We recently shared some examples of Facebook promotion results. Now, we would like to explain the difference between a promotion and an advertisement.

Both of these forms of advertising allow you to promote your content and/or your page, giving you increased visibility; however, they are set-up differently and offer very different options.

Promotion

A promotion, or boosted post, on Facebook is where you pay Facebook to show your post or page on people’s newsfeed more frequently than it would normally show up.  It is based on the Edgerank logarithm that they use. Promotions can be for as little as $5 and run for as little as one day. So, they can be very economical.

A promotion only takes a few clicks to set-up and can even be done from your mobile Facebook app. You simply click the ‘boost’ button next to a particular post or on your page, then choose your budget and you’re done!

Even though the process is simple, the results are still impressive.

Advertisement

An advertisement on Facebook is similar to a promotion, but quite a bit more involved. Again, you can choose to advertise a post or a page; however, there are a lot more targeting options and customization available.

When setting up an advertisement, you use the Facebook ads manager to choose your target. This can include particular age groups, interests, relationship status, countries, states, languages, education, and much more.

When advertising a post, you can choose to advertise a single post or set up your ad to always promote your most current post.

In addition to some of the same low cost options as promotions, advertisements have the added ability of setting specific starting and ending dates; naming your campaign; and including sponsored story features as well.

So, what to do?

Which is better, promotions or advertisements? We lean toward advertisements especially for newer pages that are building their following, because of the keen ability to narrow in on your target market. However, promotions may offer more established pages which could be a better return on your investment.

Here is another article that might help you decide what’s right for you, Facebook Ads vs Promoted Posts: A Side-by-Side comparison.

Here is another informative article with some stats on the difference between promotions and sponsored stories.

Finally, Facebook offers additional features such as market place ads and sponsored stories here’s an article on the differences between these options.

What are your thoughts and experiences with advertisements and promotions? Share your questions and comments, and stay tuned for more case study results…