Should I stop using Instagram's Boost button or promoting posts?

Yes, stop using the boost button immediately. It’s designed to take your money with minimal return. When you boost posts, you might get likes, comments, and views in the short term, but nothing meaningful happens afterward—no sales, no lasting growth. Worse, you’re teaching the algorithm that you’ll pay for reach. Once you stop paying, your organic reach and engagement will drop dramatically because the algorithm expects payment. It’s the platform’s way of getting you dependent on paid promotion. Stop boosting and focus on creating great organic content consistently instead. One exception: if you’re running strategic paid advertising campaigns with specific goals and targeting (not just boosting), that’s different—but the simple boost button is never worth it.

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Asked by a painter who had been boosting posts · Answered by Juan · Office Hours · 2026-04-02