Boosting your Instagram Posts vs Meta Ads
Boosting your Instagram Posts vs Meta Ads
Before diving into advertising on platforms like Instagram or Facebook, it is crucial that businesses define their distinct advertising objectives. Whether it's boosting a post or crafting a tailored ad, each approach should align with your specific goals, ensuring maximum effectiveness in reaching the intended audience. Let us break it down for you! Boosted posts are very easy for social advertisers to get started with, but it's important to understand how they work and what they can do for you and your brand/business. You should know that boosted posts have limits compared to other types of social ads.
What is the difference between the two?
Boosted posts typically begin as regular, everyday content, while other social ads are crafted from the ground up using specialized tools like Meta Ads Manager. Boosted posts are super easy to create – just a few clicks, and you're done! On the flip side, crafting other social ads involves a bit more complexity and requires you to navigate through additional steps to kick off your campaign. The trade-off here is that social ads provide a wider range of formats and objectives than boosted posts. Most businesses can find value in both boosted posts and social ads. However, if you're new to social advertising or part of a smaller team, you might find boosted posts more accessible and suitable.
Understanding Boosted Posts
Boosting a post is pretty straightforward – just pick a few basic targeting options and set a budget. Boosting will help your post reach a wider audience and typically helps to increase likes, comments, website taps, and profile visits. Boosted posts can include text, images, or videos – just like your usual content. It's an easy way to get your message out there and get more eyes on your content! However, it's essential to recognize that boosted posts have limitations. While they can increase your post's visibility, they may not be as effective at driving specific actions, such as website visits or lead generation, compared to more targeted ad campaigns.
Boosting a post allows you to specify three key aspects:
Target Audience: Select the specific demographics or interests of the audience you wish to engage with.
Budget: Decide on the total amount you're willing to invest for your campaign. We typically recommend $50 at the very least,
Duration: Choose the timeframe during which your ad will be visible to your selected audience once approved, starting from the moment you hit "Boost Post Now". We recommend that the boosted post is set to run for 7 days!
Understanding Social Media Ads
On the other hand, social media ads offer greater control and customization options. Unlike boosted posts, which are essentially amplified versions of organic content, ads are created from scratch using dedicated advertising tools provided by the platform.
With Meta ads, you can design campaigns tailored to your specific goals, whether it's increasing website traffic, generating leads, or driving sales. You have access to advanced targeting options, including custom audiences and lookalike audiences, allowing you to refine your targeting for maximum effectiveness.
The process of creating a social ad contrasts with creating a boosted post. Rather than initiating with content and assigning a budget and goal, you begin by defining your goal and budget, then integrate your content accordingly.
Choosing the Right Approach
So, when should you boost a post, and when should you run an ad? It ultimately depends on your objectives and budget. Boosted posts are ideal for increasing visibility and engagement with your existing audience or reaching a broader audience with general content.
On the other hand, if you have specific goals, such as driving conversions or capturing leads, investing in a targeted ad campaign may yield better results. While ads may require more time and resources to set up and manage, they offer greater control and potential for achieving your desired outcomes!
Too busy to run & manage your business's ads? We’ll take care of it! Contact Sage Social today.
