Boosted Post

What does boosted posts mean?

A boosted post is an organic post that is converted into a paid ad in order to put it in front of people who are not your followers. It is a paid activity that brands and marketers do to attract new followers, improve engagement and expand reach beyond the existing followers. 

You can boost any type of posts – text, image or video, directly from your timeline but with restricted audience targeting. While most social media platforms offer boosted posts, Facebook is most prone to them.   

Boosted posts vs. Facebook ads: How do they differ?

If you’re wondering whether boosted posts are the same as Facebook ads, they aren’t.  

Boosted posts are simpler to configure and come with limitations of customization and targeting as compared to ads. For instance, you can’t include or exclude page fans or custom audience from seeing your boosted posts, plus you can’t define detailed targeting rules (like people with both interest A and interest B). 

That’s not all. Facebook has retired certain posts that were boostable earlier. These include comments, Google check-ins, shoppable products, cultural moments, etc. 

However, both boosted posts and Facebook ads should be defined by clear goals, whether it’s building brand awareness or scoring social media conversions. This helps with performance measurement and post optimization.