If you’ve dipped your toes into social media management, you’ve probably come across terms like boosted posts and ads - sometimes used interchangeably. But are they the same thing? And how do you decide which one to run for your business?
At Website Success, we want to help you get the most out of your marketing budget. So, let’s break down the difference between boosted posts and ads, and explore when each might be the right choice for your business.
What is a Boosted Post?
Think of a boosted post as your regular social media update (like a Facebook post or Instagram photo) that you pay to show to more people beyond your current followers. It’s a quick and simple way to increase the reach of something you’ve already posted.
Boosting a post is easy to do: you simply pick an existing post, choose your budget and target audience and hit boost. The platform takes care of the rest.
When to Use Boosted Posts
Increase visibility quickly: Got an announcement, event or sale that you want more eyes on?
Engage your current followers: Boosted posts can encourage likes, comments and shares from people who already know your brand.
Simple promotion: If you don’t have the time or expertise to create a full ad campaign, boosting is a straightforward option.
Limitations of Boosted Posts
Fewer targeting options: While you can select basic demographics, interests and locations, boosted posts don’t give you the same advanced targeting that ads do.
Limited objectives: You’re mostly aiming for engagement or reach, but you can’t customise your campaign goal like conversions, traffic or lead generation.
Less control over ad placement: Boosted posts generally show in feeds but don’t offer options for placements like Stories, Messenger or Audience Network.
What Are Social Media Ads (or Ad Campaigns)?
Social media ads, or ad campaigns, are a more advanced and flexible way to promote your business on social media platforms. Instead of promoting a single post, you create ads from scratch or select posts and design a campaign around specific goals.
Ads come with a robust set of tools allowing you to define your audience, set a specific objective, optimise your budget and choose where your ads appear.
Key Benefits of Ads
Precise targeting: You can target users based on detailed criteria - including behaviours, interests, demographics and even custom audiences like website visitors or email subscribers.
Diverse objectives: Whether you want to drive traffic to your website, generate leads, increase sales, or get app installs, you can pick the exact goal for your campaign.
Creative control: Ads let you choose formats (carousel, video, slideshow, collection) and placements for better engagement.
Better tracking and optimisation: With tools like Facebook Pixel and detailed analytics, you can monitor performance and tweak your ads for the best results.
When to Use Ads
Lead generation: Want to collect contact info or drive sign-ups from your lead magnet? Ads are your best bet.
E-commerce sales: If you want to directly boost product sales or catalogue views.
Brand awareness and conversions: When you have clear marketing goals and want to optimise your spend.
Retargeting: Ads allow you to target users who’ve already interacted with your business, making your campaigns more effective.
So, Which Should You Run?
Both boosted posts and ads have their place in a marketing strategy. Here’s a simple way to decide:
Purpose | Boost Post | Ads |
Quick and simple reach | Yes | No |
Engagement with followers | Yes | Yes |
Specific targeting | Limited | Advanced |
Custom campaign goals | No | Yes |
Detailed analytics | Basic | Comprehensive |
Creative options | Limited | Wide Variety |
If you’re just starting out or want to give an existing post a bit more reach, boosting is a quick win. But if you want to run a strategic campaign focused on sales, leads, or targeted conversions, investing time into a proper ad campaign will get you better long-term results.
Bonus Tips for Getting the Most from Both
Test and learn: Try boosting some posts to see what content resonates, then build ad campaigns around your winners.
Use custom audiences: Even with boosted posts, try to target people similar to your customers or local audience.
Keep your content fresh: Regularly update posts and ads to avoid ad fatigue.
Monitor performance: Don’t just “set and forget” - review how your boosts and ads perform and adjust accordingly.
Need Help Navigating Social Media Marketing?
Social media platforms constantly evolve, and making the right choice can make a big difference.
Our Social Media Managers and PPC Consultants specialise in crafting tailored strategies that fit your budget, business goals and audience. Whether you want to start posting organic social content with the odd boost or dive into advanced ad campaigns, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
Call our Chichester digital marketing agency today on 01243 684661 or click here to book a chat in our diary.
