Google Ads or Facebook Ads? Which Is Better for Your Business?

Eleventh in a series

Over the last months, we’ve explained how to ground your website with best-practices Search Engine Optimization and solid messaging. Paid advertising is next on the list. So which should you choose?

Both Google and Facebook (now named "Meta") offer ad options, and while both are good, they are different. While we will talk about the “What” in these differences, it’s important to also look at the “Why” your business should choose one over the other. 

Specific advertisements resonate more with people depending on where they are on their buyer’s journey. Facebook tends to speak to those who are in the earlier stages, such as someone who is wondering if this is a good market for selling their house. Google responds to those who are closer to a buy decision, such as someone who just accepted a job in another state and needs to sell their house right away. 

As you can see from these examples, Facebook’s ads work well for brand awareness and trust-building. They are those “marketing touches” we talk about that help keep your business top-of-mind so that your prospective customer feels they have a relationship with you even before they need your product or service. Facebook also excels at targeting the best audience for your message, whether that is by geography, income, or interest.

Google Ads supply prospective customers with advertisement options directly related to their requested needs, as indicated by the keywords used. They also have a wide range of additional features on their platform that supports keyword relevance, resulting in improved clickthrough. Those using Google’s services try to reach consumers at the end of the buyer’s journey and, depending on the industry, competition there can be fierce.

Obviously, the two platforms work together very well since they target consumers at different stages, and many larger corporations use both. Not everyone, however, has that kind of ad budget. If this is also your situation, you’ll probably want to start with Facebook. 

In Hubspot’s recent State of Marketing report, Facebook was determined to be the paid channel with the highest ROI. For the same dollar amount, advertisers had the potential for reaching more people with Facebook Ads than with Google Ads. The lighter budget burden also allows you to experiment with your advertising to figure out what kind of message resonates best with your audience. 

Now you know a little more about the “What” of Google Ads and Facebook Ads, but before you make a choice, think through the “Why.” Determine your advertising campaign’s goal: Are you building relationships or fulfilling an immediate need? Are your customers prepared to make a “buy” decision, or do they need to be wooed? Is your ad message polished and ready to compete or could it use some real-world testing? 

Either one of these platforms may be the best choice for your business, once you’ve weighed all the options and prepared your website. We can help you think through the decision because we’ve been through this process with other clients. Give us a call today! We’d be happy to talk through the pros and cons with you. 

Read the next post in this series.

Photo by Alex Green

Kate GingoldKate Gingold

I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.

Other posts by Kate Gingold

Contact author Full biography

Full biography

I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.

x

Linked In Google Plus