One of the most common questions we get about paid social is “Why should we run a full campaign if boosting a post can do the same thing in a fraction of the time?”
To put it simply – boosting a post is not the same as running a full campaign.
A boost is a very quick way to get your content in front of a lot of people, but a paid social campaign has different mechanisms under the hood designed to achieve specific results.
When exactly should you boost, and when is it better to switch to Ads Manager?
Boosting is a great way of giving an existing organic post a bit more reach. You've created the content, it's doing pretty well and you want to extend its reach, and sometimes, that's all you need. If you're a local business promoting a store opening, an upcoming event or something community related, a boost can be a straightforward way to get the message in front of more people. It's also useful for amplifying content that's already generating plenty of engagement organically. Think of it as giving your post a microphone. You're making more noise, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're reaching the right people or encouraging them to take action.
When is it best to use Ads Manager?
If you've got a more specific goal such as generating website visits, leads or purchases, then putting budget into a boost isn’t going to be a particularly efficient use of your money. These types of campaigns need a specific set up to achieve their goal and this is where ads manager shines!
It gives you much greater control over targeting, placements, creative, budgets and, importantly, what Meta is optimising towards. You can build custom audiences, create lookalikes, exclude existing customers, test different creative and optimise campaigns towards meaningful actions such as landing page views, leads or purchases.
What's our advice?
We're certainly not saying never boost a post. There are plenty of occasions when it makes sense, particularly for local businesses or when you want to give successful organic content a bit more attention. For example, if a supermarket wants to promote a new store opening, boosting an organic post to people nearby could work perfectly well.
However, if the same supermarket wants to increase online sales, we'd recommend a sales campaign in Ads Manager, with the right conversion tracking in place.
Think of boosting as a Swiss Army knife. Handy for a few jobs, but if you’ve got a bigger project, you'll need a bigger toolbox, so if you're putting budget behind social media and expecting it to deliver something tangible for the business, then our recommendation would be to run a structured campaign via Ads Manager.
If you’re STILL unsure, then ask yourself one question:
“Am I trying to get more people to see this post, or do I want to get more people to do something?”
There's a difference, and knowing what your aims are will help you decide on the right course of action.
Contact us to explore how equimedia can help you use your marketing budget to drive the results your business needs.
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| Author | Rhiannon Bull |
| Channel | Media |