Understanding the Difference Between a Facebook Ad, or Dark Post, and Organic Facebook Posts

“Why can’t I see my own Facebook ads in my feed?” 

This is a very common question we get from our clients.

It’s understandable, everybody wants to see proof of what they’re paying for. The truth is though that if you probably shouldn’t be able to see your own ads unless you are your own ideal customer.

To understand why this happens you’ll need to know the difference between Facebook ads, or “dark posts”, and regular “organic” Facebook posts. 

Facebook Ads

The short version is this: Facebook ads are “dark posts” that are hidden from the general public and only shown to people in the specific target audiences we set. Facebook posts appear in everybody’s feed that follows a particular page or person.

When we create a Facebook marketing campaign for you most of the time we use Facebook ads and not Facebook posts. This is because they allow us to be a lot more precise with how we target potential customers and when we reach them. 

As a result, we get more bang for your buck by paying to show your ads to the people most likely to act on them and therefore most likely to earn you more sales. 

The main things you’re paying for are Facebook’s data and software (that allows us to use this precise level of targeting) and their distribution platform (so we can show your ad to them inside their regular browsing feed). 

So if you aren’t seeing the ad, it’s because you’re not its intended target. Everything is still working as it should as long as we’re earning you more sales. 

Organic Facebook Posts and Facebook Boosted Posts 

Facebook ads are entirely different from regular, or “organic” Facebook posts like those you would make on your own personal or business page. 

Those posts exist on the main timeline you see when you access the homepage of Facebook. 

Facebook ads, on the other hand, are the sponsored content you see mixed in with the organic posts on your feed. They’ll usually be marked to show that they’re a paid ad.

Facebook ads are sometimes confused with “boosted posts”, which do also exist on the main timeline. 

Think of boosted posts as paying to show more people your organic content. They’re halfway between a Facebook ad and a regular post.

The benefit is that the boosted post still lives on your normal timeline, but the downside is we can’t be as selective about the quality of leads or sales we generate using them. 

Since our focus is always on directly creating more sales and leads for you, we tend to stick with Facebook ads.

In Summary

Organic Facebook posts are like wild crops that we plant out hoping they’ll grow into something good, or “fertilising” them by turning them into a boosted post. 

Facebook ads are like specifically growing a single crop that you know is valuable. Not everyone may like the crop, but if you’ve segmented your customers well that’s not a problem because you already have buyers for it. 

If you want to learn how we can help you grow your business, feel free to contact us with the form below.