Who Wins in the Battle of the Meta Advert Types?
If you’ve ever run social media ads, you’ve likely seen the “Boost Post” button on Facebook and Instagram. It’s quick, and easy, and promises to get your content in front of more people. But is it the best way to advertise? Not quite.
Boosted posts are a teaser—a simple way for Meta to encourage you to spend money on ads. However, they lack the advanced targeting, tracking, and optimisation features that proper Meta Business Manager ads provide.
At Gorilla Press, we don’t just boost posts—we build highly structured, data-driven campaigns that bring real results. Here’s why you should skip the boost button and let us handle your Meta advertising the right way.
1. The Illusion of Simplicity: What Boosted Posts Really Do
What is a Boosted Post?
A boosted post is essentially a lightweight ad. You select a post from your page, tap the Boost Post button, set a budget, and choose from a few basic options like audience and duration.
The Problem with Boosted Posts
Boosting a post feels easy, but it’s incredibly limited in its effectiveness. It’s designed to get engagement—likes, comments, and shares—not necessarily the actions that drive real business results, such as sales or lead generation.
Limitations include:
❌ Limited Targeting Options – You can only choose broad interests and basic demographics. No advanced audience segmentation.
❌ No Proper Conversion Tracking – You can’t track purchases, lead submissions, or deep website activity.
❌ No A/B Testing – You can’t test different creatives, audiences, or messaging to see what works best.
❌ No Funnel Strategy – Boosted posts don’t retarget users who previously engaged with your business.
Example: Local Café Boosting a Post
A café might boost a post of a new menu item, hoping to bring more customers in. They get likes and comments, but with no way to track if those engagements turned into actual visits or sales, they can’t measure success properly.
Boosting is fine for brand awareness, but if you want conversions, leads, or website visits, you need a structured ad campaign.
2. The Power of Meta Business Manager Ads
What is Meta Business Manager?
Meta Business Manager is Facebook and Instagram’s full advertising platform. Unlike boosted posts, Business Manager allows you to create structured, detailed ad campaigns with proper tracking, audience segmentation, and optimisation.
Why It’s Superior to Boosting Posts
✔ Advanced Audience Targeting – You can target based on detailed behaviours, retarget website visitors, and create lookalike audiences.
✔ Pixel & Conversion Tracking – Track purchases, leads, and other meaningful actions to measure real ROI.
✔ Custom Ad Formats – Choose from carousels, video ads, lead generation forms, collection ads, and more.
✔ Full Funnel Strategy – Retarget users who engaged with previous ads, ensuring a structured customer journey.
✔ A/B Testing – Compare different ads to find the most effective messaging, imagery, and audience.
Example: A Gym Running a Structured Meta Ad Campaign
Instead of boosting a post about membership deals, the gym runs a Business Manager campaign with:
- A Video Ad: Featuring the gym’s facilities with a clear call-to-action (Sign up for a free trial).
- A Targeted Audience: Using interest-based targeting (people interested in fitness) and retargeting website visitors.
- Conversion Tracking: Measuring how many users click the ad, visit the site, and sign up.
By using Business Manager, the gym can track real results and optimise the campaign based on data, rather than just hoping for engagement.
3. Meta’s Strategy: Why Boosted Posts Are a Tease
Meta knows that once you boost a post, you’ll see an increase in engagement. This feels like success—but it’s just the beginning.
Boosting posts is Meta’s way of nudging you towards spending more on ads. Once you’ve seen a slight increase in reach, you’ll naturally want better results, leading you to explore Business Manager.
But here’s the catch: without the right expertise, setting up Business Manager ads can be overwhelming.
That’s where Gorilla Press comes in. We fully manage your Meta ad campaigns, ensuring your budget is spent effectively, targeting the right audience, and driving measurable results.
4. When to Boost a Post (And When Not To)
There are a few cases where boosting a post might be useful:
✅ Promoting an event – If you want quick engagement and awareness for a short-term event, boosting can help spread the word.
✅ Brand-building for new businesses – If you’re just starting out and need more visibility, a small boosted post can introduce your brand to an audience.
✅ Social proof – If a post is already getting organic engagement, boosting it can amplify the effect.
But if you want:
❌ Sales or Leads
❌ Serious Traffic to Your Website
❌ Retargeting Capabilities
❌ A Well-Defined Ad Strategy
Then boosting won’t cut it—you need properly structured ads in Meta Business Manager.
5. The Final Verdict: Boosting vs. Business Manager
| Feature | Boosted Post | Meta Business Manager Ad |
|---|---|---|
| Targeting Options | Basic interests & location | Detailed demographics, behaviours, retargeting, lookalikes |
| Conversion Tracking | None | Full website tracking with Facebook Pixel |
| Ad Objectives | Engagement only | Traffic, sales, leads, app installs, etc. |
| Optimisation & A/B Testing | None | Full control over optimisation, split testing, and audience refinement |
| Retargeting | No | Yes – can retarget website visitors, previous customers, and engaged users |
Boosting is the easy option, but it’s not the smart option. If you’re serious about results, structured ad campaigns in Meta Business Manager are the way forward.
At Gorilla Press, we manage every aspect of your Meta advertising—from setup and targeting to tracking and optimisation—ensuring you get maximum return on your ad spend.
🚀 Want to stop wasting money on boosted posts and start running effective Meta ads? Contact Gorilla Press today, and let’s build an ad strategy that works.