Facebook (or Meta, as it’s now called!) advertising has become an essential tool for businesses looking to engage with their target audiences on both Facebook and Instagram. When setting up ads on these platforms, two options are available: dark ads and boosted posts. While both serve to increase reach and engagement, they function in different ways. The right choice for your business depends on your budget, marketing goals and campaign objectives. To help you decide which ad type is best for you and your business, we’ve broken down the key differences between the two.
Dark ads are highly targeted ads that don’t appear on your public timeline, but instead appear as ‘sponsored’ posts in the feeds of your target audience; helping to prevent overexposing or spamming your wider audience. Available for both Facebook and Instagram, dark ads are created via Meta’s Ads Manager, and allow for more precise targeting where you can customise your audience based on demographics, behaviours, interests and location. With dark ads, you can also run multiple campaigns at the same time, each tailored to different audience segments and goals.
One of the key advantages of using dark ads is the wide range of ad formats, such as carousels, video ads, stories, lead generation forms and standard posts. This creative freedom allows brands to showcase their product and/or service in the best light possible, and in as many ways as possible, to capture their attention of their target audience.
You also have the ability to perform A/B testing to compare different versions of your ad and see which performs best, helping you to refine your ad campaigns by finding the best performing creatives, ad copy and targeting. Over time, A/B testing can help you to optimise your social media advertising strategy by improving engagement and reach, lowering costs, and ultimately driving better results. It’s a powerful tool for ensuring your advertising efforts are not only data-driven, but are also continuously improving.
Unlike dark ads, boosted posts start life as an organic post on your timeline. Once published, you are given the option to put money behind the post to boost its reach and engagement – hence the term ‘boosted’! It’s a much more straightforward form of social media advertising that allows you to reach more people by targeting location, age, interests and gender. It’s a simple yet effective way to amplify the visibility of your content without the complexities of tackling the minefield that is Meta Business Suite!
Dark ads are typically suited to businesses with larger budgets, as they offer much more flexibility and the freedom to experiment with different strategies. With advanced targeting options, you can ensure your ads reach the people who are most likely to engage with your content or convert, making every penny count. Ultimately, for businesses with the resources to invest in a larger advertising budget, dark ads provide a comprehensive and versatile advertising solution, helping brands to achieve specific, measurable results.
That being said, it’s also worth noting that dark ads can still be effective for businesses with smaller budgets, especially if you’re running a highly targeted campaign. Whilst they require a bit more effort and experience with Meta Ads Manager, the precise targeting can make every penny count by showing your ads to those who are most likely to be interested in your product and/or service.
The beauty of boosted posts lies in their simplicity and affordability, as they can be done in a few clicks with little budget. For businesses working with smaller budgets, boosted posts offer a most cost-effective solution, allowing you to put as little or as much as you want behind them. If you’re just starting out, you can try boosting a post with as little as £10 for a couple of days and adjust as needed. So, if you’re looking to increase brand visibility and engagement with your existing content without committing to a large budget, boosted posts provide a much more low-risk option than dark ads.
Compared to dark ads, however, the targeting options for boosted posts are much more limited but, nonetheless, they are still effective for reaching a larger audience if you have a specific post that you’d like more eyes on.
Both dark ads and boosted posts have their unique strengths, each suited to different advertising needs. Choosing between the two depends largely on your budget, marketing goals and desired level of control over your social media advertising. By understanding the key differences and advantages of each option, we hope we can help you make a more informed decision on what best aligns with your business objectives. Whether you’re aiming for targeted precision or broader reach, both strategies can effectively enhance your brand’s social media presence and drive meaningful engagement.
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