The Real Cost of "Easy" Advertising

That blue "Boost Post" button on Facebook looks tempting, doesn't it? Spend $20, reach more people, watch customers flood in.

Here's the reality: it's usually the fastest way to burn through your marketing budget.

On a recent episode of The Ownership Advantage, I talked with Facebook ads expert Bill Combes about why most small business ad campaigns fail—and more importantly, how to make them work. What we uncovered might surprise you.

Why "Boost Post" Is a Budget Killer

Boosting a post feels like advertising, but it's really just wishful thinking with a credit card attached.

As Bill explained: "If you can't get someone to stop scrolling and actually look at that ad, you're dead in the water."

Most boosted posts fail because they're missing the fundamentals:

• Strategic creative designed to grab attention and drive action

• Precise targeting that reaches the right people at the right time

• Clear conversion goals beyond vanity metrics

Without these elements, you're essentially paying Facebook to show your content to random people and hoping something good happens.

The Power of Specialization

Here's where most business owners (and many agencies) go wrong: they try to do everything.

One person handling "marketing" often means juggling social media, email campaigns, website updates, SEO, paid ads, and content creation. The result? Being mediocre at everything instead of excellent at anything.

Bill's agency takes a different approach—they do one thing exceptionally well: Facebook and Instagram advertising. This focus allows them to stay ahead of algorithm changes, refine proven systems, and deliver consistent results.

The takeaway? In marketing, just like in business, depth beats breadth every time.

Understanding Platform Psychology

Not all advertising platforms work the same way, and mixing up strategies is costly.

Google Ads work on intent. People are actively searching for solutions. You're meeting existing demand.

Facebook and Instagram ads work on interruption. You're disrupting someone's scroll with something compelling enough to make them stop and engage.

This difference changes everything—your creative approach, targeting strategy, and success metrics all need to align with the platform's natural behavior.

Building Campaigns That Convert

The most successful Facebook ad campaigns aren't single posts—they're strategic sequences:

Stage 1: Awareness
Introduce your brand to people who've never heard of you. Focus on education and value, not hard sells.

Stage 2: Engagement
Target people who interacted with your awareness content. Get them to engage deeper—watch videos, visit your website, or join your email list.

Stage 3: Conversion
Now you're advertising to warm prospects who already know and trust your brand. This is where you make the sale.

This funnel approach transforms ad spending from gambling into predictable growth.

The Follow-Up Gap That's Costing You Sales

Here's a painful truth most business owners ignore: generating leads means nothing if you don't convert them.

Many businesses spend hundreds on ads, get excited about the leads coming in, then drop the ball on follow-up. One phone call, maybe one email, and they move on.

Professional follow-up requires:

• CRM integration to track every lead from source to sale

• Automated sequences with 10+ touchpoints across multiple channels

• Accountability systems that measure actual sales, not just ad clicks

Your ads are only as good as your sales process.

The AI Revolution You Can't Ignore

The digital landscape is shifting faster than ever. ChatGPT and Claude are changing how people search for information. Google is indexing Instagram posts. Meta's AI is getting smarter at ad targeting.

These aren't distant trends—they're happening right now and affecting how your customers discover and research businesses like yours.

Staying competitive means understanding these changes and adapting your strategy accordingly.

Getting the Help You Need

Facebook advertising isn't getting simpler—it's becoming more sophisticated and specialized every year.

As Bill puts it: "If you need help, just ask."

Whether that means hiring a specialist, consulting with your network, or investing in proper training, the fastest path to better results is learning from people who've already mastered what you're trying to achieve.

Pride is expensive. Education is an investment.

The Bottom Line

Stop throwing money at the "Boost Post" button and hoping for miracles.

Successful Facebook advertising for local businesses requires strategy, proper targeting, compelling creative, systematic follow-up, and often professional expertise.

The rules keep changing, but the opportunities for businesses that get this right have never been bigger.

Want to hear the full conversation with Bill Combes? Check out the latest episode of The Ownership Advantage podcast.