Should You Boost That Post?
Organic vs Paid Social Media Explained
If you have ever hovered over the Boost button on Facebook and wondered what it actually does, you are not alone. In this blog, we’ll explain what boosting is, how it differs from regular posting, and how to tell if it is the right move for a specific post.
What “organic” and “paid” mean
Organic content
Any content you post on social media that is not boosted or advertised. Who sees it is entirely up to the platform’s algorithm. Sometimes it performs well, but many times it gets buried and doesn’t reach as many people as you’d hope.
Paid content
Any post you pay for. This could be boosting a post from your feed and choosing a target audience, or creating an ad through Ads Manager that doesn’t show up on your page at all but appears in different placements (like Stories, Reels, or the feed).
Start with a simple goal
Ask one question first. What do you want to happen after someone sees this post?
Choose one outcome. Awareness, website visits, calls, messages, sales, hiring, or event attendance. If a clear outcome does not exist, let the post run organically and move on.
Who actually needs to see it?
Think about the audience. Is this message for current customers, people in your town, or a very specific group? If the post only makes sense to existing followers, organic might be enough. Paid reach is most helpful when you need to reach beyond your usual circle for a real reason.
Timing matters
Is there a window where extra reach would change the result? Good signs are an event coming up, a seasonal push, a short booking period, or a limited offer. If timing is loose, steady organic posting might be best.
Can the extra attention be handled?
If a boost works, comments, messages, and calls will increase. Make sure contact information is accurate and someone is watching the inbox. If capacity is low this week, keep it organic. Paying for traffic when no one can respond creates a poor experience.
Can the extra attention be handled?
Dark or blurry photos, tiny text on images, or generic stock without context.
“We just need reach” is not a clear goal. Reach for what.
Wrong hours, bad links, slow pages, or no clear next step. Fix the basics first.
Message is for current customers but the hope is brand new leads.
Too early to matter or too late to help.
A quick decision check
Use this simple test. If any two items below are missing, skip the boost for now.
If all five look good, a boost is worth considering.
Organic still wins the long game
Organic content builds your baseline, and a steady rhythm of useful posts will raise performance over time. Education that answers real questions, proof that shows real results, and community updates create trust. When those pillars are in place, any future boosted posts get better results.
Wrap up
Boosting is not about buying luck. It is about paying to accelerate the right message at the right time for a clear reason. If you can point to a specific outcome, the right audience, a meaningful timing window, strong content, and enough capacity to respond, a boost can make sense. If not, let the post work organically and put energy into the next strong piece.
