Boost a post or use Ads Manager: which to choose

Every post on a Facebook Page has a Boost button that turns it into an ad in a couple of minutes. It’s handy, but it isn’t always the best choice.

1 / 3Boosting a post

1. 01
   What it is

   You show a post you’ve already published to more people: pick an audience, a budget and a duration — and that’s it.

2. 02
   When it helps

   When a post is already doing well and you want more people to see it: a new video, a sale, an event.

3. 03
   What it lacks

   Fewer settings: you can’t compare several versions against each other, and you have less control over where the ad appears.

2 / 3Ads Manager

1. 04
   What it is

   A separate tool where you build an ad from scratch: objective, audience, budget, placements and several versions at once.

2. 05
   When it helps

   When you want a specific result — messages, follows, calls — and want to know what each one cost.

3. 06
   What to keep in mind

   It takes a little time the first time around. In return, a campaign you’ve set up once is easy to tweak and run again.

3 / 3How to choose

1. 07
   Fast, on a small budget

   One good post, a small budget, a few days — boost the post.

2. 08
   For results you can measure

   Messages, follows, comparing versions — Ads Manager.

3. 09
   Both together

   Plenty of people do this: publish posts normally, then take the one that’s doing well and push it in Ads Manager.

✓The golden rule

Whichever route you pick, give each ad a single objective and leave it alone for a week. That’s how you’ll find out what works for you.

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