The ‘boost post’ button is often a small business’s first experience with paid social — and usually not a very effective one, since it optimizes for engagement rather than a real business outcome.

Start with one clear objective

Before spending anything, decide what you actually want: more website visits, more leads, or more direct sales. Meta’s ad platform performs best when it’s optimizing toward one specific, well-defined goal.

Target narrower than you think you should

It’s tempting to target ‘everyone’ in your city. In practice, a tighter audience — based on interests, location and demographics relevant to your actual customer — usually produces better, cheaper results.

Creative matters more than budget

A clear, well-designed ad with a specific offer will consistently outperform a larger budget spent on a generic, unclear post — especially in a crowded feed where attention is scarce.

Measure beyond likes and comments

Engagement is easy to see and easy to be misled by. Track the metric tied to your actual objective — leads, messages, or purchases — using Meta’s tracking tools or your website’s own analytics.