Your marketing manager has told you’ve got a new client and that you’ve got $100 to spend on Facebook for their new product. Your boss knows that Facebook is the best place to spend this advertising budget but has one question for you: Facebook Boosts vs Facebook Ads?
What’s Your Objective?
Most digital marketing campaigns have an overall objective. It’s not always about selling. Sometimes it could be data capture or raising awareness via a video view. Whatever your objective, it’s best practice to be very clear about them BEFORE you open up your Facebook Ad Account.
Facebook Boosts
Boosts are a cool way for page admins to optimise their organic page content. When you hit boost you are telling Facebook that your main objective is awareness and engagement. You’re not giving Facebook any clear instructions as to what you want your content to do.
So Facebook presents your content in a variety of ways to lots of different people. For the most part, publishers get social proof on their page via page post engagement (comments, likes, shares). Occasionally publishers will get web traffic and in other situations they would get page likes as well. That’s a nice and roundabout way of saying you don’t really know what is going to happen but it would all be positive in a variety of ways.
These are all great outcomes from your boost but what if you actually just wanted to sell something or to get people to take a very specific action? You couldn’t really do this with Facebook Boost with any control. You’re at the mercy of Facebook and their engagement metrics.
Facebook Ads
When you do have a clear objective like selling, Facebook Ads would be a better way of ensuring you get the most return on your investment. Using the Facebook Ads Manager platform allows marketers to target audiences in a variety of ways not available in boosts. Facebook also does a great job of positioning your content in a way that gives readers a clearer understanding of your objective.
Your content can appear in lots of different places on your computer and mobile device screens as well. Remember, there are over 16 different placements for ad copy on Facebook. Everything from timelines to Instagram stories. It’s all possible with Facebook Ads.
Facebook Boosts vs Facebook Ads
So how long is a piece of string? You can’t answer that question so being able to do the same with Facebook’s advertising options can be tough. At LeftLane we’re able to help clients decide what is best for their paid media management. Sometimes boosts are the best option. Your content get lots of engagement and maybe you get some website traction. The big winner is the various engagement benefits you would get for not a lot of money.
But sometimes after the comments, likes and shares are done, you just want to see how great your product or service will sell. Then your ads will drive the best value and the supporting metrics will help you to decide if your campaigns are performing well for you.
Whatever you choose on Facebook Boosts vs Facebook Ads, you can be comfortable in the knowing that you can’t go completely wrong with choosing one over the other.