A Complete Guide to Demystifying Boosting and Running Paid Ads for Maximum Impact in Influencer Marketing
TL;DR
Boosted posts and paid ads on Instagram aren’t the same, we need to stop talking about them like they are. Here’s the breakdown:
Boosted Posts: Quick, in-app promotions of existing feed posts. Best for brand awareness and audience engagement. Limited targeting, minimal setup, and surface-level results.
Paid Ads: Customized campaigns via Meta Ads Manager with advanced targeting, detailed analytics, and diverse objectives like conversions or lead generation. Requires more effort but delivers deeper, measurable outcomes.
Key Differences: Boosted posts show engagement on the original post but lack detailed reporting. Paid ads offer advanced insights and broader flexibility but may not reflect audience-facing engagement unless tied to the influencer’s content via authorization codes.
When to Use:
- Boosted Posts: Quick visibility for high-performing organic content.
- Paid Ads: Strategic campaigns driving sales, leads, or app downloads.
Choose based on your goals and resources. For expert help with paid ads or training, email team@nickeynorrish.com
Demystifying Boosting: The Key Differences Between Boosted and Paid Ads on Instagram
The term “boosting” gets thrown around in the Influencer and Digital Marketing circles way too much, but they’re not the same thing – and the differences matter.
If you’ve ever felt confused about which to use or why your engagement stats look different depending on the method, you’re not alone. Let’s clear this up, once and for all.
In my experience, we either encounter paid ads people who don’t really understand influencer, or influencer people who don’t really understand Meta ads. I have extensive experience in both and am keen to help you and your teams figure out how to get paid + influencer on the same page.
Here’s what you need to know about boosted posts versus paid ads, and how to use each strategically.
Boosted Posts: The Quick Fix
What is a boosted post?
A boosted post is simply an organic post from your Instagram feed that you’re paying to promote to a wider audience. It’s the entry-level version of advertising on Instagram – quick and easy to set up.
Here’s how it works:
- Pick a post that’s already live on your feed.
- Tap “Boost Post” in the app.
- Define your audience (or let Instagram’s algorithm decide for you), set your budget, and select the duration.
- Instagram runs your post as a sponsored piece of content.
Key Features of Boosting:
- Engagement from the boost (likes, comments, shares) shows on the original post, so it’s audience-facing.
- Limited targeting options (e.g., you can choose between “people like your followers” or basic demographics).
- It’s great for brand awareness and reaching more eyeballs quickly, but it’s not designed for advanced strategies like conversions or retargeting.
Boosted posts are kind of like slapping a “SALE” sticker on your store window: quick visibility, minimal effort. But, it’s not going to drive deep business outcomes if you’re looking for measurable results beyond surface-level engagement.
Paid Ads: The Strategic Powerhouse
What are paid ads?
Paid ads are more customizable campaigns built through Meta’s Ads Manager. Unlike boosting, they’re not necessarily tied to your feed posts. They can be, if you choose to promote existing content. More on this below. This is a version of social content amplification that can be pretty intricate.
Here’s how paid ads work:
First your Influencer needs to grant your Business Manager Partner Access and/or share an authorization code for the content that is to be amplified. Notice I’m saying AMPLIFIED, not boosted.
- Open Ads Manager and create a campaign with a clear objective – whether that’s impressions, views, website traffic, lead generation, app installs, or something else.
- Customize your AdSet: your audience demographics, interest targeting, budget, bidding strategy, and placements (Stories, Reels, Feed, etc.).
- Build your ad from scratch or use an existing post.
Because of the different methods to utilize the influencer handle + content, it’s advisable that you talk to a paid media expert (like myself!) about whether or not you should pull in the influencer content from the Feed with the [Use Existing Post] at the ad level.
The [Use Existing Post] option will not be able if:
- The Paid Partnership label is activated on the post and you do not have Partner access granted from the brand in Ads Manager.
- Elements of the organic post are not transferrable to a paid ad.
- ex. Certain music/audios are used, additional engagement features are used [like click stickers, polls, hashtag stickers, gifs.], certain filters and the like.
- Certain permissions through the influencers’ IG account are not on.
If the [Use Existing Post] option is not available, you will build the influencer’s post from scratch using the same content + caption that was approved and is showing on their Feed.
Pro Tip: Remove any #partner or #ad hashtags. The sponsored post label from the ad acts as disclosure. You don’t need to double up, and it cleans up the post.
Key Features of Paid Ads:
- If you are not using the [Use Existing Post] option and recreated the post to publish as an ad, engagement stats don’t automatically show on the original post. If you are using [Use Existing Post] the stats that are showing on the post Insights within IG and the audience-facing engagement stats will be inclusive of the results from the paid amplification.
- Full control over targeting: You can create highly specific audiences including ones you build from scratch based on demographics, interests, keywords and so much more, or you can use what we call Custom Audiences which are built off of parameters related to your existing audience (e.g., retargeting users who visited your website in the last 30 days or building lookalike audiences).
- Advanced campaign objectives: Paid ads are built for driving measurable results, like clicks, sign-ups, purchases, or app downloads.
Paid ads are like opening your entire e-commerce store online and hiring a team to run a targeted campaign: more effort, but the results can be transformative if done right.
Using Instagram Influencer Authorization Codes in Ads Manager
One unique capability in Ads Manager is the ability to use authorization codes provided by influencers. Here’s how it works:
- Authorization Codes Explained: Influencers can grant brands access to run ads using their content and handle. This means the ad appears as if it’s coming directly from the influencer’s account, not the brand’s.
- Brands do need to approve the use of the authorization code if the Paid Partnership label is used, and tags the @ brand. The approval notification is sent to the brand via the IG platform at the time of ad publication.
- Brands do need to approve the use of the authorization code if the Paid Partnership label is used, and tags the @ brand. The approval notification is sent to the brand via the IG platform at the time of ad publication.
- Impact on Audience-Facing Analytics: When you use an authorization code, the engagement (likes, comments, shares) from the ad is tied back to the influencer’s original post. This increases their audience-facing metrics, is broken out within Insights, and allows for more simple integration between organic and paid campaigns.
- Comparison to Fully Recreated Ads: If you choose to recreate the ad fully on the backend of Ads Manager (without using the influencer’s code), the ad won’t have any linked connection to the original post. This means the engagement will only be visible in your paid ad reports and not reflected on the influencer’s feed.
Using authorization codes is particularly effective for influencer campaigns where building credibility and maximizing audience-facing engagement is key. However, for campaigns focused solely on conversion or other advanced goals, recreating ads in Ads Manager can provide more flexibility.
Boosted Posts vs. Paid Ads: A Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Boosted Post | Paid Ad (Ads Manager) |
| Ease of Setup | Quick and simple, directly from the Instagram app. | Requires Meta Ads Manager and a bit more time. |
| Customization | Limited audience targeting and placement options. | Extensive customization for targeting and goals. |
| Engagement Visibility | Engagement appears on the original post. | Engagement may not appear unless using the original post or influencer authorization code. |
| Campaign Goals | Best for brand awareness and surface-level reach. | Suited for complex goals like conversions or lead generation. |
Analytics and Reporting Differences
When it comes to metrics, here’s where boosting and paid ads diverge even further:
Boosted Posts
- Engagement stats are fully visible on the original post, which is great if your goal is to show audience-facing growth.
- Limited reporting insights. You won’t get granular data like conversion rates or detailed click-through analytics.
Paid Ads
- Advanced reporting tools let you track everything from impressions and reach to clicks, sales, and cost-per-acquisition.
- You can clearly separate organic performance from paid performance, giving you a much more accurate picture of your ROI.
So… When Should You Use Each?
Boosted Posts Are Ideal For:
- Testing the waters with minimal effort. If you’ve got a post that’s performing well organically and you just want more eyeballs on it, boosting is a great option.
- Increasing brand awareness quickly without diving into Ads Manager.
- Getting more views and likes on your feed posts.
Paid Ads Are Ideal For:
- Driving deeper business goals like sales, lead generation, or app downloads.
- Targeting highly specific audiences and running retargeting campaigns.
- Running multi-format campaigns across different Instagram placements (Reels, Stories, etc.).
- Accessing more detailed analytics to measure ROI and optimize for better performance.
Final Thoughts: Choose What Aligns With Your Goals
Here’s the thing: boosting and paid ads both have their place, but they’re tools for very different jobs. Boosting is like turning up the volume on something, while paid ads are about creating a tailored strategy that drives deeper results.
Before you hit that “Boost Post” button, ask yourself what you’re really trying to achieve. If you’re not sure, start small with a boost to test your audience’s reaction. Once you’re ready to scale or get more strategic, dive into Ads Manager and unlock the full power of Instagram advertising.
At the end of the day, the goal isn’t to overcomplicate things. It’s about aligning your method with your mission. Now go demystify those ads and make them work for you. And for the love of all things… please stop throwing the term “BOOST” around.
PS. Paid Ads are freaking COMPLEX. I’ve been managing paid ads on social since they were born… so 20 years at this point (eek!)… and even I get stumped regularly enough. They are a puzzle. A game. They take budget, time, patience, creativity, and ultimately skill. If you don’t have those pieces, you’re not going to win at paid.
If you need someone who does – either to run your paid influencer ads or to train your team to do it well – shoot me an email: team@nickeynorrish.com