Part 2 of the “Wake Up Your Marketing” Series

I was talking recently with a local business owner who proudly told me, “Oh, we’re running ads—we boosted a few posts.”

It’s something I hear all the time. And every time, I take a breath, because this is one of the biggest misconceptions in local marketing today. Boosting a post is not advertising. It’s visibility without direction—momentum without a map.

Now, before you roll your eyes, boosting does serve a purpose. It can extend the reach of a great post that’s already performing well. I use it for one-offs like a performance, a flash sale, or a special limited-time promotion. All of these examples will have a measurable result. But if boosting is your only advertising strategy, you’re not really advertising—you’re just hoping the algorithm feels generous that day. The Algorithm is the boss, not you.

Real advertising is intentional. It starts with a goal and builds from there. A campaign targets your audience by location, interest, and behavior. It tests visuals, headlines, and calls to action. It tells you what’s working—and what’s not—so you can make smarter moves next time.

Boosting can’t do that. Here’s what really happens when you hit “boost”:

• You’re showing your post mostly to the same followers you already have.
• You can’t control who sees it or when.
• You’re not optimizing for clicks, conversions, or sales—just impressions.
• You get nice-looking metrics that don’t actually compute.  How many people saw your boost but not the all important who and where.

It’s the digital equivalent of tossing a flyer into the wind

And here’s why that matters: Tahoe’s audience is fast-moving and mobile. Visitors are on their phones deciding, right now, where to eat, rent, or shop. Boosting doesn’t put you in front of them at the right time or in the right way. Campaigns do.

When I talk with business owners about this, I know I sound passionate—maybe even opinionated. But that’s because I’ve watched the difference play out again and again. The businesses that treat social media as a serious marketing tool see measurable growth. The ones that rely on quick fixes and boosts don’t. The data speaks for itself.

Example: I sit in a local business group on Tuesdays. I began ads 2 days prior to the last meeting. 4 of the 10 people in attendance commented on the new ad. All were either current clients or well within the demographic.

If your goal is visibility, boost away. If your goal is results, you need a real ad strategy. Set objectives. Define your audience. Test your creative. Track your outcomes.

Boosting isn’t bad—it’s just incomplete.

Get To The Surface

It’s time to move from hope marketing to smart marketing. Because when you know what your ads are doing, you don’t have to hope—they start working for you. You purchase the power of the algorithm.

Next Week: “The Myth of ‘Handled’ Social Media” — why saying “our social’s covered” often means it’s being ignored.

If there is a topic you’d like to hear more about by all means, comment below or direct message, and I’ll do my best.

Nothing better than a good question to jump into.

Reach out for a talk over coffee or a hike, I give information freely. I only ask to be paid when I do the work. tgold@bigwaterci.com

Comment below or share.

Trina Gold

Master Creator

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