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laurafaritos · 1 month ago

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HDMS034. Boosted, Branded, and Broke: A Comedian’s Reality Check on Paid Social Ads

Okay, so we’ve all done it. You post a flyer for your next comedy show, Instagram asks if you want to boost it, and you think: "you know what??? Maybe this is the moment I finally go viral!!!!"

You throw $20 at it..... Maybe even $50.... You feel like a business baddie... And then… NOTHING!!! A handful of likes!!!! Maybe a comment from a bot!!!! No real spike in ticket sales!!! No DMs begging to know when your next show is!!!!

That's why paid social ads aren’t magic... but for some reason, social media platforms market them like they ARE!!!! Rude.

The reality is, most comedians, podcasters, and indie creators are spending money on boosted posts without a clear strategy, without understanding targeting, and without setting a real goal. We’re boosting because we hope it helps, not because we know it will.

This Harvard module (3.3.3. Paid Social) helped me zoom out and look at paid social from a higher level—not just as a button to press, but as a channel with real tools, real data, and real risks!!!!!

So let’s take a beat. Let’s talk about what paid social actually is, why it can work, and how to stop wasting money on ads that look good but do nothing.

Because if I’ve learned anything from doing this full-time, it’s this: There’s nothing more expensive than a cheap strategy!!!!!

I. What Is Paid Social Advertising (According to Harvard)

Paid social is what happens when you stop posting for free and start paying the platform to do something with your content. But here’s the catch: not all paid posts are created equal, and boosting alone isn’t the whole picture.

According to Harvard, paid social includes any kind of ad space that a brand pays for on a social media platform—Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, TikTok, you name it. It’s not just about boosting—it’s about strategically placing ads that are built to serve a specific function.

And there’s one major difference that’s worth underlining:

A boosted post is not the same thing as a paid campaign.

A boosted post usually starts as something you created organically, and then you pay to show it to more people. A paid social ad campaign is built from the ground up—with an objective, a target audience, and a measurable goal in mind.

Social media platforms give you tools like:

Audience targeting (based on interests, behaviors, age, location, etc.)

Lookalike audiences (users who are similar to your followers or past ticket buyers)

Retargeting (ads shown to people who’ve interacted with your content but didn’t take action)

Custom objectives (reach, engagement, link clicks, conversions, and more)

It’s not just about views or likes—it’s about using paid social to move people down your funnel: From “Who is this?” → to “This is funny.” → to “I’m coming to the show.”

When done well, paid social can:

Introduce you to new fans

Reconnect you with people who forgot to buy

Turn passive scrollers into paying ticket holders or loyal subscribers

When done poorly, though???? It just makes Meta richer and you... poorer?? Broker??? Worse off than before you spent money on this???

II. Why Paid Social Is So Popular (And So Misunderstood)

Paid social is seductive. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook make it feel so easy. You hit “Boost Post,” pick a goal like “More Profile Visits,” throw $10–$20 at it, and boom—you’re an advertiser.

But here’s the thing: just because it’s easy to spend money doesn’t mean it’s easy to get results!!!!! Boom. Mind = blown.

So Harvard points out why paid social has become such a popular channel nowadays:

Platforms like Meta have billions of users and tons of data.

You can target hyper-specific audiences, including people who are similar to your current followers.

You can run campaigns for all stages of the marketing funnel—from broad awareness to final conversions.

It all sounds great in theory... but in practice??? It’s a LOT messier!!

Because everyone is using paid social now. Every brand. Every podcast. Every show. Every lipstick. Every sneaker. Every TikTok guru!!! Which means the space is crowded, attention is expensive, and you can’t just show up with a random clip and expect to cut through the noise!!!!

That’s why so many comedians feel like paid ads “don’t work.” It’s not because the tool is broken—it’s because most of us are:

Running vague ads without goals

Boosting posts with no real targeting

Paying for reach with no idea who we’re reaching or why

And let’s not forget: the more people that use paid social, the more expensive it becomes. Which means if your ad isn’t strategic, specific, and valuable, it’s just DIGITAL CONFETTI, girl!!!! It's just some colourful, fast, and forgotten nonsense!!!

III. What Comedians Get Wrong About Paid Social

Let me say it plainnn and simpleee: 👏 Boosting 👏 your 👏 show 👏 poster 👏 on 👏 Instagram 👏 is 👏 NOOOOT 👏 THE 👏 SAMEEE 👏 as 👏 executing 👏 your 👏 marketing 👏 strategy 👏

It’s a start, sure. But it’s also one of the most common traps comedians fall into when trying to “do marketing.” I've been guilty of it, LITERALLY THIS YEAR!!! I made that mistake with my comedy show Haunted Comedians, and didn't really learn the lesson until after I already made that mistake for the upcoming Foreigner Diaries.

So I get why we think that. I truly get it. We think that if we toss $10 at a flyer, it’ll magically sell out the venue. But without the right audience, message, or timing… that $10 just evaporates!!!!!!

So here’s what comedians (myself included) have been getting wrong about paid social all along:

1. We Boost Without a Goal We hit “promote” just because the platform suggests it!!!!! But what we gotta start asking ourselves is:

What am I actually trying to achieve with this?

Do I want ticket sales? More followers? Podcast listeners? When there’s no clear goal, there’s no way to measure if the ad actually worked.

2. We Target Too Broadly—or Not At All A lot of us boost to “People similar to your followers” or worse: “Everyone in Canada.” But comedy isn’t for everyone!!! Your style, tone, topics—all of it is niche!!! If your content is smart, weird, dark, chaotic, sweet, or absurd—then your targeting should reflect that.

The best paid ads are precise.

Targeting “people who love stand-up” isn’t enough.

Try “women 25–35 who follow other comedians, live in Toronto, and have engaged with event pages in the past month.” Now that’s strategy.

3. We Promote the Wrong Thing Not every show or clip deserves an ad. Harsh but true. Sometimes the reel is mid. Sometimes the flyer is too text-heavy. Sometimes the show is too last-minute to convert new fans.

Paid social works best when the content is already doing some of the heavy lifting.

If it’s not scroll-stopping or emotionally compelling on its own, no amount of budget will save it.

4. We Think Paid Social Will Save a Weak Launch This one stings. I’ve been there. You launch something—an episode, a live show, a new segment—and it doesn’t take off. So you scramble: Maybe if I throw money at it… But here’s the truth: ads amplify momentum. They don’t create it. If the project isn’t landing, your energy is better spent reworking the creative or rethinking the rollout—not draining your budget trying to force hype.

That’s not to say comedians should never use paid social. We absolutely should. But we have to stop thinking of it as a magic wand. It’s a tool. A smart, data-rich tool that works only if you know what you’re trying to do and who you’re trying to reach.

IV. How I’m Rethinking Paid Social in My Comedy Business

I’ve wasted money on bad ads. Let’s just start there. I’ve boosted posts that didn’t deserve it, targeted everyone and their grandma, and convinced myself that $15 would change everything. Spoiler: it didn’t.

But once I stopped treating paid social like a magic button and started treating it like a strategic tool, things shifted. Not overnight. But enough to start seeing patterns—and progress.

Here’s how I’ve changed the way I use paid social as a comedian, producer, and content creator:

1. I Don’t Boost for Vanity—Only for Strategy If I’m promoting a show, I don’t boost every flyer. I pick the one that has a hook. A theme. A lineup with faces people might recognize. Then I run a real ad—not just a boost—with a clear goal:

Click to buy tickets

Visit my profile to watch a full clip

RSVP to the event

The difference between a general “awareness” ad and a targeted “conversion” ad is huge. And I’m learning to pick my moments.

2. I Use Ads to Warm Up Cold Audiences I don’t just target people who already follow me—I run ads to people who follow similar comedians, podcasts, or shows. That’s how you grow. Not by screaming into the void, but by quietly stepping into someone’s feed with a clip or graphic that feels familiar—but fresh.

Sometimes the goal isn’t an immediate sale. Sometimes the goal is getting on their radar. And that’s enough for now.

3. I Only Promote What’s Worth Promoting I’ve had to get brutally honest with myself. Some clips just aren’t strong enough. Some graphics are too busy or not visually scroll-stopping. If I wouldn’t stop and watch it myself, I’m not spending money on it.

Instead, I wait until I have something that hits—and then I support that post with an ad that knows exactly who it’s trying to reach.

4. I Match My Ads to the Funnel Stage This was a huge mindset shift. Now, I ask:

Is this ad for someone who’s never heard of me? → Then the goal is awareness and vibe.

Is this ad for someone who knows me but hasn’t come to a show yet? → Then it’s time to build trust. Show clips. Testimonials. BTS.

Is this ad for someone who’s visited the ticket link but didn’t buy? → Then I retarget them with urgency. “Tickets are 80% sold.” “Last call.” “Your seat’s waiting.”

Not every ad has to convert. But every ad should have a purpose.

Paid social stopped being a money pit when I started treating it like a creative experiment—with data. Now, I’m not throwing money at everything. I’m investing where I know the story, the audience, and the goal actually align.

That’s the difference between just being seen… and being booked.

TL;DR + Action Steps for Comedians

Youuuuu've made it to the end, dawg!!! Good job <3 so what did we learn about paid social and how it applies to comedians??? Well, we learned that:

Paid social = ads you pay to place on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.

They’re not the same as organic posts or random boosts. These ads are targeted, goal-driven, and designed to move people through the funnel—from strangers to fans to ticket buyers.

You can use them to:

Reach new, similar audiences (lookalike targeting)

Reconnect with people who interacted with your stuff but didn’t follow through (retargeting)

Promote specific moments like launches, premieres, or live events

What Paid Social Is Not

A replacement for strong content

A guaranteed way to sell tickets

A last-minute solution to a weak rollout

Something you can do without strategy

Paid social is powerful—but only when you know what you want it to do, who you’re speaking to, and how to speak their language.

Comedian-Specific Action Steps

And what action-steps should you take, specifically, as a comedian??

1️⃣ Stop boosting blindly. Ask yourself: Is this content scroll-stopping? Is this goal clear? Is this audience specific?

2️⃣ Learn the platform’s ad tools. Use Meta Ads Manager instead of the “Boost Post” button. Target specific interests, locations, or lookalike audiences.

3️⃣ Create ads that match your goal. Are you trying to sell tickets? Grow podcast listeners? Build general awareness? Don’t run one-size-fits-all campaigns.

4️⃣ Retarget like a pro. Use pixels to re-engage people who viewed your ticket page or watched your clips. Remind them to take action—without begging.

5️⃣ Test and learn. Start small. A/B test headlines. Try video vs. image. Compare targeting. Don’t just “set it and forget it”—treat it like a comedy set. See what lands.

IN CONCLUSION... You don’t need to be rich to run ads. You just need to be smart!!!!! Because in this digital landscape, visibility is currency—and paid social is your billboard, your trailer, and your hype machine… IF YOU DO IT RIGHT!!!

I'll see you in the next one. Tchau tchau <33

#PaidSocial #ComedyMarketing #BoostedPosts #StandUpBusiness #ComediansOfInstagram #DigitalAds #MetaAds #ShowPromotion #ComedyTips #MarketingForCreatives

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