What does it mean to boost an Instagram post?
To boost an Instagram post is to turn a post you already published into an ad. You pay Instagram, and Instagram shows that post to more people than it would reach on its own.
It is the simplest form of advertising on the app. You pick a post from your profile, tap one button, choose a few settings and pay.
Instagram's help page says boosted posts can appear in four places: Explore, Home Feed, profile feed and Stories. People who see the boosted post can like, comment, save or share it, just like any other post.
This guide covers who can boost, how to boost an Instagram post step by step, how to plan what it costs, and how to read what you got for your money.
Who can boost a post on Instagram?
Boosting has two requirements.
- A professional account. Instagram's help page says you need a business or creator account. Personal accounts do not see the Boost button.
- An ad account connection. The first time you boost, Instagram asks you to choose an ad account. You can connect an existing Facebook ad account or keep the two separate.
Switching to a professional account is free and done in your account settings. Once that is set, the Boost option appears under the posts you own.
One more point for US advertisers. If your ad is about credit, jobs, housing, social issues or politics, Instagram requires you to pick a Special Ad Category. Set it at the start, before you choose the audience.
How do you boost an Instagram post, step by step?
Here is how to boost an Instagram post in the app, following Instagram's help page.
- Open your profile. Tap your profile picture in the bottom right.
- Pick the post. Tap the post you want to boost. Choose one that already does well with your followers, because a boost multiplies what is already there.
- Tap Boost. The button sits on posts you own once you have a professional account.
- Set the goal. Choose what you want the boost to achieve. The app lists the goals available to you.
- Set the audience. Choose who sees the ad. Pick the people most likely to care about this post.
- Set the budget. Enter a daily amount. This is what you are willing to spend each day.
- Set the duration. Choose how many days the boost runs.
- Tap Next. Review your settings on the summary screen.
- Tap Preview ad. Check how the post will look as an ad.
- Tap Boost post. Instagram then reviews the ad before it starts running.
Once approved, the boost runs for the days you set. You can follow its progress in the ad insights on that post.
How much does it cost to boost an Instagram post?
The cost to boost an Instagram post is set by you, not by a fixed price list. Two numbers decide it: the daily budget and the duration.
The sum is simple: daily budget × number of days = total spend.
| Daily budget | Days | Total spend |
|---|---|---|
| $5 | 3 | $15 |
| $5 | 7 | $35 |
| $10 | 7 | $70 |
| $20 | 5 | $100 |
| $25 | 14 | $350 |
These rows are examples to show the maths, not suggested amounts. Instagram's help page does not state a minimum budget, so check the budget screen in your own app for the choices it offers.
What about the Apple fee?
Instagram's help page flags one cost many people miss. When you add funds for boosting inside the iOS app, Apple can take a 30% service fee. Boosting on instagram.com avoids it.
The maths shows why this matters. If you add $70 in the iOS app, a 30% fee is $21 of that amount ($70 × 0.30). Boost from a computer at instagram.com and you skip that fee. For anyone boosting often, the browser saves real money.
How do you pick the right post to boost?
A boost does not fix a weak post. It puts the post in front of more people, and those people react to the post as it is. So choose with care.
Look at your last ten posts in Insights and check these signs:
- High interactions per viewer. Divide Interactions by Viewers. The higher that number, the better the post landed with people who already saw it.
- Shares and saves, not just likes. A post people send on or save has proved it holds value.
- A clear next step. If the goal is profile visits, the post needs a reason to tap through.
- Still relevant. A post about an event that already passed makes a poor ad.
For example, say Post A had 2,000 Viewers and 100 Interactions (5 per 100 viewers), and Post B had 3,000 Viewers and 60 Interactions (2 per 100 viewers). Post B reached more people, but Post A made them act. Post A is the stronger choice for a boost.
What results can you expect from a boost?
Instagram does not promise a set number of likes or followers per dollar. What you buy is placement: the chance for more people to see the post.
The fair way to judge results is to compare before and after. Note the post's numbers the day you start the boost, then check again when it ends.
| Number | Before boost | After boost | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viewers | 2,000 | 9,000 | +7,000 |
| Interactions | 100 | 280 | +180 |
| Follows | 5 | 26 | +21 |
These figures are sample maths. With them, you can work out what you paid per result. If the boost cost $70 and brought 180 extra interactions, that is about 39 cents per interaction ($70 ÷ 180). If it brought 21 follows, the cost comes to about $3.33 per follow.
Run two or three small boosts on different posts and compare the cost per result.
Ad insights need a professional account, which you already have if you boosted. Our guide to Instagram engagement increase shows how to fold boost results into a full plan.
What are common boosting mistakes?
Small setup choices can waste a budget. Avoid these.
- Boosting from the iOS app without thinking. The possible 30% Apple fee on added funds adds up fast. Use instagram.com when you can.
- Skipping the Special Ad Category. US ads in the listed topics are required to pick one.
- Choosing a post that underperformed. A boost spreads a post further; it does not improve it.
- Setting a long run with no check-in. Look at the results after the first few days. If nothing is happening, stop and rethink.
- Judging by likes alone. Look at follows, profile activity and shares too.
How is boosting different from a growth service?
Boosting and growth services both cost money, but they buy different things. A boost buys ad placement from Instagram itself, and people choose whether to act. A growth service sells a set number of actions, such as likes or views, delivered to a post.
| Boost a post | Growth service order | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you pay | Instagram (Meta) | An outside company |
| What you buy | Ad placement for a set budget and time | A set number of likes, views or other actions |
| Account needed | Professional account | Usually just the public post link |
| Review step | Instagram reviews every ad | No Instagram review |
| Result | Depends on how people respond | A chosen number on one post |
| Rules | Instagram's ad rules | Meta's spam policy bans buying engagement |
Rizula is one such service: it sells likes, views, shares, reposts and saves for one post per order, from $0.99 for 100 likes. You can see the full range on the Rizula services list. Before using any service like this, read Meta's spam policy, which bans buying or selling engagement, and the US FTC rule on fake social media indicators. The rules on buying engagement section sets them out.
For a full side-by-side, read our comparison of Instagram likes boost options. To learn how these companies work in general, see our explainer on what an Instagram growth service is, and our checklist for picking the best Instagram growth service.
Is boosting worth it for your account?
Boosting fits when you have a strong post, a clear goal and a budget you are happy to test with. It works best for posts that already prove themselves with your followers, and for goals you can measure, such as follows or profile visits.
Start small. Boost one strong post for a few days, record the before and after numbers, and work out your cost per result. That one test tells you more than any guess about whether boosting suits your account.