Boosted Posts vs Meta Ads on Facebook 

Same but different 

Boosted Posts vs Meta Ads is a subtle distinction that often trips up business owners dipping their toes into marketing on Meta’s platforms.  

In the history of social media advertising, nothing has quite divided the community like the debate between Boosted Posts and Meta Ads. While we may never get a concrete resolution as to which feature is superior, it helps to be informed before diving in head-first with your advertising budget.  

Let’s look at the differences between Boosted Posts and Meta Ads and when to use them in your marketing strategy. 

What are Boosted Posts?

Since their inception in 2012, Boosted Posts have been a much-maligned feature on Facebook. 

In Meta’s words, “A boosted post is a post to your Page’s timeline that you can apply money to to boost it to an audience of your choosing.” 

But what does this really mean? While Meta may claim that boosting a post is the “simplest way to have your post reach more people on Facebook, Messenger or Instagram,” it isn’t a guaranteed win for your content. 

If boosting a post was so easy and effective, shouldn’t everyone do it? 

Here’s an important note from Meta, “Boosted posts are still considered ads because they require a budget to be shared with a wider audience. This is the core similarity between boosted posts and Meta ads created in Ads Manager. Because of this, when you receive your bill, your boosted post will be identified as an ad.” 

There you have it. Boosted Posts are ads. 

How do I create a Boosted Post? 

Unlike Meta Ads, Boosted Posts can be created from new or existing posts. 

You’ll find the Boost post button above the comments and share counts for existing posts on your page.

If you’d prefer to boost a post immediately when it’s uploaded, all you have to do is toggle the Boost post switch when creating your post. 

When boosting a post, you’ll need to answer three questions:

1. Who do you want to reach? In this step, pick the audience you want to connect with. 
2. What is your budget? Let Meta know how much you want to spend throughout your campaign. 
3. How long do you want to run your ad for? Your chosen audience will only be served your boosted post for your desired duration. 

What are Meta Ads? 

While we’ve already confirmed that boosting a post is categorised as an ad, Meta Ads distinguish themselves by being generated through Meta Ads Manager.

While this may seem like additional steps, the benefits are worth it. Creating your ads through Meta Ads Manager offers superior customisation options and more subtle control over your campaign.

One of the best ways to distinguish between Boosted Posts and Meta Ads is to think about their goals. While Boosted Posts primarily aim for Page likes, comments, shares, or general brand awareness on Facebook and Instagram, Meta ads offer optimisation for diverse objectives such as app installs, website conversions, video views, shop orders, and so much more. Meta Ads can be strategically positioned across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and the Meta Audience Network, contingent on the chosen ad type.

Should I use Boosted Posts or Meta Ads? 

As we’ve already touched on, deciding between boosting a post and creating an ad in Meta Ads Manager really comes down to what you want to achieve. 

Boosted posts can be an effective strategy if you’re purely looking to get more eyeballs on your content. However, when it comes to “organic” content on social media, we recommend trying to find success without spending any of your advertising budget on said organic content. 

Ask yourself this question: if you’re spending money marketing organic content, is it really organic? 

Feature comparison 

Here’s a quick look at the features of Boosted Posts vs Meta Ads.  

In our opinion, we prefer to go with Meta Ads because of the creative freedom and more robust features.