Boosting a post on Facebook is one of the easiest things a marketer can do to reach more people instantly. The Huffington Post reports that it is one of the best ways for small businesses to market themselves, as it is low risk, low cost and has a good return on investment potential. However, while boosting a post instantly syndicates your content to more users, this simple Facebook advertising solution is not appropriate in all circumstances. Here's a handy guide on when it is best to boost Facebook posts and when it might be more prudent to try other Facebook advertising tactics.
When Reach Is Low
Maybe you're posting during a holiday weekend, or breaking news is smothering your updates. Unfortunately, reach can dip for any number of reasons, most of which are out of your control. Boosting your post to your own fans can help you cut through some of the clutter on Facebook and ensure that your regular readers are still able to see your updates.
When You Want to Expand Your Audience
Though boosting a Facebook post makes it easy to cut through the noise and reach your own fans, what about when you're doing well with your base and want to grow your page's organic reach? You might be surprised to learn that Facebook ads, not a boosted post, are the best way to accomplish this goal. While boosted posts have options that allow for a small amount of targeting, if you really want to zero in on a specific group (via Geotargeting, other likes, etc.), you'll want to forego a boosted post and use Facebook's deep ad creation tool instead. Though it takes more time to create an ad, the cost is generally about the same as a boosted post and you'll have a lot more options when it comes to finding new customers.
When You Are Testing Something New
Experimenting with products, pricing and more are vital to keeping your business thriving. However, if you aren't sure about something and want to test it before launching a full campaign, try boosting it for $5 or less. Analyze the response to your boosted post to decide whether or not to design a larger ad campaign around it or just abandon the idea.
One of the great things about Facebook marketing is its flexibility and ease of use. Deciding to boost Facebook posts is one of the easiest marketing decisions a small or midsize business owner can make. But if you aren't boosting in the right circumstances, you could be throwing money away.
