Toolbox Tuesday | The Difference Between Facebook Boosted Posts & Facebook Ads

If you’ve spent any time marketing on Facebook you’ve seen the options for a boosted or sponsored post and an ad. At first glance, they sort of seem like the same thing and that may have you a little confused. What is the difference between boosted/sponsored posts and ads? And when do you use them to effectively reach potential home buyers?

Facebook Boosted Posts

A boosted or sponsored post begins as a post on your Facebook business page.The post could be a picture, text, video, etc.They show up in someone’s news feed and say “sponsored” near the top. You then have the option to “boost” it and increase engagement by adding targeting information such as geographic area, age, or other demographics. After setting a budget and time frame, your boosted post runs as a sponsored post on news feeds of people fitting your target for the selected time frame. The primary reason for doing a boosted post is to make sure your target audience sees a specific post. The benefits of boosting a post are increased visibility for your content and higher engagement such as click-throughs, likes, comments, and shares.

Facebook Ads

Facebook offers many options for helping promote your new homes. Depending on the goal of the campaign, there are different formats and capabilities to work with. One type of Facebook Ad is a Newsfeed Ad. While boosted posts start as a traditional Facebook post, you also have the option to run a Facebook ad without first creating a post on your page. These news feed ads will appear on the feeds (and sidebars if selected) of the people you select in the targeting section. By selecting the goal of your ad, you can choose how you want people to interact with your ad. Options for the call to action include Get Directions, Contact Now, Request Info, etc. You can even have Facebook collect names and contact information from people for you to follow up with later.

You might be thinking it is hard to tell the difference between a Facebook Ad and a Boosted Post. They do look the same to the end-user. The big difference between a Facebook Boosted Post and a Facebook Ad is where they are managed. Facebook boosted posts can be managed on the Facebook page. Facebook Ads are managed by the Facebook Ad Manager. The other big difference is you can run Facebook ads without having content on your Facebook page. It is not advisable, but you can do it. So if you have a brand new Facebook page that doesn’t have any or a lot of content on it yet, you can run ads to promote the page or your website.

Timeline Ad

Sidebar Ads

Knowing which type of advertising to take advantage of depends on your goals and existing audience. For help figuring this out, contact Meredith Communications for a free initial consultation.

Categorised in: Social Media, Toolbox Tuesdays