Stop Boosting and Start Thinking—Your Ads Deserve Better

What’s Going Wrong

Local business owners are out here treating the Facebook “Boost” button like it’s a magic wand. Got a new post? Slap some money on it and let ‘er rip! Maybe it’s a blurry iPhone video from your nephew talking about “limited-time offers.” Maybe it’s a Canva image with Comic Sans screaming “We’re open!” Either way, the logic seems to be: if we pay, the internet gods will reward us.

Spoiler alert: they won’t.

This happens because real ad platforms like Google Ads feel overwhelming. They have dashboards, metrics, “conversion tracking,” and other things that sound like homework. So instead of learning or hiring someone who understands it, you go with what feels easy and familiar. Boosting a post feels like doing something—even if that something is a total waste of cash.

And here's the kicker: most people boosting posts don’t even think about who they're showing it to. Cold audience? Warm audience? Dog walkers within 25 miles of your office? Who knows! Just hit boost and hope Zuckerberg takes the wheel.

The Consequence

Here’s what happens when you treat the Boost button like it’s your marketing strategy: you’re basically setting a pile of money on fire and hoping a customer walks by the smoke.

You end up showing ads to people who already follow you (waste), people who live nowhere near your business (waste), or people who couldn’t care less about what you’re offering (giant waste). And since most folks link these boosted posts to their homepage—because that’s all they know—you’ve given people no clear next step. No call to action. No funnel. No direction. Just... “Hi, we exist. Please love us?”

And let’s not even get started on analytics. You’re not tracking conversions. You don’t know your click-through rate. You have zero data to optimize or even know if your ad is doing anything other than annoying strangers.

Meanwhile, your competitors are using actual ad strategies that focus on intent, geography, retargeting, and results. They’re spending the same dollars—but smarter. And they’re winning the leads you thought you were advertising for.

The Fix

First, stop thinking of ads as one-size-fits-all. Your audience isn’t a giant blob—they’re at different stages in their buying journey. So treat them that way:

Top of Funnel

These folks just realized they have a problem: they need HVAC help, a tree removed, a fence built. They are problem aware but not looking for you yet. Where do they go? Not Facebook. They go to Google. That’s where Search Ads, Call Ads, and Local Service Ads shine. Use them. Period.

Middle of Funnel

Now they’re poking around. Maybe checking prices. Maybe Googling “best fencing company near me.” Maybe watching DIY fails on YouTube. This is where you start re-targeting the people who visited your site but didn’t convert. You serve them content that helps them solve the problem or positions your brand as the go-to expert.

Bottom of Funnel

They’re ready to choose. They’re comparing you to your competition. Hit them with testimonials, before/afters, killer offers, and social proof. This is when a well-timed retargeted video ad can close the deal.

And to tie it all together: Use Ads Manager X. One dashboard. Every platform. No more jumping between ad accounts, guessing budgets, or trying to make sense of five different interfaces. You control your campaigns, your budget, and your reporting—without the migraine.

And above all—make sure your pixels, tags, and conversion goals are set up correctly. If your site isn’t “talking” to your ad platform, you’re flying blind. Install Google Tag Manager. Know what success looks like (calls, bookings, purchases). Then tell your platform to find more people who do that.

What You Get

Once you ditch the Boost Button Band-Aid and start running actual strategy-based campaigns, everything changes.

You get better Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) because you’re not throwing dollars at random strangers. Your click-through rates go up because you’re showing the right message to the right people at the right time. You stop treating Facebook like a digital billboard and start using it like a sniper rifle.

Your ad campaigns become smarter, not just louder. You know who clicked, who converted, and what actually works. You stop guessing and start optimizing.

And the best part? You feel like a damn marketing genius. Your budget stretches further. Your leads get better. Your business grows faster. All because you stopped throwing spaghetti at the wall and started serving up steak.

Pro Tip

Always ask: Where is my buyer in their journey? Then match your message and your platform to that stage.

A cold prospect on Facebook doesn’t need your sales pitch—they need to understand their problem. A hot lead who’s visited your site twice? Show them your best testimonial. The platform and the message should work together, not fight each other.

And if you want to make your life way easier while leveling up your ad game, Ads Manager X is your new best friend. Centralized control. Unified reporting. No more platform-hopping panic attacks.