Marketing Myth #2: Boosting Posts Is Not Advertising

Many Indian businesses believe that clicking the “Boost Post” button means they are running social media ads. It feels easy, quick, and affordable — so it must be advertising, right?

Unfortunately, this misconception is one of the biggest reasons businesses spend money on social media without getting leads or sales.

In this blog, we explain why boosting posts is not the same as advertising, why this myth hurts business growth, and what Indian businesses should do instead to run effective digital ads.

❌ The Myth: Boosting Posts = Advertising

Boosting a post simply means paying the platform to show an existing post to more people. That’s it.

Because the word “boost” sounds powerful, many businesses assume:

• They are running ads

• They are doing performance marketing

• Sales should automatically follow

In reality, boosting lacks structure, strategy, and control.

⚠️ Why This Myth Hurts Indian Businesses

1. No Clear Business Objective

When you boost a post, the focus is usually:

• Likes

• Views

• Engagement

But businesses need:

• Leads

• Calls

• Website actions

• Conversions

Boosting rarely aligns with real business goals.

2. Poor Audience Targeting

Boosted posts typically rely on:

• Broad audiences

• Interests guessed by the platform

• Engagement-based reach

This often means your content is shown to people who:

• Are not decision-makers

• Don’t need your service

• Will never convert

3. No Sales Funnel

Advertising works when users are guided step by step: Awareness → Interest → Action

Boosted posts:

• Don’t build funnels

• Don’t retarget properly

• Don’t track conversions accurately

As a result, money is spent without measurable ROI.

✅ The Reality: Advertising Needs Strategy

Here’s the truth:

Advertising is not about visibility. It’s about intent, targeting, and conversion.

Real social media advertising involves:

• Clear campaign objectives

• Audience research

• Creative testing

• Conversion tracking

• Continuous optimization

Boosting skips most of these steps.

📌 Boosting vs Real Advertising (Simple Comparison)

Boosting a Post

• Focuses on likes & views

• Limited targeting

• Minimal optimization

• Weak tracking

• Low conversion intent

Running Proper Ads

• Focuses on leads & sales

• Advanced audience targeting

• Clear objectives

• Funnel-based approach

• Measurable ROI

🚀 What Indian Businesses Should Do Instead

1. Define the Goal First

Before spending money, ask:

• Do I want leads?

• Website traffic?

• Calls or enquiries?

Every ad campaign must start with a clear objective.

2. Target the Right Audience

Successful ads focus on:

• Location

• Age & profession

• Buying intent

• Retargeting website visitors

Relevance matters more than reach.

3. Create Ads, Not Boosts

Instead of boosting:

• Use Ads Manager

• Create dedicated ad creatives

• Test multiple versions

• Optimize based on performance

4. Track Conversions

If you don’t track:

• Leads

• Form submissions

• Calls

• Purchases

You can’t improve results.

🎯 Action Steps for Business Owners

To avoid wasting money:

1. Stop boosting posts expecting sales

2. Decide your business objective clearly

3. Invest in proper ad setup

4. Track performance regularly

5. Optimize based on data, not assumptions

Final Thoughts

Boosting posts may increase visibility, but visibility alone does not grow a business.

Advertising works when there is:

• Strategy

• Structure

• Testing

• Optimization

If your ads are not delivering results, the problem is usually not the platform — it’s the approach.

👉 BizIndia Digital helps Indian businesses move from boosting posts to running result-driven ad strategies. If you want ads that generate leads and sales—not just likes—we can help.