Don’t Boost That Post – Do This Instead

For many business owners, the “Boost Post” button on Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram) feels like a quick win. It's easy, fast, and promises exposure. But here's the reality: while boosting a post may increase likes or reach, it's rarely the strategy that delivers real business growth.

If you're serious about growing your business through online advertising, there's a better way—using Meta Ads Manager.

What Boosting a Post Really Does

When you click "Boost," Meta simplifies the ad creation process to such an extent that it strips away much of the control that makes advertising effective. Here’s what you’re actually doing when you boost a post:

• Optimizing for Engagement, Not Conversions: Boosted posts typically aim for likes, shares, and comments—not purchases or leads.

• Limited Audience Targeting: You're offered a few broad targeting options, but nothing close to the precision available in Ads Manager.

• No Testing Capabilities: You can’t split test different headlines, images, or calls-to-action. You're guessing and hoping it works.

• Shallow Data: You get basic metrics, but little insight into cost per result or how different audiences perform.

It might feel like advertising, but boosting is closer to paying for visibility than running a strategic ad campaign.

Why It’s Not Enough for Real Business Growth

Boosting might work if your only goal is brand awareness—but most business owners are after something more tangible: leads, purchases, sign-ups, or a positive return on ad spend (ROAS). These outcomes require more than just visibility—they demand strategy, testing, and proper campaign setup.

That’s where Meta Ads Manager comes in.

Why Ads Manager Is the Smarter Tool

Ads Manager isn’t just for large brands or marketing agencies—it’s for anyone who wants more control, better targeting, and measurable results.

Here’s what Ads Manager lets you do:

• Choose Specific Objectives: Want more traffic to your site? More purchases? More sign-ups? You choose the goal, and the algorithm optimizes for it.

• Advanced Audience Targeting: You can create custom audiences, retarget website visitors, or build lookalike audiences based on your best customers.

• Creative Testing: Run multiple versions of your ad to see what performs best. Over time, this significantly improves your results.

• Budget and Delivery Control: Decide exactly how your money is spent—by campaign, audience, or creative.

These aren’t “advanced” tactics—they’re the foundation of a healthy advertising strategy.

But Isn’t Ads Manager Complicated?

Yes, it’s more complex than boosting—but that’s a good thing.

Running a business is complex too, but you wouldn’t sacrifice control over pricing, product, or customer experience just because it’s easier. The same applies to advertising.

Start small. Set one goal. Test one offer. You don’t need to be an expert—you just need to be intentional.

Here’s a Smarter Way to Start

If you’ve been relying on boosted posts, consider this your sign to upgrade your strategy. Even shifting a portion of your budget to Ads Manager—with the right campaign setup—can produce better results for the same spend.

And if you’re not sure where to begin, you don’t have to do it alone.

Need Help Building a Proper Ad Strategy?

At Three33, we help business owners like you stop wasting budget and start advertising with purpose. We build offers, sales funnels, and Meta ad campaigns designed to convert—so you can scale without the guesswork.

Let’s talk about what a real advertising strategy could look like for your business.

Visit three33.co.za or reach out directly to get started.