If you are a small business looking to grow, you’ve probably thought about advertising. Advertising on Social Media, especially Instagram and Facebook, is one of the best ways to grow your reach and brand awareness. There are two main ways to advertise, Instagram Boosted Posts and Meta Ads Manager. In this article we will go over the key features of boosted posts and advertisements, the major differences, and which one is right for you and your business. If you still have more questions or need assistance, Set up a Consultation with us!
What Is Instagram’s Boosted Post Feature?
You’ve probably seen that little blue button on your Instagram posts asking if you want to “Boost Post” but what does that mean?
The Boost Post feature is a really easy and simple way to use paid advertising for your business. This means you are paying to get your post in front of more people. The Boost button is available for any post on your profile.
Boosting a post allows you to set specific goals such as more profile visits, more website visits, or more messages. After you have set your goals, you can define your audience. If you are in the wedding industry you can target people who are interested in weddings, wedding rings, wedding photography, etc. This ensures your post reaches potential customers and not just random people.
Pricing is up to you! Instagram has a recommended daily price as well as a recommended amount of days to have the boosted post running. This is customizable to your needs and budget. Instagram will then boost your post out to Instagram users and will continue to boost it in places where it is receiving the most attention.
What is an Advertisement?
Advertising, specifically through Facebook Ads Manager, is paid advertising to put your business in front of more people on Facebook and/or Instagram. Meta Ads Manager gives you the ability to manage and edit your ads more specifically than with the Instagram Boost Feature.
Advertising through Facebook Ads Manager allows you to manage Awareness Objectives and Consideration Objectives. Awareness Objectives on Facebook are Brand Awareness and Brand Reach. Brand Awareness is targeting your ideal customer and making them more aware of your business while Brand Reach shows your ad to the most number of people possible. Consideration Objectives are App Installs, Traffic, Lead Generation, Messages, Engagement, and Video Views. These objectives allow you to narrow down your campaign goals and receive specific results.
Just as with Instagram’s Boost Feature, you can define your Audience and customize your Budget. Unlike Instagram, Meta Ads Manager allows you to select an Ad Location and Format. You can choose to run Ads on Facebook, Facebook Messenger, or Instagram. You can also choose from 6 different format options such as single picture post, video post, carousel post, or story post.
Main Differences Between Boosted Posts and Ads
There are a few key differences between Boosted Posts and Advertisements. The first difference is the difficulty between the two. Instagram Boosted Posts are more straightforward than Meta Ads Manager. Instagram Boosted Posts can be created and posted by almost anyone with little research while Meta Ads Manager requires a much higher level of skill and experience.
The second difference is the ability to customize. Instagram only lets you customize your Goals, Target Audience, and Price while Meta Ads Manager allows you to select Awareness Objectives, Consideration Objects, Audience, Price, Ad Location, and Format. These differences are significant when wanting to target specific customers and attain a specific outcome. If you still have questions about the difference between the two, check out Meta Business Help Center for more information.
Which Is Right For You?
Both Boosted Posts and Meta Ads are great options for growing reach and brand awareness. Depending on your business goals, one may be better for you than the other. Before deciding which you will you use, consider the following questions:
- Do I want to grow my reach? (Gain more views and reach more people)
- Do I want to grow my engagement? (Receive more likes and comments)
- Do I want to grow my brand awareness? (Show more people the business exists)
- Do I want something simple to use?
- Do I care about where the ads are located? (story post, picture post, Messenger ads, carousel post, or video post)
- Do I want a definite outcome? (More installs, traffic, lead generation, messages, etc.)
- Do I want to be more hands on with my ad?
If you answered yes to questions 1-3 then you should definitely run a boosted post or advertisement.
If you answered yes to question 4 then Instagram’s Boosted Feature is probably the best for you! Check out Instagram’s Help Center post, How to Boost an Instagram Post, to get started!
If you answered yes to questions 5-7, or yes to all 7, then Meta Ads Manager will be your best friend. To get started, check out How to create Instagram ads in Meta Ads Manager from Meta Business Help Center.
In summary, if you are looking for something simple to use or don’t have a lot of time to invest in research, boosted posts are the way to go. If you want to be more particular with your ad and you have the time to invest, then Meta Ads Manager is the right fit for you.
Looking for Help?
Choosing which kind of advertisement to run can be tough! Picking the right post to boost or creating the right ad can be even harder! If you’re feeling daunted with all this information, first of all, don’t worry. You got this! Second of all, Sticky Marketing Co. can help you out. Sticky Marketing Co. is a Social Media Management Service that takes care of all your Social Media Marketing needs. We specialize in creating Content Strategies to help business owners like you grow reach, engagement, and drive clients. We can take care of the nitty gritty of running Instagram Boosted posts or Meta ads so you can focus on what you do best. Click here for more information about what we do or Set up a consultation to get started!
