What is the difference between boosted posts and Facebook Ads?

Boosted posts and Facebook Ads are both advertising options offered by Facebook, but they have some key differences in terms of features, functionality, and targeting capabilities. Here's a breakdown of the main differences between boosted posts and Facebook Ads:

1. **Boosted Posts**:
   - Boosted posts are regular organic posts created by a Facebook Page that are promoted to reach a wider audience.
   - Boosting a post is a simple and easy way to increase its visibility and engagement without creating a separate ad campaign.
   - Boosted posts offer limited targeting options compared to Facebook Ads. Advertisers can target their boosted posts based on criteria such as location, age, gender, and interests, but they have fewer advanced targeting options available.
   - Boosted posts are primarily designed to increase engagement metrics such as likes, comments, and shares, rather than driving specific actions or conversions.
   - Boosted posts are managed directly from the Facebook Page's interface, and advertisers have limited control over optimization, bidding, and ad placement.

2. **Facebook Ads**:
   - Facebook Ads are more advanced advertising campaigns created using Facebook Ads Manager or the Facebook Ad Creation tool.
   - Facebook Ads offer a wide range of ad formats, targeting options, and optimization features to help advertisers achieve specific business objectives.
   - With Facebook Ads, advertisers have access to advanced targeting options such as custom audiences, lookalike audiences, behavioral targeting, and retargeting based on website or app interactions.
   - Facebook Ads allow advertisers to drive a variety of actions and objectives, including website visits, lead generation, app installs, product sales, and brand awareness.
   - Facebook Ads offer more control over campaign budgeting, bidding strategies, ad placements, ad scheduling, and ad creative customization.
   - Facebook Ads provide in-depth analytics and reporting tools to track campaign performance, optimize ad performance, and measure return on investment (ROI).

In summary, while boosted posts offer a quick and easy way to promote organic content to a wider audience with limited targeting options, Facebook Ads provide more advanced features, targeting capabilities, and customization options to help advertisers achieve specific business objectives and drive meaningful results.