Every Kiwi business owner has done it: spent $50 boosting a Facebook post and watched it crawl to 4 likes — three of them family. Here’s why the boost button is a money pit, and what to do instead.
The boost button targets the wrong people
By default, Facebook boosts to your existing followers and ‘people like them’ — which is mostly more friends and family. Useful if you want to feel popular at a barbecue. Useless if you want bookings.
It optimises for the wrong thing
The boost button optimises for engagement (likes, comments). Real ads inside Ads Manager optimise for conversions (form fills, calls, bookings). Same money, completely different outcome.
What actually works for local NZ businesses
Three things, in order:
- A specific offer — ‘20% off first booking’ beats ‘check us out’
- A specific audience — women 30-55 in your suburbs, not ‘everyone in NZ’
- A direct path to book — Lead form or ‘Click to call’, not ‘visit our profile’
The math
A real Meta ad set up properly typically costs $1.50-$3 per qualified lead in NZ. A boosted post costs whatever-divided-by-zero. Same budget, completely different return.
Want us to set this up for you? Here’s how Meta Ads Management works, or book the free strategy call.