Which posts to boost: put budget behind the right content

Key takeaways

Which posts to boost? The ones that already work for buyers, not the ones with the most likes. A post worth paying for passes four tests: it names the buyer, shows proof, has one next step, and has already drawn a relevant response without payment.

• 4 tests: named buyer, proof, one next step, relevant response.
• Boost posts that earned enquiries, not posts that earned likes.
• Aim by location and interest. Default targeting wastes budget.
• £300–£500 a month is a realistic floor for paid social.

What does boosting a post do?

Boosting pays a platform to show an existing post to more people than would otherwise see it. It is the simplest form of social advertising. It amplifies whatever the post already does, so a post that attracts the wrong people will attract more of them, at your expense.

• How to create social media content that attracts the right customers
• Facebook ads versus boosted posts

Which tests should a post pass first?

A post should pass four tests. It makes clear who it is for. It includes proof. It ends with one next step. And it has already produced a relevant response, such as a message, a save or a comment from the kind of person you want. If it fails one, fix it or choose another.

• Named buyer: is it obvious who this is for?
• Proof: is there a job, figure or quote?
• Next step: is there exactly one?
• Response: did a real prospect react?

• The right-customer content scorecard for social media

Why not boost your most popular post?

Because popularity and usefulness are different things. Your most-liked post is often a team photo or a joke, liked by friends and peers. Paying to show it to strangers buys more likes from people who will never enquire. Look for the post that brought a message instead.

• How to find which social posts actually bring customers
• Vanity metrics on social media and what to track instead

How do you aim it at the right customers?

Aim by where your buyers are and who they are. Set the location to the area you actually serve, choose an age range that matches your customers, and add interests only where they are clearly relevant. Avoid the default 'people who like your page and their friends'.

• Location: your real service area.
• Age: the range your customers fall in.
• Interests: few and specific.
• Objective: messages or enquiries, not engagement.

• How to find where your customers are on social media

How much should you spend, and for how long?

A realistic floor for paid social is about £300–£500 a month, enough for platforms to gather useful data. Run a boosted post for at least seven days before judging it. Judge on enquiries and their fit, and note the cost of each.

• Paid social budgets for UK small businesses
• Always-on vs burst social ads for small budgets

When should you not boost at all?

Do not boost when the profile and reply handling are not ready, when you are at capacity, or when no post has yet passed the four tests. A boosted post is also an advertisement, so it must be clearly identifiable as one and its claims must stand up.

• Profile visits but no enquiries? Fix the path to contact
• ASA rules for social media advertising in the UK

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see with UK small businesses: the boost button is pressed on whichever post the platform suggests, with default targeting, and the budget buys likes from outside the service area. Choosing a proof post and setting the location properly changes the result with the same spend.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Boosting checklist

Before you pay.

• The post passes the four tests.
• Location matches your service area.
• The objective is messages or enquiries.
• Someone will answer within working hours.
• It will run for at least seven days.
• Enquiries and their fit will be recorded.

Next step

Find the post from the last three months that brought the best enquiry. That is your first candidate for budget.