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Google vs. Facebook Advertising: Which One is Best for You?
Are you wanting to begin your journey with digital marketing services but are not sure where to start? Ever wondered which platform is your money best spent on? Google Ads and Facebook Ads have long been compared to one another as competitors. But in reality, they are complementary. They both offer benefits that are unique and widen the scope of your digital marketing. So, let’s look more closely at what they are and how you can use them to your advantage.
What Are Google Ads?
Before we go on to compare the two, let’s start with what they are. The Google Ads platform was also once known as Google AdWords. It is essentially an all-in-one platform that allows you to advertise on Google and other closely related online channels. This includes things like YouTube Ads, Google Display Ads, and the most popular being Google Search Ads.
While YouTube and display ads are often used in Google remarketing campaigns, search is often used as a starting point. This is when search engines allow an advertiser’s ad to show up on their Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). A user will search for something and certain keywords will trigger an advertiser’s ad to appear just above the search results.
You will notice this is the case with most of your Google searches. This operates on a pay-per-click model (PPC) where once the ad has been clicked, the advertiser pays the publisher. So you are only paying for the ad when it actually drives traffic to your site. The advertisers are basically bidding on certain keywords or phrases that users will use in their search.
What Are Facebook Ads?
Facebook advertising comes under something called “paid social” which is advertising on social networks. Facebook has the highest “number of monthly active users (or MAUs) of any social network in the world.” So it makes sense that digital marketers will jump on this opportunity to take advantage of all this potential traffic. Some may think that this is very similar to how Google Ads is used but in reality, it isn’t. Paid social is more behavioural. Social media marketing companies target users based on their interests and online behaviour.
Through the Facebook Ads platform, you can create display ads to be shown to audiences across Facebook and Instagram. You have multiple options to choose from in regard to where your ad is displayed. To name a few, that can be a post, a story, across devices, or mobile only.
A social media agency can help design creative and keep your ads fresh and eye-catching. According to Facebook itself, 1.6 billion people are connected to small businesses across its platform. Meaning it is a tried and true channel to engage with potential customers.
The Benefits Of Investing In Google Ads
Range of Ad Formats
When it comes to ad formats or types, there are many features that you can take advantage of. You have shopping ads, location targeting, Google search ads, YouTube, Google display ads, and much more at your fingertips. The options allow businesses to test multiple formats to maximise their return on investment and increase market share.
Having that ability really enables businesses to capture the right audience at exactly the right time. Google is also always adding new features which give advertisers more opportunities to drive quality traffic. Recently, it has added the Performance Max option which allows advertisers to integrate all their ad formats in one campaign. Through machine learning, it strives to maximise campaign performance and simplify Google Ads management.
Your Audience
Google is the biggest search engine in the world. Statistics show that it handles more than 40,000 searches every second, and over 1.2 trillion searches each year. People are increasingly reliant on Google for information. It’s increasingly being used as a source for news, product information, finding a local business, and more. As technology is forever improving and evolving, so is Google with machine learning tech and artificial intelligence. It’s fair to assume these future upgrades will up the potential of your marketing strategies and reach audiences more efficiently.
High Conversion
Google advertising can be expensive in many industries, but that is because it works more often than not. Businesses are willing to spend more on ads in a proven and tested platform with high conversion rates. The relevance and quality of an ad are defining points in cost and campaign performance. Hiring a Google Ads specialist will help maximise the return on your investment through tried and tested methods.
The Benefits Of Investing In Facebook Ads
Your Audience
As of the third quarter of 2022, Facebook has 2.96 billion users (monthly active users). It’s no secret that Facebook is enormous and having all those users at your fingertips is massive. Narrowing down an audience is possible through filters such as age, personal beliefs, hobbies and interests, job titles, and more.
Lookalike Audiences allow Facebook to promote your ad beyond your source audience to people who share similar interests and behaviours. The algorithm finds potential customers based on the same behaviours and interests as your existing audience or buyers. They become the targeted audience, therefore increasing the reach of your marketing in a very efficient way. This unique feature is what elevates marketing with Facebook and takes marketing in general to the next level.
Visuals
Social media marketing, unlike search marketing, is extremely visual. This enables you to establish a brand voice beyond and grow a loyal following. Scrolling on your Facebook Feed, you come across hundreds of visual marketing in the form of pictures or videos. The best ads will capture the right audience’s attention and maintain it long enough to achieve the desired outcome. An experienced social media marketing agency will have all the right tools to create attention-grabbing visuals for your campaign. Alternatively, you can use cheap tools like Canva to design your own.
Cost Effective
Compared to search, Facebook advertising allows you to reach more people at a lower cost. However, creating an ad that will convert is the tricky part. Hiring the right social media company will ensure you’re on the right track to maximise your return on advertising. If done right, that can be much cheaper than search advertising.
Your Campaign Goals - Decision Time
Now that you have an idea of what Google and Facebook Ads are and what they can offer, let’s look at your campaign goals. What are you wanting to accomplish in your campaign?
Things to consider are getting new leads, completing sales, and even brand awareness.
With Google Advertising, you are more likely to encounter users with high purchase intent. A user may search for a “gaming keyboard” which signals their interest in buying one. Ads will come up with the search and may lead to a possible sale.
Facebook Ads reach consumers who may benefit by purchasing your product or service but aren’t actively looking for it. Thus, it is great for product awareness at a cheaper cost.
Overview
It’s without a doubt that both Google and Meta are giants in their field and have so much to offer. When comparing the two, it is hard not to see the great benefits of both. So, instead of seeing them as opposing sides, why not use them as complementary to one another? With both, paid search and paid social at your fingertips, you would have a robust digital marketing strategy. With changes in privacy legislation impacting Facebook recently, it is clear that overreliance on one channel will leave you vulnerable. Diversifying your marketing strategy is the best way to minimise your exposure to that and shield sales outcomes.
It is important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of both these giants to make the most of them. If you would like some further insight and assistance around this, feel free to contact us for more information.
