If pay-per-click (PPC) is part of your digital marketing strategy, it’s inevitable that at some point, you’ll use (or consider using) Google or Facebook Ads. Maybe you’re trying to decide which one to utilise first or wondering whether you should just use one and forgo the other. When you compare Facebook Advertising vs. Google Advertising, which is the clear winner in terms of results, value for money and options on offer?
PPC is a type of online marketing in which an advertiser pays every time a web user clicks one of their ads. Advertisers bid on keywords and search phrases, which the search engine considers along with other factors like relevance and bid amount to determine ranking position. As the biggest name in search engines, Google consistently takes the highest percentage of the PPC market share.
Facebook remains the world’s most popular social network despite many newcomers to the scene. Over three billion monthly active users—almost a third of the world’s population—use Facebook. Its software includes targeting and lead generation tools, which expand its reach and put your brand in front of the right demographics.
When you approach it correctly, PPC has a 200% return on investment, effectively doubling every dollar spent. So, where do you start? Are Facebook or Google Ads better?
What Is Facebook Advertising?
Facebook advertising is the social media network’s suite of advertising tools that allow marketers to create ads that show up on users’ feeds. Most people are so accustomed to seeing ads on Facebook that they barely notice them anymore, which can be both a challenge and an advantage. Because people aren’t looking for your products, you’re unlikely to make a sale with a single touchpoint, and expecting fast results may leave you disappointed. Businesses with low-friction conversions (e.g. that ask you to sign up, not to buy) and long sales cycles are usually the ones that come out on top with Facebook ads.
Facebook advertising definitely has some unique strengths, including:
Detailed targeting options
Facebook allows for very precise customising of your messaging and makes it easy to target users based on categories such as interests.
Visually appealing
Facebook ads are designed to capture people’s attention with unique and attractive visual elements, including images, videos and unique formats like carousels.
Interactive
Facebook encourages interaction by nature, with comments, clicks, likes and shares helping to boost your ad’s visibility.
Cost-effective
Facebook ads deliver a lot for your money, with a generally lower cost-per-click (CPC) than Google Ads.
However, like every other platform, Facebook ads have a few limitations, including:
Competitive
On Facebook, you’re not just competing with other brands or advertisers for people’s attention. You’re competing with all types of other posts.
Less intent-based
Google Ads shows users results based on their keywords and search phrases. By contrast, Facebook ads are based less on user intent and can feel like more of a “cold” approach.
Needs more time to convert
Facebook ads are often a slow burner, requiring more time and a more sustained effort to see results.
What Is Google Advertising?
If, like most businesses, you dreamt of being at the top of Google’s search results, Google advertising can get you there. Google Ads is the search engine’s effective and industry-leading PPC program. Unlike search engine optimisation (SEO), an organic approach to achieving rankings, Google Ads will take you to the top for a fee.
The distinctive advantages of Google Ads include:
Intent-driven
Google’s Ads are geared towards people typing specific phrases and questions into the search engine. This means you can very precisely target the users searching for specific products or services, often leading to higher conversion rates.
Wide-reaching
Google is the most widely used search engine in the world, and its enormous reach potentially exposes your ads to a large and diverse audience.
Versatile
Google Ads offers a variety of ad styles, both video and text-based, that can show up on the search engine’s other platforms depending on context. Your potential customers will probably see your video ads on YouTube, for example, or your Google Shopping Ads under their shopping results.
Measurable
Google Ads makes results easy to measure, with a comprehensive set of tools for tracking data such as clicks, conversions and return on investment (ROI).
Fast
Google Ads provides immediate visibility, with your ads showing up at the top of the results almost as soon as you launch your campaign.
None of this is to say Google Ads doesn’t have some downsides, including:
Targeting limitations
Apart from geographical targeting, Google Ads has less power than Facebook to specifically reach certain demographics of people.
More expensive
In most circumstances, Google Ads requires more spending on Facebook to see results.
Requires an expert approach
Google Ads is most potent in the hands of a digital marketing professional. For an inexperienced marketer, it’s harder to generate results.
How Google and Facebook Advertising Are Different
Comparing Facebook's and Google’s marketing channels is a tough task. While both will lead to results, and there are certainly similarities between the two, there are also significant differences.
While Facebook ads target user interests and behaviour, Google Ads are more focused on their intent and, specifically, their search terms. Users who come across Google advertisements often have strong intentions to purchase, while Facebook users are on the platform for other reasons. While Google ads are still very cost-effective, they can also cost more money.
When To Use Facebook Or Google Ads?
So, between Facebook advertising vs. Google advertising, which one is the winner? Are Facebook or Google Ads better? While these two platforms are often viewed as competitors, it’s a false dichotomy that you have to choose between them. Adopting an approach that uses both Facebook Ads and Google Ads helps keep your sales funnel full, gives you a nuanced and multi-faceted marketing strategy, and helps your brand awareness expand further.
If you can only run one at a time or don’t know which option to start with, consider your goals. Facebook Ads are the most effective option for awareness and lead generation, while Google Ads are best for sales and are easier to run on a tight budget.
Multi-channel Strategies with Anchor Digital
As a full-service creative marketing agency, Anchor’s approach is a multi-channel strategy incorporating both Google Ads and Facebook Ads.
With a Google Ads campaign, we can help you set your own budget, get inside your customers’ minds with in-depth research and track your results. We’ll manage your PPC strategy so that you recoup your costs and don’t lose money on campaigns that don’t perform.
We’ll increase your visibility on the largest social network on the planet with in-depth research, analysis, and tiered campaigns.
We’ll steer your campaign in the right direction and present you with regular reports on your results in a straightforward way—no jargon or flowery language. We’ll keep your goals in mind and keep you in the loop each step of the way, freeing you up to focus on other areas of your business.
If you’re ready to use the best of both platforms to your advantage, contact the Anchor team.
