Smartblasts vs Facebook Ads: Which Growth Strategy Works Better?


Facebook Ads is one of the most widely used digital advertising platforms. It allows businesses to reach targeted audiences based on interests, behaviors, demographics, and engagement patterns.
Smartblasts takes a different approach. Instead of displaying ads within social feeds, it delivers outreach messages directly through business website contact forms.
Below is a clear comparison of how both strategies work and where each performs best.
How Facebook Ads Work
Facebook Ads allow businesses to create campaigns that appear across Facebook, Instagram, and related networks. Ads are distributed based on audience targeting and platform algorithms.
You pay based on impressions, clicks, or conversions depending on your campaign objective.
Strengths
- Advanced audience targeting
- Strong visual formats (images, video, carousel)
- Scalable with budget
- Effective for brand awareness
- Built-in retargeting capabilities
Limitations
- Pay-per-click or pay-per-impression costs
- Rising competition increases ad costs
- Performance depends on creative quality
- Traffic stops when ad spend stops
- Indirect communication with prospects
Facebook Ads work best when you want to generate visibility and capture attention at scale.
How Smartblasts Work
Smartblasts delivers outreach by submitting messages through business website contact forms.
When a message is submitted, it is processed and delivered by the recipient company’s own email infrastructure. The notification is sent from their website system directly to their internal inbox.
Instead of relying on algorithmic distribution, Smartblasts enables direct communication with specific businesses.
This approach focuses on initiating conversations rather than generating passive impressions.
Strengths
- Direct outreach to specific businesses
- No ad auctions or bidding systems
- No dependency on social platform algorithms
- Predictable outreach volume
- Suitable for targeted B2B prospecting
- Conversation-focused rather than impression-focused
Limitations
- No visual ad formats
- Not built for brand awareness campaigns
- Limited formatting
- Not ideal for consumer-focused promotions
Smartblasts prioritizes targeted business communication over mass audience exposure.
Direct Comparison
| Factor | Facebook Ads | Smartblasts |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy type | Paid advertising | Direct outreach |
| Distribution method | Algorithm-based | Target-based |
| Payment model | CPC / CPM | Platform-based |
| Cost variability | Budget-driven | Predictable |
| Brand awareness | Strong | Limited |
| Direct conversation initiation | Indirect | Direct |
| Retargeting capability | Built-in | Not native |
| Best for B2C | Strong | Limited |
| Best for B2B targeting | Moderate | Strong |
Which Should You Choose?
Facebook Ads work best when your goal is visibility, brand awareness, and large-scale audience targeting.
Smartblasts works best when your objective is to directly approach specific businesses and initiate conversations without relying on social platform algorithms.
Some companies use Facebook Ads to build brand recognition and Smartblasts to generate direct B2B conversations.
Final Take
Facebook Ads is a powerful advertising channel driven by audience targeting and creative distribution.
Smartblasts is a direct outreach system designed to initiate conversations with targeted businesses through official website communication channels.
If your strategy depends on capturing attention within social platforms, Facebook Ads is effective. If your goal is to directly reach businesses without competing in ad auctions or relying on algorithms, Smartblasts offers a focused alternative.
About the Author

Ian Mokua is a marketing strategist and builder at Smartblasts, focused on creating campaigns that cut through noise and drive real results. He works at the intersection of data, automation, and creativity to help brands grow faster and smarter.