The godfather of social media platforms. The mother of opportunities. And the right-hand man of sales. Facebook can do it all. But like with most things in life, if you want to make the most of the opportunities offered by Facebook, you need to start by learning how to use it – and this goes way beyond finding the publish post button.
One area of Facebook which is often thought to be overwhelming is paid ads: this is where virtual meets reality. The idea of handing over your hard-earned money when you have little or no idea what the outcome might be is terrifying. But sometimes in life, you have to take risks. That said, you can turn these ‘risks’ into ‘opportunities’ simply by taking the time to understand how best to invest your money. And in this case, we are referring to recognising when to use boosted posts and paid ads on Facebook.
What are boosted posts?
Picture this: you’ve created a killer piece of content, spent hours designing the asset and nailing the copy, only for no one to see it (that one guaranteed like from your over-supportive parent doesn’t count). So now what? The good news is, not all is lost. Thanks to boosted posts on Facebook, you now have an opportunity to extend your reach and get your post the engagement it deserves.
A boosted post does what it says on the tin: they boost organic posts from your timeline to a selected target audience. If you’re starting out with ads, boosted posts are a great stepping stone. They require very little budget and are relatively easy to get started with. However, because of their simplicity, your targeting options are limited, as are your objective and placement options.
What to keep in mind when using boosted posts
As we’ve already mentioned, you don’t need to be an advertising expert to get started with boosted posts, however, you do need to know what you want to achieve. As a general rule, before boosting a post, you should ask yourself the following questions:
- What target audience are you trying to reach?
- What is your budget for the post?
- When do you want to boost your post and how long for?
What are paid ads?
If you are looking to get specific (and we mean really specific) Facebook paid ads are for you. Created via ads manager, Facebook ads offer businesses fully customisable solutions designed to help reach the goals and audience’s that matter most.
Things to consider when using Facebook paid ads
One of the biggest advantages of using Facebook paid ads over boosted posts is the extensive targeting options available – so make sure you use them effectively. Ensure you have a clear idea of who you want your ad to reach and tailor your content and targeting accordingly. Equally, you need to think about your desired outcome. Decide on your objective early and stick with it. It’s no good telling Facebook you want to achieve one thing and producing content designed to help you achieve another – and don’t forget to add a compelling CTA button! Lastly, make sure to take advantage of Facebook’s range of ad placement options, including Messenger ads, Instagram Story ads and News Feed ads.
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. As with most things in life, there are some drawbacks of Facebook paid ads too. For starters, you need to know what you’re doing to achieve your desired results – and it can be complicated. You also don’t have the option of boosting an existing post, so any engagement ads won’t show up on your page. And, they can be expensive.
To boost or to ad?
Now, time to answer the million-dollar question: are Facebook paid ads worth it or are you better to befriend the boost button? Well, in truth, there is no right or wrong answer. It all depends on your situation.
If you are looking to drive post engagement, build brand awareness, boost site traffic and increase your visibility, boosted posts are a cost-effective way to do just that. If you are looking to convert website traffic, generate new leads, boost traffic to your website or drive video views, then Facebook ads are likely better suited to your situation.
If you need a helping hand with your paid ads (Facebook and beyond), get in touch today to organise your free consultation with one of our marketing experts and discover how we can help your business reach its full potential.
