There seems to be a bug that is affecting some advertisers where sponsored posts are no longer allowing ‘shares’. For these advertisers their boosted Posts can only receive likes, which means that there’s no real chance for a post to go viral organically. This undermines the purpose of boosting or promoting a post if your goal is to get free/viral traffic down the road.
If you’re affected by the bug you’ll see your posts getting likes but no shares at all. If you try to share it yourself you’ll also have a similar experience. Whether or not this is a change by Meta to restrict a sponsored post from becoming organically viral is unknown at this time and there hasn’t been information on any of the help files about it.
Workarounds
There are some workarounds that people have been posting but not every solution works for every advertiser.
Method 1:
To get sharing to work again on the post, you can delete the ad campaign on Ads Manager (this won’t delete the post you choose to boost). Doing this will mean you won’t get analytics for that specific ad campaign any longer and you obviously won’t be running ads, but the sharing function might be restored on the post. If you notice no change after deleting the ad campaign, try to edit the actual post to see if that restores the share button again.
Method 2:
First remove the share button from your ad manager. After doing that, disable Advantage+ Creative in Meta Business manager. After doing that, set “engagement” as your objective and proceed with creating the ad as usual.
Disabling Advantage+ Creative should restore the share button functionality on your post.
Troubleshooting Issues with Sharing Boosted Facebook Posts
Common Issue: Sharing Disabled On Boosted Posts
When boosting a Facebook or Instagram post, some users experience difficulty sharing the boosted version. Instead of sharing the specific post, clicking the share button might direct to the page’s profile or lead to other unintended actions.
Understanding the Problem
- Boosted Posts as Ads: Boosted posts essentially become ads. Facebook’s ad system might limit sharing options to maintain the integrity of paid promotions.
- Profile Link: The profile link associated with the boost could override the usual sharing mechanism.
- Technical Glitches: Temporary platform issues might interfere with sharing functionality on boosted posts.
Potential Workarounds
While Facebook doesn’t explicitly allow sharing boosted posts in the same way as organic posts, here are some options to consider:
- Share the Original Post: Before boosting, share the organic post to your timeline or other pages. You can then share this organic version instead of the boosted one.
- Create a New Post with a Link: Craft a new post mentioning the boosted post and include a direct link to it. This way, users can click the link to engage with the boosted content.
- Encourage Sharing Through Comments: In the boosted post itself, prompt viewers to share it by leaving comments or utilizing other sharing options available.
- Experiment with Different Ad Formats: Some ad formats might offer more flexibility in sharing than others.
Additional Tips
- Check for Updates: Facebook’s features and policies evolve. Ensure you’re following the latest guidelines for boosting posts.
- Reach Out to Support: If the issue persists, contact Facebook’s support for further assistance and clarification.
Please remember that the primary goal of a boosted post is to increase reach and engagement within the targeted audience. While direct sharing might be limited, there are alternative ways to encourage interaction with your content.
