Why your boosted Facebook posts can’t do what Facebook ads can do

In search for an analogy to explain the difference in how Facebook’s marketing products work, I may have finally found one that comes with a helpful visual. The short answer to the “Why?” these two modes of advertising work differently is that the content is served to different audiences. Facebook serves posts (even boosted ones) to people its algorithm knows are most likely to click an emoji reaction button, leave a comment, or share the post with others. The algorithm knows these folks prefer to stay in the Facebook ecosystem. Facebook serves ads to those likely to leave Facebook to visit your website.

Posts are the airport trams that connect terminals. People engage with them only when—even if only temporarily—staying on property.
Ads are the trains that leave the airport.

As an auction marketer, our job is to get people from where they are (their mailbox, their newspaper, their Facebook scroll, the road where they saw a sign, etc.) to our sellers’ auctions. The popularity metrics of posts can help build your brand and keep awareness in front of sellers. So, I’m not advocating abandoning posting on your Facebook page. I just wouldn’t spend more than a marginal part of your Facebook budget there, and I wouldn’t expect many bidder registrations from posts.

Stock image(s) purchased from iStockPhoto.com