How does the performance of Facebook boost ads compare to awareness ads?
During Q2 of 2022, Digible started running Facebook boosted ads alongside our standard paid social ad setup. Our initial reaction when doing so was that Digible’s traditional setup out-performed boosted ads across all key performance benchmarks. However, there is more to the story!
First off, let’s get back to basics, what are Facebook boosted ads? Boosted ads are advertisements created in The Facebook Ads platform aimed to increase engagement with already existing, organic posts, pages, or events. Boosted ads are created with an engagement campaign objective, while Digible’s standard social ad setup uses a traffic-focused campaign objective. Additionally, Facebook boosted ads keep traffic on the Facebook platform, with the Click to Action button driving the Facebook user to another Facebook page, Facebook event, or Facebook post. Meanwhile, Digible’s awareness tactic drives users and traffic off of Facebook to a property’s specific URL.
Findings
When comparing Facebook Boosted Ads alongside Digible Standard set-up of Facebook awareness focused Ads, it became clear that Digible’s Standard Ad set-up performed almost twice as well across all key performance indicators. If planning to run Boosted Ads expect that KPIs including, click-through rate, site visit rate, and cost per thousand impressions will be below the benchmark. When running Boosted Ads anticipate that Click Through Rate will drop on average 50% while CPM will likely be double compared to spend for an awareness ad with Digible’s standard set up on the same campaign. Lastly, note that Facebook Boosted Ad results may not include all traditional KPIs, such as instant experience view time.
| Avg. CTR | Avg. CPM | |
Boosted Ads: Engagement Campaign | 2.20% | $14.20 |
Standard Set-Up: Traffic Campaign | 4.15% | $7.37 |
% Difference | – 47.00% | 92.77% |
If KPIs Are Not as High…. Are Boosted Ads A Waste of Spend?
Not necessarily… When choosing between putting funds towards boosted or standard awareness ads, the largest consideration should be the anticipated outcome and goal of the campaign. If looking to increase your on-platform following or interactions, then Facebook Boosted Ads might be just what the doctor ordered. Boosting a post, page or event will increase clicks on Facebook, including; likes, comments, follows, and messages.
However, if the goal of your campaign is to drive users to a designated property URL then it is advised to put funding behind Digible’s standard awareness campaign setup. Use the chart below to select the best ad tactic for your campaign.
What’s Next
Digible will continue to run Boosted Ads on Facebook at client request in order to drive Facebook page and event engagement. When running Boosted Ads, Digible will measure success through page or post engagement including; Facebook likes, comments, follows, and event RSVPs. Benchmarks for click-through rate, site visit rate, and cost per thousand impressions will not follow those of Digible’s standard social ad setup.
Keep in mind that boosted ads are not the only way to increase social media engagement and success. Digible has all of the resources to keep you informed and give you confidence when making decisions to achieve your property’s goals. Ready for your next read? Find out more about Facebook Event Marketing and how to authentically connect with audiences in experiential environments as well as the Social Media Followers Campaign, which can increase social media following by 200%.
We’re excited to hear about your paid social goals and help you outperform your targets! Let’s chat!
Metric Definitions
KPI (Key Performance Indicator): Critical quantifying metrics used to measure progress towards, effectiveness, and overall success of the intended marketing goal.
CTR (Click Through Rate): The percentage of times users who were served an impression of the ad, performed a click. CTR is an indicator of how effective the ad’s copy and content are at driving user interest and initial engagement.
CPM (Cost Per Mill: The average cost for 1,000 impressions. CPM allows advertisers to measure the effectiveness and reach of spend.
SVR (Site Visit Rate): The percentage at which those served with an ad visited the intended URL. A fundamental measurement of ad reach and success.
Instant Experience View Time: The average total time, in seconds, that a user viewed an Instant Experience that was linked from the Facebook ad. An Instant Experience is a screen that opens after a user interacts with the ad on a mobile device. It may include a series of interactive or multimedia components, including; video, images, carousels, or tagged products.
