If you’ve ever managed a Facebook or Instagram page, you’ve probably seen that little blue “Boost Post” button calling your name. It’s tempting, right? Just a couple of clicks and—boom—your post is being shown to more people.
But if you’re serious about growing your business through paid social, you’ve probably also heard people say, “Don’t boost—run real ads instead.” So… what’s the deal? Which one actually works better? And when should you use one over the other?
Let’s break it down in plain language—no jargon, no fluff.
What Is a Boosted Post?
A boosted post is basically a quick promotion of something you’ve already posted on your Facebook or Instagram page. You pick your audience, budget, duration—and that’s pretty much it. It’s super simple and user-friendly.
The goal of a boosted post?
- Increase visibility
- Get more likes, shares, and comments
- Reach people beyond your followers
Boosting is great when you want more eyeballs on something you’ve already shared. Think event announcements, testimonials, or a new product launch.
Want help figuring out which ad strategy suits your business?
What Are Real Ads (aka Ads Manager Campaigns)?
When people talk about “real ads,” they mean using Facebook Ads Manager. This is a much more advanced tool with more control and customisation.
With real ads, you can:
- Create custom audiences (website visitors, email subscribers, video watchers, etc.)
- A/B test different versions of the same ad
- Choose from varied objectives (traffic, conversions, app installs, etc.)
- Track performance in more detail
- Create ad funnels (cold → warm → hot audiences)
In short: Real ads give you better control, targeting, and results—but they require a bit more strategy.
So, What’s Better? Boosted Posts OR Real Ads?
It really depends on your goals:
Boosted Post: Good For
- Increasing post engagement
- Promoting time-sensitive updates
- Gaining some visibility fast
- Newbies who want to experiment with a small budget
But boosted posts are limited. You can’t fully customise your campaign objective, and the targeting isn’t as sharp.
Real Ads (Ads Manager): Good For
- Generating leads or sales
- Retargeting people who already interacted with you
- Scaling up with serious strategy
- Running multiple ad versions to see what performs best
When contesting between boosted posts vs real ads, then keep this metric in mind: if you’re investing money and want measurable results, Ads Manager is the way to go.
Still Not Sure? Try This:
Boosted posts are a bit like training wheels—they’re useful at first, but eventually, you’ll outgrow them and would want to switch to real ads. So the real question is not boosted posts vs real ads, but what do you actually want to achieve through them!
The key is not to spend more, but to spend smarter.