Want to know the difference between a boosted post and an ad created with Facebooks Ad Manager?
In this piece we will explain to you the differences you must be aware of to best use your money.
What are paid ads and why use them?
Paid ads are exactly that, ads you pay for on Facebook/Instagram to increase your reach to specific audiences. This is what makes them different from regular Facebook posts. You have two options to choose from; boost or an ad. How do you decide? Well that depends.
Boosted Facebook Posts
Boosted posts are just regular Facebook posts that you pay to increase their reach, get more page likes, shares etc. To do this all you have to do is go to a post from your business, click boost. This is the simplest way to get a paid advertisement on Facebook or Instagram. When you do this the post will appear in people’s Facebook or Instagram feeds.
Your options to customise are:
- Your target audience. Get your ad in front of the audience you want by using Facebook’s targeting methods.
- Set the max amount you want to spend over the given time frame.
- Pick the amount of time you want your ad to run for.
Click boost and once your ad is approved it will be shown to your chosen audience.
Facebook Ads Using Ads Manager
Facebook ads are ads created using Facebook Ads Manager. These offer more customisation in just about every aspect of their creation, from objectives to the times they are shown at. They allow you to be more accurate with your targeting more varied in your creative content. Set your objective beyond just page likes or post shares to app installs or store visits with Ads Manager.
What Are My Options In Ads Manager?
Placements
Choose where you want you ad shown. Want to post only stories? No problem, just make sure you tick the correct boxes in placements. Unlike using a boosted ad you get to control exactly where your ads get placed and shown using Ads Manager. Go beyond using just feed placements and put your ad on Facebook News Feed side ads, Messenger ads, Instagram stories, instant articles, and Audience Network.
Objectives
More options in terms of objectives. When using Facebook Ads Manager you can pick from in total 11 objectives. These are Brand Awareness, Reach, Traffic, Engagement, App installs, Video Views, Messages, Leads, Conversions, Catalogue Sales and Store Traffic. This list goes far beyond the three options you get using a boosted post.
Creative Variety
A boosted post lets you just use regular Facebook posts. These are usually images or videos. With Ads Manager you get to use carousel ads that combine images with text, or collection ads. These show a variety of products from your catalogue and act as a virtual storefront for your business. On top of this you get to add a number of call-to-action buttons like “Learn More” or “Shop Now.”
On top of this, in most ads you can add a variety of copy options to one post. This gives you more opportunities in getting the creative of your ad right.
Audience
Boosted posts let you target using demographics. This is still a big feature of Ads Manager, but you can do more. Create a lookalike audience using your website or people who engage with you somehow. Want to retarget people who visited your site? Simple. Using Facebook’s Pixel you can do this within a few minutes.
There are more options to customise your ads using Facebook Ads Manager but these are the main ones.
Which Should I Use?
Both have their uses. If you don’t want to put in the effort but still want results, a good boosted post will work. If you want to go the next step then Ads Manager is for you.