Facebook Campaigns: Should You Boost or Build?

When it comes to social media advertising, many brands turn to Facebook. It might be one of the oldest social channels, but its audience continues to grow, with two billion users worldwide in 2017.

Facebook offers several different advertising options, including boosting a post or building a top-to-bottom Facebook ad. But what’s the difference? And when should you use each?

What Is a Boosted Post?

A boosted post is an easy way to get more people to see your post. You simply create a post, click “Boost Post” from your timeline, and choose an audience. You can choose “People who like your page and their friends” or “People you choose through targeting.”

The targeting option is usually best, because you don’t know if your fans’ friends are interested in your product or not.

You can select specific targeting options, including location, age, gender, and up to 10 interests. You’ll set a budget, and that’s that. The whole process takes seconds.

It’s best to use a boosted post if you need to create an ad fast and want a quick hit of website traffic.

What’s a Promoted Post?

A promoted post is an ad you build in Facebook Ads Manager. It’s part of your long-term, on-going marketing strategy and is the best option for serious marketers looking for results.

It’s more time intensive than boosting, but you have more control over who sees the ad, and your budget.

Once you create an ad account, Facebook asks you to pick an objective for your ad. You can choose from options such as brand awareness or lead generation.

You’ll set targeting options next, which include more in-depth choices than a boosted post. You also have more financial control, as you can set a budget and bidding options.

Next, you’ll create, publish, and track the ad’s performance.

It’s best to use a promoted post if you have time to dedicate to the advertising process, want more control over targeting and budget, and want to increase traffic strategically.

Planning and Execution

It’s important to have a plan when you advertise on Facebook. Set goals, decide which metrics you’ll use to determine an ad’s success, and start with a small budget until you have some experience.