What are they and how can they be beneficial to growing your social media engagement and following?
Every Instagram account holder’s default experience is guided by the Instagram algorithm. If your content doesn’t fulfill an elaborate set of parameters to appear at the top of a follower’s newsfeed, it might get missed altogether. Putting some cash into a boosted post or paid ad campaign is a hack for beating the Instagram algorithm. It can at least guarantee people will see your content.
Deciding whether your company should boost a post or put money behind a paid ad campaign depends on your business objectives, goals, and the resources you have available to you.
Boosted posts typically run for 90 days or less. You just have to set your budget and choose your target audience and Instagram will deliver a post of your choosing directly to their feeds. This is also a great option for smaller budgets where your money can focus on a few boosted posts as opposed to a full-blown campaign.
For example, boosted posts can be beneficial for:
- An upcoming event
- Giveaways
- Organic content that is already performing well that you want to promote
Paid campaigns can be a good strategy to build awareness over a longer period, 90 days or more.
Here are some instances where paid campaigns would be beneficial:
- Announcing a new program
- New products or service offerings
- Launching a new brand
Just because people will see your post does not mean they’re going to like it or engage with your account. Here are some important things to remember when creating paid content and deciding which posts to boost:
Quality still matters. If you had a million dollars to drop on Instagram posts; even if you reached every single person on the app, if you don’t have something compelling to share, you’re not going to keep their attention. Put as much effort into creating engaging, enriching content for your paid posts as you do your unpaid posts.
Be accurate, authentic, and consistent. If you’re going to boost a post, make sure it accurately represents what a user is going to find when they click through. There’s no point in dangling an image in front of an Instagram user unrelated to what they’ll experience when they follow you. A boosted post should be an authentic snapshot of what your brand or account is all about.
Get specific with your target audience. Reaching people is one thing; reaching the right people is another. Be sure you’re making the most of every dollar by homing in as specifically as possible on the ideal audience for your brand. Are you looking to target people in the same demographic as your current followers? Or do you have dreams of reaching a different type of viewer? Either way, drill down into the details to help Instagram deliver your boosted post to the right feeds.
If you need more inspiration for crafting your social media content, check out the nine ways you can beat the Instagram algorithm and subscribe to The Access Success Podcast.