You’ve likely heard of them, and you’ve most definitely seen them; boosted posts and ads. These are the ads and posts that pop up on your page from accounts that you don’t follow, and are typically promoting something that intrigues you. In this blog, we’re breaking down the pros and cons of each type of post and providing you with the information you need moving forward so you can decide when to boost, when to buy ads, and when to go organic with your salon posts!
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “BOOST” A POST?
An organic post is simply uploading content, whether it be photo or video, to a social media platform. Based on the algorithm, members of audience and potentially non-followers may see your post depending on engagement. When you boost a post, you actually pay a small (or large) amount of money to ensure that your post will get more reach. When you boost a post on Facebook or Instagram, they will prompt you with questions to optimize your boosting experience and to make sure you’re accomplishing what you’re set out to do.
These questions will look something like this:
1. What results would you like from this post? (More profile visits, more website visits, more messages)
2. Define your audience (you can choose an auto setting that targets people like your followers or you can get more specific and create your own target audience for this specific post)
3. Create your budget and duration of boosted post.
Once you have answered these questions, the platform will provide you with a basic overview of the boosted post details as well as receipt of payment. After that, you just have to sit and wait to how it affects your engagement and post performance!
Curious about more insight as to what works and doesn’t on your salon’s Instagram page? Check out this blog!
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BEWTEEN A BOOSTED POST AND AN AD?
Boosting a post and creating an ad are two different ways to promote your content on social media. Boosting a post involves paying to reach a wider audience by amplifying the visibility of an existing organic post. This means that you can select a specific post from your Facebook page and pay to increase its reach, engagement, likes, and shares. On the other hand, creating an ad involves developing new content from scratch with the intention of reaching a larger audience. Ads allow for more customization in terms of targeting options, placement locations, design layouts, and call-to-action buttons. They can be used to achieve specific goals such as generating leads or driving website traffic beyond just increasing visibility like boosting posts.
A few other main differences between boosted posts include:
· boosted post takes a post from your existing wall and pushes it to new people. The post will be seen by your existing followers (because it starts as an organic post on your wall) AND new people who don't follow you.
· An ad will NOT appear on your existing wall. This is best when you want to present information to new potential guests. Ex: new client offers, salon promotions, etc.
· Ads allow you to test a few different versions of your image/video, headline, caption, etc... the Facebook/Instagram algorithm will start by showing each version, but will automatically track which version gets better results, and will start to show that better version more. So essentially you can try a couple of different versions and FB/IG will show the one that gets the best response from people.
WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF BOOSTING?
Like any other marketing tactics and strategies, there are pros and cons to investing in boosted posts.
PROS
The pros of boosting posts on Facebook and Instagram for your salon or spa are numerous. Boosting posts will help to increase your business's visibility, reach a larger audience, and can help you gain more customers. Boosted posts are also an effective way to increase engagement with potential customers, as well as to promote special offers and discounts. Strategically boosting your salon’s posts also allows you to target specific audiences, giving you the opportunity to tailor your message to the right people.
CONS
The cons of boosting posts on Facebook and Instagram for your small salon business are mainly financial. Boosting posts can be expensive, and it is important to monitor the results of each post to ensure that you are getting a return on your investment. Additionally, boosting posts may not always be effective, as the audience may not be interested in your product or service. Lastly, it is difficult to track the results of boosted posts, making it difficult to measure the success or failure of your campaign.
WHEN TO BOOST, WHEN TO BUY ADS AND WHEN TO GO ORGANIC
When deciding when to boost your salon’s social media posts, it is important to consider when organic growth is no longer enough. Boosting posts can help to reach a wider audience, and can be especially helpful when launching a new product or service, or if you are hosting an in salon event that requires a large attendance. For more on how to effectively plan and host your own salon event, give this blog a read!
Boosting posts can also be used to target specific audiences or to promote special offers. However, it is important to be aware that boosting posts can become costly, so you need to consider when organic growth is enough and when it is beneficial to use paid promotion.
While boosting can increase the reach of your content to a limited audience that already follows you, ads provide more targeting options and greater control over who sees your message. Additionally, ad campaigns allow for more flexibility in terms of creative options, including image size, video length, and call-to-action buttons. Ultimately, investing in advertising rather than just boosting posts can lead to greater engagement and conversions from new audiences.
CONCLUSION
Now that you fully understand what each post is, you can take the necessary measures to decide whether it is a worthwhile investment for your salon! As with all marketing strategies, you may need to do some trial and error runs to see what works, what doesn’t, and adjust accordingly.
We recommend allocating a small budget to boost your salon’s posts when promoting something major, like a new product or service offering, or a juicy sale you want to create awareness around. Whatever the message is you’re trying to spread, make sure the content you’re putting out is clear, concise and aesthetically pleasing with a to-the-point, informative caption to match.
For even more digital marketing goodness, check out our YouTube Marketing Academy as well as all the resources and support we have for you here on our website
‘Til Next Time,
Your Team at Salon S.O.S