How to Boost a Facebook Post for More Local Reach

Getting in front of local buyers and sellers is the whole game. Boosting a Facebook post is a simple way to put your message in front of people who live near your listings and work in your area. You do not need to be a marketing expert. You only need a clear goal, the right post, and a few smart settings. This guide shows you exactly what to do.

What does boosting a post do

A boost turns a normal post into a paid ad. It shows your post to people who match your chosen audience. You can choose who sees it, where they live, and how long it runs. It is fast and simple inside your Facebook Page.

Use a boost when you want more people in your local area to see and act on a strong post. If you need complex ads, you can use Ads Manager later. For most day to day needs, a boost is enough.

When should you boost

Boost when the post already has some natural likes, comments, or shares. That tells you the content is working. Good moments include:

• New listing launch with a short video

• Open home invite with date and time

• Just sold result with a short success story

• Local market update in simple language

• Client testimonial with a friendly photo

• Lead magnet like a suburb price report sign up

What makes a great post to boost

Pick a post that is clear, local, and useful.

• Clear headline in the first line

• One main message only

• A strong image or short video shot in portrait for phones

• Local names that people recognise

• A simple call to action such as Book an inspection, Get the price report, or Send a message

Keep the caption short. Aim for three to five lines. Add your open times, suburb, and a link if you have one.

Before you start checklist

• You are logged in as your Facebook Page

• You have a payment method added to Facebook

• You know your goal such as messages or website visits

• You have a simple local audience in mind such as people within fifteen kilometres of your office

Step by step how to boost a post

1. Open your Facebook Page.

2. Find the post you want to boost.

3. Select Boost Post under the post.

4. Choose your goal.

5. Set your audience.

6. Set your budget and duration.

7. Pick your placement, Page and Instagram if linked.

8. Add your call to action button.

9. Review and select Boost.

Your boost will be reviewed by Facebook. Once approved, it will begin to run.

Choose the right goal

Your goal tells Facebook what outcome to chase first.

• Get more messages. Best for listing or buyer questions. Use this for quick conversations.

• Get more website visitors. Best for property pages, appraisal pages, or suburb reports.

• Get more engagement. Best for market updates and brand building posts.

• Get more leads. If your Page has a simple form, this can collect name and contact details.

Pick one goal per boost. Keep it simple so the system can learn and improve during the run.

Set your audience for local reach

For most real estate posts, a tight local audience works best.

• Location. Use your office suburb, or the suburb of the listing. Add a radius of ten to fifteen kilometres. For rural areas, you may need twenty to thirty kilometres.

• Age. Leave as is unless your property has a clear buyer age range.

• Gender. Leave as all.

• Interests. Only add simple interests if needed, such as Real estate, House hunting, or Property investment. Start broad. You can narrow later if results are weak.

Saved audiences can help. Name them clearly such as Core suburb ten kilometres or Northside open home area.

Budget and duration that work

You do not need a large spend to get local results. Use these simple recipes.

• New listing launch. Twenty to forty dollars per day for three to five days.

• Open home invite. Fifteen to thirty dollars per day for three days before the open.

• Just sold story. Twenty dollars per day for three to five days.

• Market update. Ten to twenty dollars per day for five to seven days.

• Lead magnet such as price report. Twenty to forty dollars per day for five to seven days.

Short runs with a clear goal usually win. Pause if results fade. Refresh the creative rather than extending a tired post.

Add a call to action

Choose the button that matches your goal.

• Send Message for quick chats

• Learn More for property pages or appraisal pages

• Sign Up for suburb reports and guides

• Call Now during open home day hours

Make sure the link goes to a mobile friendly page. Test the link on your phone before you boost.

Where your boost will show

By default Facebook places your boost across Facebook and Instagram. For property content this is fine. If your image or video is not sized for Stories, you can switch off Stories in the placement section. If your Page is linked to Instagram, keep Instagram selected for extra local reach.

How to read the results

Check results daily. Look at these simple numbers.

• Reach. How many people saw it

• Clicks or taps. How many people acted

• Cost per result. What you paid for each click, message, or lead

• Comments and messages. Signs of intent and local interest

Good signs include low cost per result, steady clicks, and real local questions. Weak signs include lots of reach but few actions. If weak, adjust the audience or creative.

Improve your next boost

Use small changes, test one thing at a time.

• New first line hook such as First open this Saturday in Smith Street

• Tighter radius so you focus on nearby suburbs

• New image that shows the best room or street front

• Add captions to video for silent viewers

• Change the call to action from Learn More to Send Message

Keep notes. What worked for one suburb often works again.

Post ideas to boost this month

• New listing. Thirty second walk through with price guide if permitted

• Open home reminder. Short clip standing outside the property

• Just sold. Photo with a one line result and a short story about the buyer

• Buyer wanted. Clear brief such as family home near a local school

• Market update. One graph turned into a simple tip

• Suburb report. Offer a free local price update with a sign up link

• Testimonial. Client photo with one sentence of praise

Simple caption templates you can copy

New listing
First look at this home in Suburb. Bright kitchen, large yard, and close to the local school. First open this Saturday at ten. Tap Learn More to see the photos.

Open home invite
We are open this Saturday at ten in Street Name, Suburb. Join us for a look and ask questions. Tap Send Message for the address and details.

Just sold
Sold in Suburb after strong local interest. Three families made offers. Thinking of selling nearby. Tap Send Message for a price update for your home.

Buyer wanted
We have a family looking for a four bedroom home in Suburb near the park. If you are thinking of selling in the next three months, send us a message.

Market update
Local sales are steady and days on market are shorter this month. Want a simple price update for your street. Tap Learn More and ask for the Suburb Report.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Boosting a weak post that no one engaged with

• Targeting the whole city when you only sell in a few suburbs

• Writing long captions that are hard to read on a phone

• Forgetting a call to action button

• Linking to a slow or messy website page

• Running the same creative for too long

Quick troubleshooting

• Reach is high but clicks are low. Fix the first line, image, or call to action. Make it clearer and more local.

• Clicks are fine but messages are low. Change the goal to messages and add a Send Message button.

• Cost per result is high. Shorten the radius, remove interests, or try a new creative.

• Comments are negative. Reply politely, hide spam, and sharpen the message for local value.

A simple seven day action plan

Day one
Pick two strong posts from the last week. Choose one for a boost.

Day two
Set a local audience of ten to fifteen kilometres. Run twenty dollars for two days.

Day three
Check results. Reply to every comment and every message within one hour if you can.

Day four
Create a new post with a better first line and a clearer image. Boost it with the same audience.

Day five
Review cost per result. Save the audience that worked best.

Day six
Create a lead post such as a Suburb Report. Boost with a Learn More button and a link to your form.

Day seven
Write a short summary of what worked. Plan next week using the same steps.

Privacy and data care

If you upload any customer list to create custom audiences, only use contacts who gave permission to hear from you. Keep data safe. Remove people who ask to be removed. For most boosts you can reach plenty of locals without uploading any lists.

A simple workflow to use every week

• Create two or three local posts that offer clear value

• Choose the best one to boost

• Target a tight radius around your key suburbs

• Spend a small daily budget for three to five days

• Reply fast to every message and comment

• Log the numbers and repeat what works

This steady rhythm builds local reach, more conversations, and more listing leads. Keep it simple. Keep it local. Keep it going.

Author Ken Hobson
ken@agentslibrary.com.au