If you’ve recently tried to boost a post on Facebook and noticed it didn’t get the reach or engagement you expected, there could be several reasons for that. Boosting a post can be an effective way to get more eyes on your content and promote engagement, but the platform’s algorithm and your own targeting settings can impact how far your boosted post reaches.
Did you target a cold audience?
One common mistake when boosting posts is targeting an audience that has no existing connection or interest in your page or content. If you boost a post targeting demographics like age, gender, or location, but the people you reach have never engaged with your page before, it’s less likely to get traction since there’s no existing interest to build off of. Instead, try to boost posts targeting warmer audiences like existing page followers, website visitors, or email list subscribers. Reaching those who already know you converts better than trying to attract new cold audiences through a single boosted post.
Is your audience too broad or too narrow?
It’s easy to set targeting that is either too broad or too narrow when boosting a post. An overly broad audience, like targeting all women ages 18-40 in the US, can mean competing against lots of other content for limited attention. An overly narrow audience, like moms ages 25-30 who live in Seattle and like yoga, can mean a tiny reach where your post never finds its audience. Try to find the right balance with your targeting when boosting posts. Go broad enough to reach a meaningful number of people, but narrow enough that they are likely to have some existing interest or connection to your content.
Did you choose the right objective?
Facebook offers different objectives when you boost a post, which impacts who sees it and what they can do. The default is “Get more people to follow your Page” but you may get better results choosing more specific objectives like:
- Increase engagement with your post
- Get more website visitors
- Get more video views
- Get more conversions on your website
Pick the objective that aligns with your goal for boosting a particular post. This helps Facebook optimize delivery and targeting for that goal.
Is your post high quality and relevant?
The quality of your post itself impacts how far it will reach when boosted. Low-quality posts with text-only content often don’t gain much traction even when boosted. Creative, high-quality posts with relevant images or video tailored to your audience tend to achieve better reach. And posts about topics and themes your audience cares about will naturally get more engagement than random or irrelevant subjects.
Did you allot a big enough budget?
The amount you spend directly impacts how far your boosted post reaches. A very low budget may only get you hundreds of additional impressions. To get significant reach through a boosted post, you often need to spend anywhere from $30-$100 or more depending on your audience size, targeting, and objectives. Be prepared to make a meaningful upfront investment if you want a big boost in reach from promoted posts.
Are you reaching the right stage of the funnel?
Certain post content works better at different stages of the marketing funnel. For cold audiences, boosted posts should pique interest and focus on awareness. For existing audiences, you can boost more specific offers, promotions and calls-to-action. Make sure your boosted post content matches where your target audiences are at in the buying process.
Did you optimize the post content?
To improve the reach of boosted posts, you need compelling creative and copy. Include strong headlines, introductions and calls to action. Use high-quality photos and video when possible. Share content that solves a problem, entertains, teaches a skill or provides value your audience will appreciate. Well-optimized posts perform better than low-quality status updates when boosted.
Are you monitoring and adjusting your campaign?
Actively monitor your boosted posts and make adjustments to underperforming ads. Change up the creative, copy or targeting if it’s not resonating. Leverage Facebook’s reporting to see what demographics, times of day and placements are working best. Use that data to optimize your posts and ad strategy over time.
Did you boost at the right time?
When you boost a post can impact performance too. Avoid big holidays or weekends when lots of brands advertise on Facebook. Instead boost your content during weekdays or working hours when there’s less competition. Pay attention to when your audience is most active on Facebook and consider timing your boosted posts for those high-traffic windows.
Conclusion
Boosting Facebook posts can be a smart marketing tactic when done right. But it requires thoughtful targeting, compelling creative, and adequate budget to achieve results. Monitor your boosted post analytics and continuously optimize your approach. With some finesse, boosted posts can become an effective driver of reach, engagement, and conversions with your target audiences on Facebook.