A couple of weeks ago, I decided to run a small experiment. I wanted to see what would happen if I boosted one of my facebook posts. Basically, I was looking to figure out for myself if boosting facebook posts was something that would turn out being worth the money. I didn’t want to spend much for this experiment and I also wasn’t very patient – I only ran the ad campaign for two days. So, how was the process? And would I do it again? I’ll answer all those questions today in this week’s Blogger Tip Tuesday as I explore if boosting facebook posts is a yay or a nay.
So, I was inspired to give this a shot by the book I’m currently reading How To Blog For Profit: Without Selling Your Soul
So, what happened when I boosted the post? Well, my goal was to increase conversion of facebook into blog page views. As you can see below, the post had a paid reach of 4,108 and there were 83 post actions (that’s likes, responses, etc.). There were 105 clicks on the post link, which translated into that Pure Barre post by far being my most viewed post of the week (and it was the second most viewed post of the month of January, which really says something considering it didn’t go live until the last week of the month). Altogether, there were 4,442 impressions from the post – which is WAY more than I normally get on a facebook post. When all was said and done, the $20 spent translates into a cost per engagement of .25. Which isn’t a lot. However, I don’t think I’d boost a facebook post again unless I were trying to sell a product (like an e-book or something). I think if you are just trying to get more traffic to your blog, it probably isn’t worth the money. While I did get a lot of traffic to that post, it wasn’t SO MUCH traffic that I’d just boost a regular post again.
Have you ever boosted a facebook post? Any plans to do so?
note: this post contains an affiliate link.
Yep, I’ve tried the experiment as well, didn’t seem beneficial in the long run.
Sue @ This Mama Runs for Cupcakes recently posted…Skinny Confidential Book Review & Giveaway
yeah, if i was selling something i might do it again but that’s it!
I was looking forward to this post! It sounds like a good way to get hits for a giveaway or a product for sale. At least boosting actually does work. I need to review my notes from reading Ruth’s book (though I’m still not ready to monetize my blog!).
yes, it does have an impact but figuring out why exactly you want to do it is important in my book! love that you read ruth’s book too!
I was wondering about this myself. I thought it was kind of like paying people to visit your site. Interesting info as usual thanks!
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner recently posted…Don’t Sweat it! Shower Pill Review & Giveaway
more of like a sponsored post kind of mentality, i think! it was an interesting experiment that i’m glad i tried 🙂
I’ve boosted some posts just to get my blog name out to more people. Now, I’m just scaling back to posting consistently now that I have somewhat of a readership, and people who are interested in my blog content, so I can develop relationships with people and not just be the ‘publicity obsessed’ blogger. 😀
Emily recently posted…A Father’s Kiss
what was your experience boosting posts??
I’ve pretty much given up on my Facebook page so don’t think I’d ever boost a post. Maybe if I had something to sell (likely never) I’d consider it. Still, an interesting experiment!! I really think FB is making their pages geared towards full scale businesses. That’s the only way they’ll make any money!
Mar @ Mar on the Run recently posted…Shamrock Half Training Week 6
yeah selling something would be a good use of that feature!
Working in social media strategy and digital marketing, I think your conclusion is pretty on the mark. Boosting posts can be effective if you are trying to amplify your reach for a company you’re working with (e.g. if you are having a hard time getting the impressions/traffic you need to satisfy an agreement with a sponsor), if you’re running a giveaway, or if you are selling something.
Jess recently posted…Run the Bluegrass Training Week 8
glad to hear the SM professional side of it lines up with what i found out 🙂
I ‘v never done this and I still don’t really understand how it works. Is boosting it similar to having it stay at the top of someones facebook newsfeed instead of it getting bumped down? I am assuming that it doesn’t actually get shown to people who are not your FB friends, correct? For example: If you only have 400 FB friends, you are not going to have your post seen by 5,000 people, correct?
Our blog is not a “business” so we have no plans to do this in the future but I am just curious of the analytics of it all. Facebook Baffles me! Thanks for trying it out and reporting back!
with a page, this isn’t based on fb friends – it’s based on likes. and no, it’s an advertisement that will get shown to the demo you select when formatting the ad. when you see something on fb that says sponsored underneath it you are seeing an ad that someone paid for you to see 🙂
Interesting experiment…
Sounds like its great if you are selling something.
Thanks so much for the info!
yes, that’s exactly my feeling!
Hmmm this is interesting. I have never really done anything special or that costs anything to promote my blog. I just post to facebook and twitter when I post.
Jen@milesandblessings recently posted…Perspective & Kids running
i was curious but it’s not something i’d do again (at least not until i write an ebook! :))
I’ve always wondered if boosting would really work, but have never tried it. As always, thanks for the insight.
Debbie @ Deb Runs recently posted…From Football To Feet
yeah so my takeaway is that it CAN work depending on what your goal is.
Courtney, I’ve never tried this and considering how “cheap” I am I can’t imagine that I would but I’ve definitely wondered what the impact might be. Thank you for trying this on our behalf!! 😉 Interesting to see what the difference brought to you and thank you for sharing the results.
yeah i kind of wish i’d let it run for longer but i just wasn’t that patient! 🙂
I’m not planning on boosting my posts. FB is one of those necessary evils but I’m not giving them my $. I’m always interested to hear what works and what doesn’t tho…
yeah, i hear ya!
I like experiments – thanks for sharing. I’m a bit behind on FB strategy since I do not maintain a page, but the insight is always appreciated 🙂
Jennifer recently posted…Monthly Goals – February 2015
haha, thanks for reading!
With my Facebook reach becoming smaller and smaller, I’ve been wondering if paying to boost any of my posts would be worth it. Thanks for the detailed insight, Courtney. Your thoughts just confirmed my thoughts: it doesn’t really seem all that worth it.
Kathryn @ Dancing to Running recently posted…Who Is Ready to Rock ‘n’ Roll With Me?
Yeah, while you will get a boost, I don’t think it is worth it unless you were selling a product. Fb is so weird!
Love hearing the results of your experiment!
Coco recently posted…Loving Lately: Pizza, Donuts, And Chocolate
Thanks! It was very interesting!
I’ve been wondering about this as well. Great advice about using it for selling an e-book or other product.
Maureen recently posted…Big Weekend Eats {WIAW}
Yeah I think that’s probably the best use for it.
My experience for me, since I’m a relatively new blogger, is that I’m getting my name out there, and I’m not quite a foodie or a runner blogger, so I had to find a unique audience. I think it really helped me find/target that unique audience. It tapered off the more I did it as more people knew about me.
Emily recently posted…A Father’s Kiss
so interesting! thanks for sharing emily 🙂
Interesting. Thanks for sharing, always wondered about this.
Abby @ BackAtSquareZero recently posted…Gluten Free Chocolate Desserts to Make Valentine’s Day Sweet
This is really interesting- I have been wondering if it were worth it as well. I don’t get a lot of engagement on Facebook and very little of my traffic comes from there. Thanks so much for sharing, this is good to know 🙂
Annmarie recently posted…Wild Workout Wednesday: Powerful in Pink Fitness Equipment
I have mixed feelings — if you have a specific goal (like selling something) it might be worth it. But just for traffic, probably not.
I boost mine every now and then; and I completely agree with you – unless the blog post you’re boosting on FB sells something (e.g. has affiliate links, products, etc.) it’s not really worth the money.
I also found that targeting an add to people outside of your current audience (those who don’t like your page yet) is a little more worth it as it brings new likes to the page.
Enjoyed this post. Thank you for sharing!
Visiting form the Fitness Blogging Support and Share Group on FB 🙂
Lean Lena recently posted…Yoplait Whips! – Whipping Up Healthy Meals
That’s a good point about the audience — I may try it again using some different parameters!
Thanks for sharing how boosting a post went. I haven’t every boosted a post so it was great to hear how it turned out.
Heather @ divas run for bling recently posted…5 Things I Love About Half Marathons
it was a really interesting experiment!
Thanks for passing on the info from your experiment! I never have but have always wondered what the ROI would be. 🙂
Kate @KateMovingForward recently posted…5 Chick Flicks Your Guy Won’t Hate
i might run another experiment because i want to see how choosing some different factors makes (or doesn’t) a difference.
Hi Courtney! How are you getting .25 cents per action? I’m calculating .19 cents per action which is even better. I have boosted posts in the past and have some shirts that I am selling and would use it for that but just on a day to day basis I would not pay for it.
Diatta @ Femme Fitale Fit Club recently posted…In The Gym with Sharon Chamberlin
you get a report that details out the cost and the cost per action, etc. the report breaks it all down. i’m not looking at it right now, but it did add up. either way, to sell your shirts, i think it’d be a good investment!
This is a very informative and interesting post, thanks for sharing your experience! I’ve boosted a couple posts and got a LOT of clicks and interactions on my blog from Facebook. BUT it’s not something I would do on a regular basis unless I had something to promote, selling something, giveaway, etc etc. I think it’s great for a new blogger to get out there, but it really also depends on the content you are boosting.
Aj @ NutriFitMama recently posted…Thinking Out Loud and Chocolate Drunken Strawberries
yep – your take is exactly the takeaway i had after boosting my post!
Thank you for sharing this! I do NOT have a big budget (or hardly any) to contribute into my blog, yet I would love to make the blog more profitable. I definitely struggle with the concept that it “takes money to make money”, so I’m trying to make wise decisions as to where to invest that money!
RFC recently posted…California Dreaming – and Racing – Giveaway!
i would not invest in fb to grow your blog or to make money (unless you are selling something). i think the money could be better spent on reading an awesome book – i really recommend ruth soukup’s blogging book. it’s fantastic!
Thanks for sharing! Interesting to read your results. I don’t have a desire to boost a regular post, but I agree if you’re trying to sell something it might be worth it.
Having worked in social media for a government organization that included promoting events and other campaigns, I did a LOT of experimentation on boosting and other advertising avenues on Facebook without the benefit of really having knowledge of online marketing at the time. What I did find, however, was pretty much the same conclusion you came to – boosting posts had only a superficial effect. Even for promoting contests, events and initiatives, using a pay-per-click advertising method got us more interaction than a simple blanket boost (and a farther reach than our print advertising too, might I add!). It was tough, as the lone social media person for the whole organization, to keep up with Facebook’s seemingly ever-changing algorithms. I also noticed the cost per interaction go up each time I used the service, which meant spending more taxpayer money every time we did a new campaign. I wouldn’t boost another post for an organization when Facebook’s other ad methods get better bang for the buck.
Monica recently posted…My Birth Plan – Part 2
It’s so interesting to hear others experiences with boosting through Facebook!!