook Ads strategist to set up and run campaigns for you, working alongside you to manage the budget and maximise the Return on Ad Spend.

2   They’re time-consuming

Even once you know how to use Ads Manager, it takes time to build campaigns, continually test ads and regularly monitor results. It can be hard to find those hours when you’re busy running a business.

It also takes time for Facebook’s algorithm to find the people you want to turn into customers. Ads usually take around 12 weeks to optimise and start getting the best results.

3   Loads of numbers to crunch

So. Much. Data! There’s a ton of it, and what does it all mean? The numbers are labelled with words, right enough – but it can be daunting if you don’t understand what you’re dealing with.

So what now – Facebook Boost or Facebook Ads Campaign?

If reading this has made you think twice about pressing that boost button, or you want to know more about running Facebook and Instagram Ads for your business, then get in contact.

With a wide range of services in digital marketing from 121 Power Hours to full Facebook Ad campaign strategy creation, implementation and management; there’s something to suit every budget.