The developers at Facebook are brilliant. They know exactly how tempting that royal blue “Boost Post” button is and have found a way to subconsciously persuade business owners to advertise, almost without knowing. It’s even gotten to the point that Facebook will alert you that one post is performing 85% better than your other posts and encourage you to make that 250% better with just a few dollars! For example:
Don’t fall into the Facebook boosted post trap – use them wisely and strategically.
The Basics of Boosted Posts
The main difference between a boosted post and a Facebook ad is that boosted posts exist on your actual page. You publish a post to your page, and then can opt to boost it. On the other hand, Facebook ads are created in the Ads Manager and do not have to be something organically available on your page.
There are three different ways to boost a Facebook post:
- To your fans only
- To your fans & their friends
- To unique users you choose through targeting
While boosting to your current fans may stir up some excitement, why limit yourself to such a defined pool? We developed a two-fold social media strategy for small business, Balayage Spa & Salon, which consists of organic posts targeting loyal fans and boosted posts targeting new friends.
Boosted Post Examples
Expanding Your Audience
The success of these boosted posts is due to the fact that we built our own audience, which looked a little like this:
- Location: Fort Collins + 10 miles
- Gender: Female
- Age: 20-65
- Interests: Bumble & Bumble, Oribe, hair products, hair stylists, salon products, hair care, hairstyling, etc.
Balayage’s existing Facebook fans already know that they have great deals and products for sale; it’s the thousands of other women in Fort Collins we’re trying to reach and convert into loyal fans both on and offline.
Some Things Never Change
Whether you’re advertising on Facebook or in your local paper, one thing remains the same: know your audience and tell your story in a way that resonates with them.