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Facebook Boosted Post vs. Ad Campaign

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If you have a business Facebook account, you've probably seen an option to boost your posts. You've probably also heard of Facebook ads. Both boosted posts and Facebook ads require money, so what is the difference? We are here to explain.

Boosted Posts

Boosting a post is a quick and easy way to start advertising on Facebook. When you boost a post on Facebook, you are putting money behind an existing post in order to reach more people. You can create an audience based on the following factors:

  • Gender
  • Age
  • Demographics
  • Interests
  • Behaviors
  • People who have liked your page
  • People who have liked your page and their friends
  • People in your local area

Facebook will then display your post as an ad on your audience's Facebook or Instagram feed. Boosted posts are a form of advertising, but they don't have the same targeting and customization power as Facebook ads. If you're just looking for a quick and easy way to get your post in front of a broadly targeted audience, then boosting your posts might be right for you.

Facebook Ads

Facebook ads generally require more strategy than boosted posts. Unlike a boosted post, ads are created and managed through the Facebook Ad Manager—these ads do not show up as a post on your page. In the Facebook Ad Manager, you have more options for objectives and targeting than you do for boosted posts. Some features available for Facebook ads that are not available for boosted posts include:

  • Custom audiences based on website visitors, customer lists, and more
  • More objective choices (lead generation, store traffic, conversions, etc.)
  • Choosing exact placement across all of Facebook's platforms, including Messenger, Instagram, Facebook Marketplace, and more
  • Editing the targeting, text, and graphics in your ads during the campaign

Overall, creating a Facebook ad campaign is a more thought-out and comprehensive process. If you want to drive more leads, then Facebook ads may be able to get you better results than boosted posts.