With more than 4 billion users on social media each day, attracting attention for content you’ve posted can be a real challenge. But what if I said you can boost the visibility of what you post in just a couple clicks and a few dollars?
“Promoted” or “boosted” social media posts are paid placements of content you’ve already created for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. But before we dive into how promoted content can work to your benefit, let’s unpack what differentiates it from traditional social media advertising.
The most basic difference between promoted posts and traditional social media advertising is intention and cost. A social media ad is strategically crafted with a very targeted message and advanced features for optimization, while a promoted post increases the reach and engagement of information that you’ve already posted, organically, on your social media platforms. Promoted social media content also appears naturally on your audience’s feeds, while social media ads have more options for how they’re displayed on each platform. There is a charge for promoted posts, but because it is less expensive, it can be a great way to ease into the world of social media advertising while recycling existing content.
So, let’s discuss when to consider investing in promoted content. Since you wouldn’t want to boost every one of your organic posts, (organic being information, video, graphics that you post at no cost on your social media platforms) it’s important to first determine what you want to achieve. Perhaps you have an upcoming event or thought leadership content you want to elevate with additional exposure. Does the post include a call-to-action? If so, be sure to include a link that leads readers to a registration or donation page and eliminates any unnecessary steps that could compromise your click-through rate. A good rule of thumb is to boost well-performing organic content, because people are more likely to engage with posts that they see have been popular with other people.
Lastly, once you boost your post, be sure to consistently monitor its performance to determine if any adjustments need to be made in your strategy and the amount of money you’re allocating to its exposure. When analyzing results, it’s important to look beyond vanity metrics (such as likes, comments, etc.) and evaluate conversions. Did you gain followers? Did more people visit your profile? Did you see an increase in website traffic?
Regularly monitoring the analytics of your promoted post not allows you to optimize success, it provides an opportunity to test options. For instance, we recently boosted posts of both a 15-second and 30-second television spot we produced for our client. When it became evident that the more condensed, 15-second video was out performing the 30-second version, we pulled the 30 and concentrated the remaining boost on the shorter spot. After all, you don’t want to put money behind a post that’s not generating the results you want.
So, the next time you produce a dynamic social media post that you believe should be seen by a broader audience than your current network of followers, consider boosting it!
I’m Kelli Newman and this has been a Minute with Messaging™. If you found this podcast helpful, I encourage you to subscribe on your favorite platform so you don’t miss an episode. And to learn how your organization can benefit from Newman & Newman’s marketing communication strategies, visit our website at NEWMANandNEWMANinc.com.
