How to make the strategy work for you
By Anastasia Stefanova, AVB Marketing
There are numerous strategies out there for promoting your business – but which ones are effective?
Although there is budget involved, we’d consider boosting social posts more of an “organic” marketing strategy than a “paid” one that drives business. Let’s take a look at how boosting works.
Facebook has its own algorithm similar to Google. Over time of organic posting to your business Facebook page, the less engagement (clicks, comments, likes) you get on your posts, the less Facebook will show your posts in the feeds of your followers. Facebook assumes users don’t enjoy your content and show it less often as a result. This reduces the reach of your posts – leading to inefficiency.
“Boosting” posts on Facebook allows you to take an organic post that shows on your Facebook page and put budget behind it to get the post more visibility. This should not be confused with true Facebook ad campaigns.
Boosted Posts
- A post that shows on your business Facebook page.
- You pay to have your post show up in feeds of your existing followers.
- Do not reach new customers/audiences.
- “Boosts” for a couple of days.
Facebook Ads
- Specific ad formats that do not populate on your Facebook page itself.
- Ads are served in the feed of NEW audiences within your determined targeting parameters (geography and other demographics) similar to search.
- Ad formats vary: carousel, video, catalog and more.
- Longer flight times for up to one month.
- Budget pays to serve the ads in new user’s feeds.
If your existing page follower count is low or the wrong audience (present & past employees, family and friends, customers who already bought) then you may be putting a hefty budget behind showing posts to folks who are not likely to purchase from you soon.
What Are Boosted Posts Good For?
- Improving visibility of your social pages.
- Growing your follower count over time.
- Improving likes and comments on your social posts.
- Supporting your organic Facebook strategy.
Where Do Boosted Posts Fall Short?
- Driving conversions.
- Reaching new customers.
- Providing solitary advertising strategy.
An organic Facebook strategy and selective post boosting can be effective at driving brand awareness and getting some business through the doors. Some have found this to be an especially effective strategy for furniture and mattress verticals. If you have a limited budget, however, your dollars will go further at driving sales by reallocating some of these funds into true paid advertising tactics either on Facebook or on Google Search. We do not recommend having post boosting be your solitary means of “advertising.”
How Much Should I Spend on Post Boosting?
If you are spending more than $500-$750 per month on post boosting then you are likely overspending.
Budgets of over $1,000/month would have significantly better performance in a Facebook or Google Ad campaign (unless your goal is to improve your organic social performance).
Carefully select one post per week that you’d really like to ensure reaches the maximum amount of your existing followers. Put $125-$200 behind this post to boost it for one to three days. This is more than enough for most retailers to maintain a healthy organic strategy.
If you are looking to drive business and sales vs comments on your posts, reallocating this budget towards other paid efforts will help you grow business. If you’d like to discuss what a digital strategy could look like for your business, reach out to Anastasia.stefanova@avb.net.
Anastasia Stefanova is director of marketing/home furnishings, at AVB Marketing, the advertising, e-commerce and digital marketing arm of YSN publisher AVB BrandSource. Contact Ana at Anastasia.Stefanova@avb.net.
