It really is ok to boost a post on Facebook. Some people are surely asking, “What? Is she crazy? Is she a bad ads manager? Is there something wrong with her?”
Many people would think the statement above is digital advertising heresy. My ads manager friends might start praying for me the minute they read this. Digital marketers everywhere love to talk about how bad it is to boost a post. Guess what? It’s not that awful. In fact, there are times when I recommend it.
When is it OK to boost a post on Facebook?
- When you aren’t trying to spend a lot of money. (Under $200) If you’re just trying to get extra eyes on a Facebook or Instagram post, it’s fine to boost it. I’m thinking about our local Lacrosse club that is currently advertising their tryouts this weekend. They just want to make sure that interested families in our region see the reminder about tryouts. We’re a small-ish town. They don’t need a big expensive campaign to get their ad in front of people. Boosting a post in that situation is fine.
- When you want some information about whether or not people like your content. Sometimes you are just trying to see which piece of content resonates with people. Boosting two posts that feature two different articles to find out which article people like better makes all sorts of sense.
When is it NOT OK to boost a post?
- When you are trying to get people to take a specific action (like sign up or buy). The Facebook Ads Manager software is very powerful. Facebook can often tell whether people are likely to a. make a purchase, b. sign up or c. just click. With Ads Manager you can ask Facebook to send you the people who are more likely to take the action that you want. You’re wasting your money if you want people to buy a specific product but you’re only boosting a post. If you are trying to grow your email list, you should not be boosting a post.
- When you want to spend more than $200 in a week. People who are going to consistently spend money on Facebook are going to get better results when they use ads manager. Ads Manager has better tools that let you make sure you’re not wasting your money on people who will never respond to your ad. If you’re going to spend more than a couple hundred dollars, it’s worth investing in a simple course to learn ads. I have several to choose from, depending on your skill level. (Ask me about ADvisory, coming out in just a few weeks!)
- When you know how to use ads manager. I haven’t boosted a post since I learned how to use Ads Manager, so probably since about 2017. Boosting a post when you know how to use ads manager is like driving the beat-up 1989 Honda Civic when you have a shiny new Tesla in the driveway next to it. The Honda will get you there, but why bother when you’ve got the Tesla?
Confession time:
Raise your hand if you’ve ever boosted a post? My hand is up high. It’s all I did for my first couple of years in content marketing. It’s all I knew how to do. The post-boosting feature on Facebook is designed for beginners. It’s perfect for beginners. Beginners should boost their posts.
But the minute you move past beginner and start trying to spend more on Facebook, you need to start using Facebook Ads Manager to buy Facebook & Instagram ads. I would love to help you figure it out. Learn more about the coaching and courses I offer to help you here.