Boosted posts vs. Ads Manager: the performance gap you can't afford to ignore

If I hear this one more time I might start throwing things 😬

"We’re just going to boost a few posts!"

or

"We've spent thousands on advertising, but I just do it quickly on my phone"

Please stop it.

That's like saying "just microwave everything" to a Michelin-star chef. Sure, it works. Kind of. Sometimes.

But here's what you're missing:

Post A → Boosted for 10 euros a day for 5 days:

• 4,000 views

• 109 IG profile visits

• 48 cents per visit

• 48 euros spend

Post B → Run through Ads Manager with different creative options for testing and running on a lower budget over more time:

• 5,100 views

• 265 IG profile views

• 9 cents per visit

• 25 euros spend (stats based on 5 days of data)

The difference? Significant.

Boosting is like fishing with a net full of holes.

Ads Manager is your full tackle box:

• Custom audience building

• Detailed targeting combinations

• Specific conversion tracking

• Split testing capabilities

• Advanced placement control

If you want to target a really specific group (and if not, let's chat about narrowing down who your ideal customer is!), like potential donors who've visited your 'how to get involved' page but haven't donated...

...good luck doing that with a boost button 🫣

Think of it this way: boosting is like having a megaphone in a crowd. Proper targeting is like having a private conversation with exactly the right person.

Your marketing budget deserves better than "hope for the best".

Stop gambling with boosts. Start engineering results. And if you need help, drop me a DM. I promise I won't scold you for boosting 🙌