Facebook Massively Overestimating Boosted Post Reach

BigTed on 19/05/2017 - 12:46
Last edited 19/05/2017 - 14:05 by 1 other user

Just wondering if anyone has encountered this before or has any ideas on how to address it.
Every so often I post something that I want to get out to a wider audience.
At the same time, I don't actually care that much so my budget is low.
I agree to boost a post for 24hrs for a cost of $1.
Facebook tells me that I can expect to reach 200-300 people based on my parameters (sometimes more).
I proceed based on this estimate.
However, my reach is routinely much less - around half - of the bottom of the estimated reach.
I feel the estimate was grossly misleading and that Facebook should refund half my spend (yes, I know its only 50c) or extend my ad until it reaches the estimate number of people.
Anyone else had this experience or have any thoughts on how to address it?

Related Stores

Facebook

• 

  nocure on 19/05/2017 - 13:22

  +3

  Facebook tells me that I can expect to reach 200-300 people…

  OzB Online 1,132 users 4,652 guests

• 

  Gunther on 19/05/2017 - 13:26

  +1

  I think a Strongly Worded Letter is in order…

• 

  retiredfeline on 19/05/2017 - 13:27

  +5

  Change your FB handle to VeryBigTed? :)

• 

  llanfachreth on 19/05/2017 - 13:27

  +4

  Yes I'm reluctant to trust them, but what can you do.

  I've found that after boosting my posts my organic reach seems to go down in future posts. Not sure if it's coincidence or not.

  Also whenever I boost I get what appears to be mainly overseas profiles (India, Bangladesh etc) liking the post, even though I've targeted a local area.

  • 

    BigTed on 19/05/2017 - 13:29

    +1

    Based on my Google search it seems Facebook is well aware that there are problems with its estimated reach metrics - yet continues to use them and mislead people.
    I can't help but feel that their estimate is misleading - especially when they could easily just run the damn ad until the estimated number is reached.

  • 

    poboy on 19/05/2017 - 14:27

    +2

    Facebook has been caught overstating its reach time and again. I really wouldn't trust them.

• 

  blonky on 19/05/2017 - 13:42

  +3

  Clickfarms

• 

  foxmulder on 19/05/2017 - 16:20

  Hi it's estimate. Do you actually get charge full $1 in your account for this ad? Usually they email you after few days.

  • 

    BigTed on 19/05/2017 - 18:03

    Its an estimate deliberately designed to get people to spend money.
    Yes, they charged me the full $1 and ended the ad in the 24hrs.

• 

  Diji1 on 19/05/2017 - 17:04

  +1

  The online advertising business is fraudulent.1

• 

  katekate1 on 29/05/2017 - 18:04

  Yes it happens plus, one of the biggest issue you would face is irrelevant audience. People who have nothing to do with your product are on you page. While I would suggest is as you are on it. Go for higher pay package that allows you to customize your target audience. And when it comes to the reach volume, yeah not all of your reach will hit the mark or beyond. but after 4-5 attempts, you reach will be more reactive.

• 

  BigTed on 01/06/2017 - 14:34

  In what I consider one of the most magnificent pieces of karma I have ever seen I have just been notified by Facebook that my payment for the last two ads I ran - which were the ones where the actual reach was about 50% of the LOWEST number in Facebook's estimated reach - did not go through!
  Chances of me fixing that up = 0%
  Sometimes life is unfair - and sometimes it is magnificent.