Welcome back to Marketing on Main Street. In this series, we break marketing down into practical, usable steps for small businesses. Last time, we talked about the importance of having a solid website before stepping into more advanced digital marketing. Today, we are going to dive into paid social media.
If you are active on social media, you may have seen the buttons that say “Boost Post” or “Promote” on your Facebook or Instagram posts. That is paid social in its simplest form. Boosting is an easy, short-term way to get more eyes on a post, and it can be done with very little experience.
Boosting works well if your goal is simple:
- Get more people to see an announcement, like a sale or new product.
- Reach more of your current followers.
- Share a local event or promotion with nearby people.
You simply pick the post you want to boost, choose a budget, select a target audience (like people in your town or region), and set a duration. Within a day or two, more people will see your post. Boosting is straightforward, low-risk, and something most small business owners can handle on their own.
On the other hand, social media campaigns are a different animal. Campaigns are more in-depth and involve multiple components, including:
- Defining a clear objective (sales, leads, website visits, event registrations).\
- Creating multiple ad variations with different images, text, or calls to action.
- Targeting specific audiences based on interests, behaviors, or demographics.
- Setting schedules, budgets, and goals over a longer period.
- Tracking results and making adjustments along the way.
Campaigns give you a lot more control and a lot more options, but they also require more knowledge and planning to get results. For that reason, many businesses choose to partner with a consultant, local newspaper, or digital agency that understands social media advertising and can guide you through the process.
The key takeaway is this: boosting is simple, short-term, and manageable with minimal experience. Campaigns are more sophisticated, longer-term, and worth considering when you want to invest strategically in reaching the right people at the right time.
Either way, the principle stays the same: marketing is a conversation. Paid social is just one way to join that conversation consistently, and guide potential customers toward your business. Boost posts for quick wins, campaigns for more deliberate growth.
Start with what works for you, then grow your strategy as your comfort and experience increase.
Main Street marketing, done right.
Until next time,
Alice
