With over 2.9 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world. For businesses looking to reach new customers and drive sales, Facebook ads can be an effective marketing strategy. However, with an ever-growing number of businesses advertising on Facebook, competition for attention is fierce. This leads many marketers to wonder – is paying to “boost” Facebook posts worth the additional cost?
What is Facebook boosting?
Facebook boosting refers to using Facebook’s advertising tools to increase the reach and visibility of a post. When you boost a post, you pay Facebook to show it to more people beyond those who already follow your page or would normally see it in their News Feed organically. Facebook displays boosted posts in the News Feeds of your target demographic based on location, age, interests and other factors. You can choose how much you want to spend to boost a post and how long you want it to run.
Benefits of Facebook boosting
There are several potential benefits that make boosting Facebook posts worthwhile for many businesses:
Increased reach
The primary benefit of boosting is that it gives your content and messages much wider exposure. Organic reach has declined in recent years as Facebook’s algorithm limits the percentage of followers that see page posts. Boosting allows you to get your content in front of a larger percentage of your target audience.
More engagement
In addition to a wider reach, boosted posts typically generate increased engagement in the form of likes, comments, shares and clicks. More people seeing your post means more opportunities for engagement.
Targeting capabilities
Facebook’s detailed targeting options allow you to hone in on very specific demographics that are more likely to be interested in your product or service. You can target by location, age, gender, interests, behaviors and other attributes to achieve better results from boosting.
Brand awareness
Boosting posts related to your brand, products, services, content and promotions can heighten awareness among your target audience. Even if they don’t engage directly, more people become familiar with your brand by seeing boosted posts.
Lead generation
Driving traffic to your website or landing pages through boosted link posts and ads can help generate more leads and convert them into customers. The additional reach and engagement from boosting can get your offers in front of more potential leads.
Sales
For ecommerce brands, boosting product posts or ads can directly influence sales. With purchase options directly in Facebook and Instagram, boosted posts can lead to more transactions.
Drawbacks of Facebook boosting
While the potential benefits are substantial, there are also some drawbacks to keep in mind:
Diminishing returns
The more you boost the same content, the less effective it becomes over time as people begin ignoring it. You need fresh content to keep boosting effective.
Narrower reach
Targeting very specific demographics can limit how many people have the potential to see your boosted posts. You may be excluding some potential customers even as you hone in on your ideal audience.
High cost for uncertain results
There are no guarantees with boosting. You may not achieve the results you expect for the amount of money spent. Testing different posts, audiences and strategies can increase costs further.
Less organic reach
Relying heavily on boosting can indirectly harm your organic reach over the long-term. Putting all your efforts into boosting may result in fewer followers actively engaging with your page organically.
Oversaturation
Too many boosted posts can overwhelm your audience with messaging. Keeping boosting focused and selective can help prevent fatigue.
Tips for effective Facebook boosting
To maximize your chances of success with Facebook boosting, keep these tips in mind:
Test different posts & target audiences
Find the best performing combinations by boosting a variety of post types and targeting options in small campaigns. Evaluate the results and scale up the most effective ones.
Focus on relevance & value
Boosted posts should offer something useful and relevant to your audience – entertaining or inspiring content, limited time offers, new product releases, etc.
Use visual content
Posts with images, video and other visual elements tend to get more engagement. Ensure boosted posts feature quality visuals.
Write compelling copy
Your text should instantly convey what the post is about and why the viewer should care or take action. Curiosity-sparking headlines and dynamic captions are key.
Call-to-action
Include a strong CTA to guide the viewer. Could be to read more, sign up, use a promo code, watch a video, etc. Make it crystal clear what action you want them to take.
Monitor performance
Check in regularly on your boosted posts’ reach, engagement rate, cost per result and conversion rates. Tweak targeting and creative based on results.
Set a budget
Decide the maximum amount you can spend per day or week to avoid ballooning costs. Maintain control over Facebook ad spending.
Time it strategically
Pay attention to when your audience is most active on Facebook and consider seasonal factors to time boosting for maximum impact.
Should you pay to boost Facebook posts?
Whether boosting Facebook posts is worth the investment comes down to a strategic evaluation of your marketing goals, target audience, content plan and budget. Here are a few key questions to help determine if you should be boosting posts for your business:
Do you need wider reach?
If you’re struggling to reach your target audience organically or want to increase brand awareness, boosting may be worthwhile to expand your reach.
Are you trying to increase engagement?
Boosting posts with social content, offers, and other compelling information can potentially amplify engagement.
Is lead generation a priority?
Boosted posts driving traffic to landing pages with lead gen forms can help acquire more leads cost-effectively.
Do you want to boost conversion rates?
Boosting product posts, promos or ads could provide a lift to your Facebook and Instagram shop conversion rates.
Can you create quality content frequently?
Regular fresh content is key to making boosting work, so assess if you have the resources for consistent content creation.
Do you have targeting expertise?
Your ability to laser target boosting to your ideal audience greatly impacts its effectiveness.
Can you accurately measure ROI?
If you lack clear measurement of key performance indicators, you won’t know if boosting delivers value.
Is it within your ad budget?
If you have ad budget room for experimenting with boosting, the additional cost may be justified.
Key takeaways
Here are the key points to keep in mind when evaluating using Facebook boosting:
- Boosting allows you to expand the reach of your posts beyond organic limits
- Wider reach typically translates into increased engagement and conversions
- Targeting options let you hone in on your ideal demographic
- Frequently changing creative and offers is needed to maintain results
- Meticulous targeting expertise and performance tracking are essential
- Budget caps must be set to avoid excessive ad spending
In most situations, moderate and strategic use of Facebook boosting can be beneficial. But it must be part of an omnichannel marketing strategy, with organic and paid efforts working together. With the right approach, investing in Facebook boosting can amplify your content reach and messaging, driving measurable business results.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to boost a Facebook post?
The cost of boosting a Facebook post varies depending on factors like your target audience size, length of the promotion and bid strategy. Most posts can be boosted for as little as $10 per day up to hundreds of dollars per day for larger brands.
What type of posts should you boost on Facebook?
Posts that attract engagement organically are good candidates for boosting. That typically includes visual content like videos, photos and graphics, entertaining or helpful posts, new product announcements, special deals, contest promotions, and seasonally relevant content.
How long should you boost a post?
Facebook recommends boosting posts for 3-7 days for the best results. Longer campaigns of 10-15 days can be effective for content with evergreen appeal. Keep the timeframe short enough to prevent ad fatigue.
When should you boost Facebook posts?
Pay attention to when your target audience is most active on Facebook and schedule boosts accordingly. For most brands, weekdays during working hours, evenings and weekends tend to perform best.
Can you boost old posts on Facebook?
Yes, you can boost posts that are over a year old. However, relevancy is key. Older evergreen posts may still resonate or you can give them new context, but boosting outdated content rarely performs well.
Do Facebook post boosts harm organic reach?
Relying solely on boosting without engaging your audience organically can indirectly hurt organic reach over time. Maintain a balance of quality organic content to support boosting.
Conclusion
Facebook boosting can be a cost-effective way to expand your reach, increase engagement, generate leads and drive sales. But it requires thoughtful strategy and performance tracking to maximize results. Approach boosting not as a standalone tactic, but as part of an integrated marketing mix. With strategic use of both organic and paid promotion, boosting quality content can amplify your Facebook marketing success.