What is the Difference Between Google Ads and Facebook Ads?
You know that the lifeblood of a business is sales and to make sales you need a steady stream of leads. That is where marketing comes in!
You also know that if you want to operate a successful B2C business today, you need to be advertising on Facebook or Google (maybe both). However, you don’t know which major platform is best for your business. This handy article will help you understand the difference between Google and Facebook Ads and will help you determine which platform is right for your business.
The Major Difference Between Facebook and Google Advertising
The most significant difference between Facebook and Google when it comes to advertising is user intent.
Think about it; how do you search for products or services online? When you need something immediately like a new pair of shoes or a company to run your Facebook ads, you search on Google.
When is the last time you searched Facebook for “hairdressers near me” when you wanted to get a blunt bob or micro braids? Probably never.
Your customer’s intent is very different on each platform. People go to Facebook to be entertained and keep up with their friends, so this is an excellent platform for brand awareness and lead generation (so you can nurture your leads). Facebook is the perfect platform to FIND the right type of person to put into your marketing funnel, not necessarily convert them right away.
The fundamental difference between Google and Facebook is this: Google helps users find you when they need you, and Facebook helps you find your ideal customer.
Should You Use Google Ads or Facebook Ads?
If you are a small, local business that only services a small area, then Google Advertising is excellent for you.
Use Google Ads When You
- Have a Search-Oriented Product
- Service a Small Local Area
- Own a Physical Store
- Offer Professional Services
- Want to Reach High-Intent Buyers
- Have Content on Your Website That Supports Your User’s Search Intent
- Want to Run Ads on YouTube
Here is an example of a business that would do well with Google Advertising.
A cabinet installer based in a mid-sized city wants to increase their business by advertising online. They only service the city and have a simple website and are not active on social media.
Which platform should they choose?
They would choose to advertise on Google rather than Facebook because their product and services are search-oriented. They would likely bid for keywords like “cabinet installers + {city}” or “kitchen renovation services.” Of course, real high converting keyword research would need to be done, but you get the point. The cabinet installer is going after buyers with a HIGH intent of installing cabinets in their home.
With Google Ads, you can target homeowners in a specific location, and with a certain level of education. If the cabinet maker knows that they typically deal with married couples that both have professional jobs, the cabinet maker can show ads only to them. The cabinet maker can also use click-to-call ads in Google, but he would have to make sure that his audience prefers calling over something like text messaging.
The cabinet maker can also make sure that their website has content that helps the buyer along their buying journey. For example, they may have social proof in the form of testimonials or photos of their part work. The cabinet maker may also have a blog post called “Kitchen Renovation Trends for Single-Family Homes” or a post with different colors of cabinets with varying colors of wall and backsplashes.
As you can see, all this content would help the cabinet maker’s potential customer trust them and could earn them the business.
The (cost-per-click) CPC for Google Ads can be higher, but the Return on Investment (ROI) can be better than Facebook Ads. If that is the case, then when should you use Facebook ads?
Use Facebook/Instagram Ads When You
- Have a Strong Online Community
- Can Share Stunning Visual Assets
- Run an E-commerce Store with Less Expensive Items
- Have a Smaller Budget
- Want to Grow Your E-mail List
- Need to Build Brand Awareness
- You Want to Reach a Hyper-Targeted Audience
Here is an example of a business that would use Facebook Ads.
A natural beauty company based in a large city wants to grow its sales and customer base. They have both an online store and a physical location and 10K followers on Instagram.
Which platform should they choose?
This company would choose to advertise on Facebook because they can find people who look like their current audience on Facebook and Instagram and introduce their brand to them. The beauty company can create visually stunning ads that will resonate with their customers and seem like an organic part of the customer’s feed.
As an aside, this is an excellent approach because people don’t like to be advertised to on social media. They know advertising comes with free, but you want to make sure your ad is as unobtrusive as possible and helps to foster engagement. You will be rewarded for this with a lower CPC. Facebook wants to show advertisements that people engage with, so they can stay on the platform longer.
Back to the example. The beauty brand can also run Lead Ads that are pre-populated with the potential customer’s information. They would want to use this strategy to capture e-mail information so they can market to them (for free) in the future!
Which is Right for You?
Now you have a better understanding of Facebook and Google Ads and can determine which one is right for your business. You now know what you can use both platforms in tandem to rapidly scale your business, or you can stick to Google Ads if you are a local business or professional that wants to gain a few more clients each month.
Based on this information, which platform do you think is best for your business?
