Marketing products and services to potential customers have changed over the years. This shift is best illustrated on Facebook as more users join across different generations, which is strategic for many brands. They often employ either of the two approaches: through the platform’s built-in advertising services or boosting posts to increase user engagement. 

Although both methods are useful, there are pros and cons to consider, depending on the target audience and business’s core branding message. Learn more about their differences and determine which is the right option for you through this guide.  

Facebook Ads vs Boosted Posts: What Makes Them Different?

Facebook ads are generated on Ads Manager, a platform that lets you create campaigns and target specific users. Here, you can select the goal for your ads. Whether you aim to raise awareness about your brand, maximise your conversion rate, or boost your sales, you can choose your objective, and the Ads Manager will help you achieve that goal.

On the other hand, boosting posts is a convenient way to get your business noticed. It works by increasing the visibility of your chosen pieces of content on the timeline among a particular audience. 

What makes them different is Facebook Ads is a form of advertising, while boosting posts is not. This is because the scope for optimisation for boosted posts is minimal and not cost-effective.

Why Is Boosting Facebook Posts Not Worth It?

Boosting your Facebook posts help you reach more potential customers, but improving your content exposure seems superficial. Keep in mind that what you are after is people who may be interested in what you offer. Truly strategic, fine-tuned advertising requires accuracy. Unfortunately, boosting posts alone does not let you use your custom audiences. 

Why Should I Opt for Facebook Ads?

Facebook advertising is considered media buying. It makes an impact on the platform because it lets you pull external data and track results. To give a clearer picture, here are some features you can take advantage of when optimising your content with Ads Manager:

Precise custom audiences

Custom audiences are important because they allow you to target middle-funnel customers. These are people that already visited your website but have not followed through on purchases like users with items left in their online store carts. 

By retargeting them with Facebook Ads, you can remind them about your business. They are more likely to become paying customers since they have already expressed an interest in your products or services.

Placement options

Facebook can automatically place ads where they are likely to deliver satisfying results. But you can also have more control and manually choose where to put them using Facebook Ads. 

Lookalike audiences

Facebook Ads has an advanced targeting feature that can build audiences based on the behaviours and characteristics of your existing customers. This can save you the task of prospecting for leads yourself and help you find potential new customers who are likely to buy your product.

Dayparting

Also known as Ad Scheduling, dayparting grants control to turn your ads on and off automatically to manage your marketing budget effectively. 

Custom conversion tracking

Facebook Pixel allows you to track standard conversion events on your website. With custom conversion tracking, you even can create up to 40 of your own conversion values.

Conclusion

Regardless of your industry and business size, using Facebook for promoting your business can help you meet your business goals. As mentioned above, Facebook Ads can effectively reach your target audience and turn leads into paying customers. Just reach out to a Facebook advertising company like ours to help you create a killer digital marketing strategy. 

Co Media is an established Facebook advertising company in Australia that can create a strategy for you using our three-step growth formula: create, maintain, and optimise. Get a free 30-minute Facebook strategy session today!