How to Run a Facebook Ad for a Previous Post

Putting ad spend behind an existing Facebook post is one of the smartest ways to get more value out of content you already know works. Instead of creating an ad from scratch, you can amplify a post that has already earned likes, comments, and shares. This tutorial will walk you through exactly how to do it using both Facebook's simple "Boost Post" button and the more powerful Ads Manager.

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Why Promote an Existing Facebook Post?

Creating an ad from a post you've already published has some distinct advantages over starting with a blank slate. It's a strategy that saves time and leverages the work you've already done.

• Leverage Social Proof: A post with dozens of likes and positive comments is far more compelling than a new ad with zero engagement. When new users see that others have already enjoyed and interacted with your content, they're more likely to trust it and pay attention. You're starting with built-in credibility.
• Save Time and Creative Energy: You don't need to dream up new ad copy, find a new image, or shoot a new video. If a post performed well organically, you already have proven creative ready to go. You’re simply adding a budget to show it to more people.
• Cost-Effective Testing: Facebook's algorithm showed your organic post to the people most likely to engage with it. If it did well, that’s a strong signal a wider audience will also find it valuable. Promoting organically successful posts is a low-risk way to find winning ad creative without guessing.
• Extend the Life of Your Best Content: Organic reach on Facebook is limited, meaning even your best posts are only seen by a small fraction of your followers. Promoting a post breaks it out of that organic bubble, allowing you to reach new potential customers and re-engage your existing audience.

How to Select the Right Post to Promote

Not every post is a good candidate for promotion. Throwing money behind a post that fell flat organically is unlikely to yield good results. You need to be selective and strategic. Here's how to find the right post to back with an ad budget.

Check Your Facebook Insights

Your Page Insights are your best friend here. This is where Facebook shows you exactly how your content is performing without any guesswork.

1. Navigate to your Facebook Page and select Professional Dashboard from the left-hand menu.
2. Go to Insights and then click on Content.
3. Here, you can see data on reach and engagement for all your recent posts. Sort by Reach or Engagements to quickly identify your top performers.

Look for posts with a high number of likes, comments, shares, and link clicks relative to your other content. These are clear indicators that the post resonated with your audience.

Align the Post with a Specific Business Goal

Think about what you want to achieve with your ad. Your best-performing post should also match your campaign objective.

• To drive website traffic: Choose a post that shares a link to a blog article, a product page, or your homepage and already has a high number of organic link clicks.
• To generate leads: Promote a post that offers a free resource, like an e-book, a webinar sign-up, or a checklist.
• To increase sales: Pick a post that showcases a product, highlights a customer testimonial, or announces a special offer.
• To build brand awareness: High-engagement posts - like entertaining videos, helpful tips, or inspiring stories - are perfect for getting your brand in front of new faces.

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Make Sure the Content Is Evergreen

An evergreen post is one whose content remains relevant and valuable over time. Avoid promoting posts tied to a past holiday, a sale that has ended, or a time-sensitive announcement. The content should make sense to a new user seeing it for the first time, weeks or even months after it was originally published.

Method 1: The "Boost Post" Button (The Easy Way)

The "Boost Post" button is the most straightforward way to turn a post into an ad. It’s perfect for beginners or anyone who needs to get an ad running quickly without getting lost in complex settings.

Step 1: Find the Post and Click "Boost Post"

Scroll through your Facebook Page’s timeline to find the post you want to promote. Directly beneath your post, you’ll see a blue Boost Post button. Click it to open the ad creation menu.

Step 2: Choose a Goal

Facebook will ask you what results you’d like from this ad. While "Automatic" is often the default, it's better to choose a specific goal that aligns with what you want to achieve. Common options include:

• Get more engagement: Optimizes for likes, comments, and shares. Good for building social proof.
• Get more website visitors: Optimizes for clicks on the link in your post. Ideal for driving traffic.
• Get more messages: Encourages people to start a conversation with you on Messenger, Instagram, or WhatsApp.
• Get more leads: Uses a lead form to collect contact information directly on Facebook.

Step 3: Add a Call-to-Action (CTA) Button

Your organic post may not have had a button, but you can add one for your ad. This makes it clear what action you want people to take. Choose a CTA that matches your goal, such as "Shop Now," "Learn More," "Sign Up," or "Book Now."

Step 4: Define Your Audience

This is the most critical step. Who do you want to see your ad? You have a few options:

• People who like your Page: Good for re-engaging your loyal fans.
• People who like your Page and their friends: Broadens your reach to networks of your existing followers.
• Your Custom Audience (Create new): This is where you get specific. You can create a new audience by targeting based on:

Step 5: Set Your Budget and Duration

Decide how long you want the ad to run and how much you want to spend. For example, you can set a total budget of $50 to run for 5 days, which means Facebook will spend about $10 per day. As you adjust your budget and duration, Facebook will give you an estimated daily reach. If you're new, start with a small budget to test the waters.

Step 6: Choose Placements

Placements are where your ad will appear. By default, Facebook selects "Advantage+ placements" (previously 'Automatic Placements'), which allows it to show your ad across its network (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Audience Network) wherever it is most likely to perform well. For beginners, this is a safe and effective choice.

Step 7: Add Payment and Boost

If you haven’t already, add a payment method. Finally, review your settings one last time. Once you’re happy with everything, click the Boost Post Now button. Your ad will be sent to Meta for a brief review before it goes live.

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Method 2: Using Ads Manager (The Advanced Way)

While the "Boost Post" button is easy, Facebook Ads Manager gives you far more control and advanced capabilities. Use Ads Manager if you want to access a wider range of campaign objectives, run A/B tests, or unlock more detailed reporting.

Step 1: Navigate to Ads Manager

Go to the Facebook Ads Manager and select your ad account.

Step 2: Create a New Campaign

Click the green + Create button. You’ll be prompted to choose a campaign objective. Ads Manager offers more objectives than the boost interface, including Awareness, Traffic, Leads, and Sales. Select the one that matches your business goal.

Step 3: Configure Your Ad Set

At the Ad Set level, you will define your audience, placements, budget, and schedule. The options here are much more granular than in the boost interface. For instance, you can exclude certain audiences, select very specific placements (e.g., only Instagram stories), and set manual bid strategies.

Step 4: At the Ad Level, Select "Use Existing Post"

This is the key step. Once you get to the Ad setup screen, you'll see an option for "Ad setup." Instead of "Create ad," choose Use existing post.

Step 5: Select Your Post

Click the Select post button. A window will pop up showing the posts from your Facebook Page. Find the post you want to use and select it. You can also paste a post ID if you know it.

Step 6: Review and Publish

Make sure the correct CTA button is assigned and preview your ad across different placements. Once everything looks good, click the Publish button. Your campaign will go into review and, once approved, will start running using your chosen post as the creative.

One huge benefit of this method is that all the engagement (likes, comments, shares) will accumulate on the original post, whether it comes from the organic reach or paid ads. This creates a powerful piece of social proof over time.

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Final Thoughts

Promoting an existing Facebook post is an efficient and effective strategy for any business. It lets you capitalize on content that has already proven its value, leveraging built-in social proof to drive better ad performance while saving you time and creative effort.

Staying on top of which content is performing best can feel like a full-time job. Instead of manually digging through Facebook Insights every week, it helps to automate the process. At Graphed, we’ve made this simple. By connecting your ad accounts and social media pages, you can use natural language to find your top content in seconds. For example, just ask, "Show my top 10 Facebook posts by engagement this month," and we will instantly build a dashboard highlighting your winners, so you always know exactly which post to boost next.