There is a cheap, but effective trick with Facebook advertising: a little money goes a long way. Boosting individual posts can make the difference between content seen by few to seen by many. Here is a quick guide to promoting individual Facebook posts.
Below is an example of what $30 bought with Facebook advertising.
You will note that it reached over 8,000 people and garnered 126 likes and 38 shares.
Below is a different example from the same fan page where no money was spent to promote the post.
As you can see it never reached 1,000 people and only secured 12 likes.
Of course the type of content will play a role in its effectiveness—whether it’s compelling or “sharable” creating momentum and bolstering exposure.
After doing this for quite some time, there is a marked difference between boosting (promoting) a post on Facebook and not boosting a post. I have worked with other clients and have seem the same result.
Unfortunately, if you want your content to really “get out there,” you need to throw some money at it.
The good news? Facebook advertising is much cheaper and far more effective (I believe) than buying traditional print ads in magazines, publications, and newspapers.
For as little as $1.00 per day, you can boost a post on Facebook. I try to promote posts for one week at a time and will usually spend $20 for the week (per post). Sometimes there are multiple sponsored posts running concurrently, but I typically like only one running at a time.
Here is how to boost a post on Facebook.
1. Select the big blue button “Boost Post” after publishing a post.
2. Select your audience.
You can tailor your audience to people who like your page, people who like your page and their friends, or an interest-based group where you input unique interests that target your demographic.
3. Set your budget and ad duration.
You can spend as much as you want, but as I mentioned, $20/post for 7 days is a good place to start.
After launching this campaign, check back within a week and you will most likely see a dramatic increase in your post’s exposure and engagement.
