1. The Big Misunderstanding
If you’ve ever felt frustrated that your social media posts aren’t bringing in a flood of new customers overnight, you are not alone.
At Ziplocal, we talk to business owners every day who tell us, “I’m paying for social media, but where are the new leads?”
This usually happens because of a simple misunderstanding between two very different services: Social Media Posting (Management) and Social Media Advertising (Marketing).
To the naked eye, they look similar—they both appear in a Facebook or Instagram feed. But they have opposite goals, different costs, and achieve completely different results.
2. The Analogy: The Garden vs. The Billboard
Think of your business like a brick-and-mortar shop on Main Street.
Social Media Posting is your “Interior Design & Customer Service”
When we post content for you (photos, holiday greetings, project updates), it’s like decorating the inside of your shop and chatting with the regulars.
- The Goal: To make the people who are already there feel welcome, trust you, and remember you.
- The Reach: It mostly reaches people who already follow you (your past customers, friends, and family).
- The Speed: It is a slow burn. It builds loyalty over months and years.
Social Media Ads are your “Billboards & Flyers”
When we run Ads for you, it’s like paying for a billboard on a highway or sending flyers to every house in a specific zip code.
- The Goal: To grab strangers who don’t know you and get them to buy something right now.
- The Reach: It reaches thousands of targeted strangers based on their location and interests.
- The Speed: It is a fast fire. You turn it on, and traffic starts immediately. You turn it off, and it stops.
3. Where the Frustration Happens
The breakdown happens when a business buys the “Interior Design” (Posting) but expects the results of the “Billboard” (Ads).
If you hire us to manage your social media posts, we are building your reputation. We are proving to anyone researching you that you are active, professional, and trustworthy. But posts alone rarely generate immediate massive sales.
If you need the phone to ring with new leads, you need Ads.
4. Service Breakdown: Which One Do You Need?
Service A: Social Media Posting (Organic)
- What it is: We create posts for your page (educational tips, team photos, project showcases)..
- Who sees it: Mostly your current followers.
- Why you need it: “Validation.” When a potential customer hears about you, they will look at your Facebook or Instagram. If your last post was from 2019, they might assume you are out of business. Consistent posting proves you are open and active.
- Why you need it: Likes, comments from past clients, and a professional-looking “digital storefront.”
Service B: Social Media Ads (Paid)
- What it is: We pay Facebook/Instagram to force your content into the feeds of people who don’t follow you yet..
- Who sees it: A specific target audience (e.g., “Homeowners in Pleasant Grove,” “Parents in Sandy,” or “Car owners in Provo”).
- Why you need it: “Acquisition.” You want to find new people who have never heard of you and get them to call you.
- Success looks like: Clicks to your website, filled-out contact forms, and phone calls.
5. The Ziplocal Verdict: Why You Need Both
We aren’t telling you this to upsell you, but to help you stop wasting money.
- If you run Ads but have an empty page: People will click your ad, go to your page, see it looks abandoned, and lose trust.
- If you post but don’t run Ads: You will have a beautiful page that only 50 people see.
Service B: Social Media Ads (Paid)
- What it is: We pay Facebook/Instagram to force your content into the feeds of people who don’t follow you yet..
- Who sees it: A specific target audience (e.g., “Homeowners in Pleasant Grove,” “Parents in Sandy,” or “Car owners in Provo”).
- Why you need it: “Acquisition.” You want to find new people who have never heard of you and get them to call you.
- Success looks like: Clicks to your website, filled-out contact forms, and phone calls.
The Sweet Spot: Use Posting to keep your current customers loyal and prove you are trustworthy. Use Ads to bring new people into that world.
Good News!
Many of our customers have active pages and take care of their own content—that’s awesome! If you have your content covered, we can jump right to the Ads. If you want a little more help with content quality, we can add that to your package as well.
Still Not Sure?
If you are currently paying for a service and aren’t sure if it’s “Gardening” or “Billboards,” let’s chat. We want to make sure your expectations match your package so you can get back to doing what you do best—running your business.
