The blue Boost button is right there under every post, and Facebook keeps nudging you to press it. It’s quick, it’s cheap, and it makes the post numbers go up. So why do so many people say it doesn’t bring in any work?
What boosting actually does
Boosting takes a post you’ve already shared and shows it to more people. You get a handful of simple choices about who sees it and what you want from it, and that’s about it. It’s built to be easy, and easy is the problem.
What you give up
- Control over the goal. Proper ads let you tell Meta exactly what you want, like enquiries or website visits from people likely to book, and it optimises for that.
- Testing. With proper ads you can run two or three versions side by side and let the results decide. A boosted post is one roll of the dice.
- Lead forms. Ads can use a simple form inside Facebook so people can get in touch without leaving the app. That alone can make a big difference on mobile.
- Proper tracking. If you can’t see which ads lead to enquiries, you can’t do more of what works.
When boosting is fine
Boosting isn’t evil. It’s fine when:
- A post is already doing well and you want a few more local people to see it
- You’re promoting an event and just need awareness
- You want to stay visible to people who already know you
Just don’t expect it to fill your diary.
What proper ads look like for a small business
You don’t need a huge budget. A small local business can run proper Meta ads on a modest daily budget, as long as it’s set up with a clear goal, a sensible audience and good photos, and then left alone long enough to learn. With small budgets, the biggest mistake is tinkering. Every change to the budget, audience or creative sends Meta back to the start of its learning.
Photos do most of the work
On Facebook and Instagram, the picture stops the scroll. Real photos of you, your place and your work beat stock photos every time. I’ve written more about that in why stock photos cost you enquiries.
If you’d like your Meta ads set up properly and run for three months, here’s the offer. And if you’re not sure Facebook is even the right place to start, read Google Ads or Facebook ads: which first?
