Google vs Facebook: Which Should You Use For Your Advertising?
If you want to boost your sales and expand your business’s online presence, there are two obvious places to do it: Facebook and Google. Google is the undisputed king of search engines, processing a whopping 3.5 billion+ searches a day on average, while social media behemoth Facebook has an average 2.8 billion monthly users. Both websites offer a huge potential audience for your business to advertise to.
You could, of course, invest in both. The only problem is the cost - advertising can get expensive, and your budget may not cover it.
If this is the case, then you need to choose the platform that best suits your business.
Why use Google Ads?
Google specialises in Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising. It displays ads in a few different ways: on the search page for specific keywords (e.g. ‘electrician in london’), on websites related to your keywords, and at the top of search results for specific items (e.g. ‘cheap laptops’, ‘summer dresses’, or ‘desk chairs’). You can also choose to advertise in a certain geographical location, ideal for smaller businesses, or through YouTube.
Google promises a high ROI for businesses using its services, and it’s not wrong: on average, a business can expect to make $8 for every $1 spent on advertising through its platform.
If your main goal is directly increasing your sales, Google ads is your best bet.
Why use Facebook?
Facebook works differently. As a social network, users aren’t typically looking to buy products or services - they’re there to socialise with friends and meet new people. That doesn't mean it isn’t a valuable platform for advertising; only that it’s usually done for other reasons.
Facebook ads appear on users’ newsfeeds and look similar to regular posts. They tend to integrate with the user’s experience more subtly than Google ads, and often have less direct calls to action. As a result, Facebook is great for non-intrusively building brand awareness and fostering audience interest.
Facebook ads are also excellent at targeting specific audiences. You can designate a ‘Custom Audience’ of people who fall under certain demographics, including gender, income, hobbies, jobs, and more. This lets you aim your advertising at the people most likely to buy your product, saving you from wasting money advertising to the wrong crowd. You can also utilise Messenger chatbots to encourage audience interaction.
You might want to go with Facebook if your focus is on building brand awareness, growing your following, and customer engagement.
Summary
Both Google and Facebook are excellent platforms for advertising, and you’ll likely get benefits from using either. Still, it’s best to consider what you want your advertising to do for your business. Do you want marketing that will quickly result in more sales? Try Google ads. Or are you more interested in increasing your brand awareness and social media following? Facebook is for you.
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