Facebook Ads or Google Ads, Which is Better for Businesses?

Facebook Ads or Google Ads: Which Should You Use for Your Business?

Until recently, many advertisers used to think of Google Ads and Facebook Ads as rival platforms. The two companies’ long-standing rivalry was frequently dramatized by the media. It was viewed as clear proof that the two platforms were in direct rivalry, forcing businesses of all sizes to make a tough decision about which platform was best for their purposes. This is a false illusion that continues to confuse and mislead those new to online advertising.

In tandem with Google Ads, Facebook Ads can gain maximum visibility. They can improve leads and sales. Facebook Ads can locate new consumers, using unique methods that correspond with the strengths of each platform and achieving a significant return on their marketing budgets.

In this article, we’ll look at what makes Google AdWords and Facebook Ads different, how they work, and why you should use them as part of your overall digital marketing plan.

Why Advertising Online is Essential

The way we look for answers and items online has evolved dramatically. Ever since people began using smartphones and personal computers “Googling it” has become so prevalent that it has entered our lexicon and daily routine.

According to a 2017 survey, the average person will spend almost five years and four months of their lives on social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

We’ve increased our daily use of social media by one hour since 2012 (up to 144 minutes ). Every day, we spend hours online. In our pursuit of products, information, and services, we’ve grown more curious, demanding, and impatient due to improved connectedness.

Consumers want an immediate response. However, it also means that today’s consumers have significantly more influence. As a result, finding and searching for things online is easier than ever. This makes advertising more competitive than ever for a business like yours.

To help consumers discover your brand, you have to share in their search. You have to help them in a way that will assure them that you’re the best choice.

The customer journey has changed substantially due to the shift in how we shop and look for information. It’s become more complex and entangled than ever before, and your brand needs to stand out in the midst of it all.

This is where online advertising may help.

Online advertising (such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads) can assist you in the following ways:

• Create brand awareness
• Grow the range of information
• Drive buyer behavior
• Provide suggestions to inquisitive buyers
• Use repetition to enhance sales
• Provide various purchase pathways

For years, marketers have been analyzing customer behavior. In that time, we’ve uncovered several surprising insights that explain why advertising works so effectively.

One principle, known as banner blindness, for example, implies that the average online user nearly entirely ignores the sides of a web page:

That is why, in a sense, internet ads are positioned in the line of fire.

Advertising from Google and Facebook have adapted to banner blindness by displaying in-content ads such as this one:

Simply put, Google and Facebook ads can now help you develop your business more effectively than ever before. But only if you understand how to use them correctly.

So, let’s get down to business and examine each of these fantastic advertising platforms.

Google Ads or Facebook Ads: Which one is Better For Your Business?

When we asked our study participants what factors marketers and business owners should consider when deciding between Facebook and Google advertising. They weighed in on the costs and targeting capabilities of each platform. They also shared their tried-and-true tips and advice for getting the most out of whichever platform you choose.

Let’s get started.

Facebook Ads Are More Beneficial for Brand Awareness

“Facebook Ads are great for building brand awareness,” says Shane Carter of WebGeeks. Several other people agreed with him.

DWR’s Dario Sipos says, “Facebook Ads are better for brand awareness because of the detailed data that Facebook collects on its users.” So, for example, Chris Yoko of Yoko Co. uses Facebook Ads for “you-didn’t-know-you-needed-this” products.

You can get your word out to a large number of people who are generally interested in what you’re “marketing.” Morgan Rudd of Atlantic Health Solutions suggests Facebook Ads when you need to cast a wide net: “If you’re trying to increase brand awareness or promote an event, Facebook is your best bet. According to Steve Latronica of SL Development, if you work with specific audiences, Facebook may be useful for middle- and bottom-of-the-funnel advertising. You can, for example, retarget those who have already visited your website’s pricing or features pages to keep your brand top-of-mind while they continue their search for the correct solution.

How Google Ads Work

Google is best known for its search engine. But, it also allows businesses to advertise on its network through pay-per-click ads. Google Ads display in the same format as organic search results at the top of search results pages; they appear based on the keywords entered by the user and how those keywords correspond with ad content. To create a Google Ad, advertisers must first register for a Google Ads account. Then, they need to add text-only ad copy and keyword targeting information.

Google Ads are distinguished from Facebook Ads by their audience intent. Users on Google are actively looking for a specific product or service or looking for a solution to a particular problem. They are more likely to buy your product or service or engage with your brand if you can deliver the specific answers they need. Google Ads, unlike Facebook Ads, are driven mainly by keywords and search queries.

Ads are created using the Google Ad Manager interface, which is notorious for being challenging to use. However, advertisers may create text-based ads rapidly using Campaigns, Ad Sets, and individual Ads with a headline and description. Google Ads works well for businesses that have simple goods or services with obvious use cases. It is simple to gather keywords in search and entice visitors to click and buy using simple, practical language. More intricate ads, such as brand awareness, multistep engagement, or complex products, would generally perform poorly on Google.

The goal of your campaign

The ultimate purpose of advertising is to acquire and retain customers. However, not every advertisement results in a sale. Like members of a team or a company, each campaign plays a distinctive role in achieving the ultimate goal. So, here are a few smaller objectives to think about for your next ad group:

Top-funnel objectives: Visitors learn about your brand and its solution at the top of your funnel, which is the most significant segment of your funnel. They may follow and interact with your social media profiles, or they may research a specific topic, such as whether Facebook advertisements or Google advertisements are best for their business. So, here are some popular ways for assessing brand awareness:

• Website visits
• Social media communication
• Social media reach
• Blog reads
• Social shares
• Newsletter subscriptions

Middle-funnel objectives: Where the funnel starts to contract is when prospects exclude options within the same product or service category. If prospects have decided to subcontract PPC management to a marketing firm instead of buying software to do it themselves, this stage is all about finding the best company. A company that wants to measure success in the middle of the funnel could use the following metrics:

• Session length
• Bounce rate
• Downloads of Case Studies
• Email open rates
• Email click-throughs
• post-click landing page visits
• Webinar registrations
• Demo registrations

Bottom-funnel objectives: The bottom of your funnel is where prospects decide whether or not to buy your product. Here are some examples of how to evaluate bottom-funnel success:

• Sales
• Revenue
• Gross profit
• Sales page conversion rate

So, why are these stages critical? To begin with, they are linked to the users of each network.

Facebook stands out as a top-funnel behemoth, with a viral-awareness capability that Google lacks. People use social media to browse and share the things that are important to them. But, unfortunately, those aren’t usually top-of-funnel or bottom-of-funnel campaign materials.

Instead, photographs, movies, and messages that entertain or evoke emotion thrive on Facebook. This Amazon “Alexa loses her voice” ad, which has approximately 50 million views as of this writing, is an excellent example of a viral campaign:

A Facebook ad trying to sell Alexa devices, on the other hand, would be far less effective than this modest, amusing look at the product.

When it comes to attracting bottom-funnel visitors, Google, on the other hand, outperforms Facebook. The reason for this is that AdWords searchers’ intent. The term “intent” refers to a searcher’s desire to find an answer to their inquiry. That is, after all, why they went to a search engine in the first place. They’re looking for an answer if they’re searching.

Coming to a Decision: Facebook Ads or Google Ads?

You should have a good idea of how your company will fit into one or both of these useful digital marketing tools by now. If you’re still undecided, we’ll go through a general summary of which is ideal for you, based on everything we’ve discussed so far and more.

You want to increase brand awareness. This is true if your product or service has low search traffic, is still in its early phases of development, or is in its “off-season.”

You want to target specific demographics or life events. This works particularly effectively for people who completely benefit from but frequently want or consider. You give them what they want before they even realize what they want.

Visuals or more in-depth explanations are crucial to your brand. Facebook advertisements use pictures, videos, carousels, and other high-quality media. Without contextualizing information, Google frequently only uses words or product photos.

You’re on a tight budget. Money talks in advertising. This is especially true in industries with high Google Ads cost-per-click prices. As a result, your money on Facebook will stretch further than it will on Google.

If you’re selling things or services that consumers actively seek out, Google advertisements are the way to go. Products with an extensive search volume or that are constantly on people’s shopping lists fall into this category. Customers that want to buy your products are far more likely to do so through Google, a search engine dedicated to discovering exactly what they’re looking for.

Most businesses, in reality, benefit from a mixture of the two. Often, they are just targeting different stages of the sales funnel. Knowing when and how to use each platform, on the other hand, can help you get the most out of both.