3 Important Reasons Why You Should NOT Boost a Facebook post

Are you worried that your Facebook or Instagram posts are not getting as much engagement and attention as you want?

Well, you’re not the only one with that concern. In fact, did you know that these days organic posts on a Facebook Page range around only 5.20%? That means that if you have a small audience of 1,000 on Facebook, your posts are reaching just about 52 of those fans. It’s no wonder more and more people are looking into spending on Facebook Ads.

However, diving straight into digital advertising can be shaky, especially if you’ve never done it before. What makes it even worse is when Facebook nudges you to “Boost a Post” just so that your posts can get more reach and engagement.

Yes, boosting a post can give you a lot more attention and engagement. However, the question you have to ask yourself is, “Is it the right kind of engagement? Am I reaching my ideal customers, or just some random strangers on Facebook?”

So while boosting your Facebook posts are an okay way to dip your toe into Facebook Ads, they might not have the power and specificity that you need to really grow and scale your business.

So here are the 3 reasons why you shouldn’t boost your Facebook posts, and why advertising through Facebook Ads Manager is 1,000x better.

 

1. Ads Manager has Advanced Targeting

One of the things you’ll miss out on if you’re just boosting a post is the advanced targeting capabilities of Facebook Ads Manager.

Boosting a post allows you to target specific audiences that are within your reach. You can choose what demographics your ideal customer belongs to and what interests they have that are related to your business.

If you’re in the health and fitness industry, for example, boosting allows you to target people who are interested in: bodybuilding, running, weight training, physical fitness, or physical exercise.

Facebook Ads Manager, on the other hand, contains a much more comprehensive list of interests and demographics, not to mention the fact that you can create Custom and Lookalike audiences.

Custom Audiences can be the people that visited your website in the last 30 or 60 days. They can be a list of email addresses you have of your existing customers. They can also be the users that have engaged with your Facebook posts or page.

Targeting Custom Audiences allows you to create more touch points between you and people who aren’t very familiar with your brand just yet. You can help them become more and more familiar over time, until they reach a point where they’re ready to do business with you.

Another target audience you’ll be missing out on if you’re just boosting posts are the Lookalike Audiences.

Lookalike Audiences created from your Custom Audiences. If you have a Custom Audience of users who have clicked on your ads and visited your website in the last 90 days, for example, you can create another audience of people who share similar interests and behaviours as those who clicked, and serve them your ads as well. This is a Lookalike Audience.

 

2. Customising Your Ad and Ad Placements

One other thing that’s lacking when you’re just boosting a post is the opportunity to choose which ad spaces you want your ads shown.

If you know that the majority of your audience engages with you on your smartphones, for example, you’ll be able to target just mobile phones. Being specific in this sense allows you to be able to spend your advertising budget wisely and practically. If you know that your audience doesn’t engage with you as much on Desktop, then you might as well optimise your ads for mobile instead.

Facebook Ads Manager also allows you to choose where on Facebook and Instagram, specifically you want to serve your ads. Are your ads meant mainly for the feed, as Stories, as video in-stream ads? This is something you want to consider, especially if you want to get the most out of your ad spend.

 

3. Split-Testing and Campaign Budget Optimisation

One other thing that’s not available if you’re just boosting posts is A/B Testing. As much as possible you want to be testing different variations of the ad that you’re serving so that you can figure out the best way to engage with your audience. 

This is important, especially if you’re just starting out trying to figure out what your audience responds to. Do they swarm around before-and-after photos of your clients? Is it client video testimonials or case studies that get the most engagement? Ads Manager is where you can test all that and study and analyse the results.

Not every business has a big amount to spend on ads. If you’re on a tight budget and you believe that automation is the future, the Campaign Budget Optimisation feature on Ads Manager is also a big help.

When you turn on Campaign Budget Optimisation, you’re putting your trust in Facebook’s algorithm to go and figure out for itself which ad creative, copy, and audience can get you the most results.

If you have $30 a day to spend on ads, for example, and you want to test out 5 different ads, the Campaign Budget Optimisation feature automates the entire process and distributes ad spend based on what it determines to be the most effective and efficient ad creative. And Facebook’s algorithm is only getting smarter as time passes.

If you’re a small business owner, then every dollar counts. You want to get the most out of your ad spend, especially if you’re on a tight budget. That’s why it’s much better to run your ads through Facebook Ads Manager, rather than just boost a post.

We understand, though, that for business owners, the user interface of Facebook Ads Manager can be overwhelming. But that’s where agencies like ours come into the picture!

If you’re looking for seasoned experts to help you get started with Facebook advertising, feel free to contact us today! Our lines are always open to help small businesses achieve amazing results.

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