What Is The Difference Between A Facebook Ad And A Boosted Post?

With over 2.74 billion active monthly users, Facebook is a platform that gives you access to an enormous number of users. In fact, a huge 59% of the world’s social networking population uses the popular platform and it is the second most downloaded app after TikTok! Facebook Business Manager is home to the platform’s paid advertising suite and gives brands the opportunity to shout about their products to the social media giant’s huge network. 

When it comes to paid social we know how confusing it can seem to create the perfect ads. You may be wondering what type of ad is best for your campaign, how best to convey your message and what placements are right for your objectives. In this post we are going to unpack the difference between Facebook Ads and Boosted Posts and when is best to use each one.

What Is A Facebook Ad?

Facebook Ads are often described as ‘dark posts’ because when a user visits your Facebook page they will not see any of your ads on your timeline. Facebook Ads are created in Facebook Business Manager and essentially run in the background, targeting your chosen audience. Facebook Ads can be created with a whole range of targeting criteria, placement options and audience selection. The key features offered by Facebook Ads and not Boosted Posts include:

• Audience targeting: Firstly, with Facebook Ads you have a more detailed and comprehensive set of targeting criteria to choose from. For example, lookalike audiences allow you to target users who are likely to be interested in your business because they’re similar to your existing customers. These handy features make sure your ads are being seen by the right people.
• Objectives: With Facebook Ads, you get a much larger selection of campaign objectives from app-installs to conversions, leads and traffic. This helps your campaign run in the most optimal way!
• Placements: Facebook Ads allow you to select a whole host of ad placement options, from stories to in-stream videos and even messenger placements.
• A/B testing: Using Facebook Ads means you can carry out A/B testing and work out which types of ads bring the highest ROI to your business. From targeting testing to creatives – you will be able to hone in on the perfect ad for your business.
• Budget optimisation: Facebook will optimise your budget between the highest performing ads to bring you the best results for your campaigns.
• Reporting: With Facebook Business Manager you have the ability to access what type of placement, targeting and creatives work best for your campaigns. You can take these learnings forward and continually optimise your campaigns to drive performance.

What Is A Boosted Post?

A Boosted Post is a Facebook post that has already been shared to your timeline organically that you can put a budget behind and promote. It is a really simple way to advertise with Facebook and doesn’t require you to set up a Facebook Business Manager account. You can boost your post to either increase engagement, gain more likes and followers or to up your brand awareness. It is really simple to create a Boosted Post and the only information you have to fill out is your target audience, budget and length of time you want to boost the post for. 

There are limited features to targeting when it comes to boosting your Facebook posts. Boosted Posts are great for businesses who want to increase brand awareness, gain new followers and host competitions. If you are looking for more lower-funnel objectives and conversions, then Facebook Ads are probably your best bet. 

Is It Better To Boost A Post Or Create An Ad On Facebook?

If you are a smaller business with lower budgets and are simply looking to increase your brand awareness then Boosted Posts are a great way to do this! They are simple to use and require less time to set up. 

However, if you are looking to drive some serious results and conversions, then Facebook Ads will work the best for you. With a comprehensive and detailed set of targeting options, you can make the most out of your budget and will likely see a stronger ROI.   

Need help with your Facebook Advertising? We are here to take the guesswork out of your ads and produce tangible results. Get in touch with us today…