Facebook Ads and Google AdWords are the current leading online advertisers on the internet. They are certainly the biggest rivalry in the field of digital advertising.
You might have really good information on the huge amount of traffic on these platforms, but you cannot blindly decide which of them works better for your business.
Even though both of them have similar purpose, both of them consists exquisite set of features and operating ways.
Many businesses are getting involved in both of the platform to achieve maximum increase in sales and leads. Comparing and ignoring one of them would be huge disadvantage on your part.
If you are new on business and willing to advertise your goods but couldn’t really decide which one to choose for better performance of your business, then you have come to the right place.
In this article, we will cover the following topics:
- Comparison between Google AdWords and Facebook Ads
- Advantages of Google AdWords
- Advantages of Facebook Ads
- Facebook Ads or Google AdWords: Which One Should You Use?
Comparison between Google AdWords and Facebook Ads
Before jumping into the comparison, let’s discuss the Google AdWords and Facebook Ads in short.
Google AdWords
Google AdWords is the most popular and powerful platform for PPC advertising. It is the strategy of advertising your goods or services on the very first page of Google Search Engine Result Page.
The icon Ad on image represents the Google Ads which is advertising provided by Google platform. Google AdWords is a paid search that focuses on targeting popular keywords. Google AdWords is also called as PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising because you need to pay certain amount of money to Google for each click on your ads.
Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads is the most popular advertising on social media. It acquires the highest number of active users than any other social media. This platform has been rapidly growing over few years overcoming the rank of Google ads as well.
Facebook Advertisement
Well, this is a sample of advertising of wallet in the Facebook platform. You can see the differences between Google AdWords and Facebook Ads with these images.
Now that you have knowledge of how both the advertising works, and how they are used. Let’s examine the advantages of Google AdWords and Facebook Ads on advertising field to maximize the revenue, sales and customers to your business.
Advantages of Google AdWords
1. Increase sales, leads and customers
People usually visit on Google Ads with the aim of buying the products rather than visiting the website for information. Google AdWords allows you to target those people who are searching for products similar to yours. Google Ads runs direct-response campaigns to encourage customers to buy a product.
2. Flexible advertising platform
Google AdWords is an extremely flexible marketing platform which is suitable for all kinds of organizations and business. Google Ads has setting that in which you have total control over whether to turn on or off the traffic.
Campaigns can be easily optimized and customized focusing on specific users. Keyword bidding amount is also equally flexible as you can optimize it on your will.
3. High return on investment (ROI)
Google Ads provides a high return on investment as you only pay for those who click on. There is high chance of visitor turning into customer from the ads. Google Ads helps to evaluate whether the money you’re spending is turning profits for your business or not. So, it helps to measure your return on investment.
4. Faster and transparent results
People are getting really impatient for the results; they want immediate progress in their work. Google AdWords provides you live report of your campaign. Google Ads also provides you dashboard that gives every information related to your campaign such as ads clicks, cost of clicks, etc.
Also, all the information are extremely transparent with nothing to hide on. You can easily understand and investigate the results.
5. No need for SEO
Google AdWords is only advertising platform that doesn’t require SEO. Your ads can be on top of Search Engine Result Page simply with the high keyword bidding. SEO has no part with Google Ads, so it’s ok even you have no idea of SEO techniques.
Advantages of Facebook Ads
1. Huge active user on social media
According to the study in June 2019, there are 1.59 billion daily active Facebook user where about 40 million businesses are involved in advertising their products.
Facebook User
Also, the average person spends 28 per cent of his/her time on Facebook social media. So, there is really a high chance of people being involved in your ads.
2. Amazing targeting facility
You can target large set of audience with Facebook ads. An advertiser can target their audiences by location, demographics, age, gender, interests, behavior and connections which helps in understanding their ideal set of audiences.
With those targeting facilities, it is almost fixed that people turn into customer and increase your sales and grow your business.
3. Content promotion is available
Another great feature of Facebook Ads is you can promote your contents to reach the targeted audiences. Your contents will reach more Facebook user through your ads which can lead more traffic into your actual site.
4. Turns visitors into Leads and Customers
Facebook Ads definitely provides a large number of traffic to your website, but you want the traffic to turn into leads and customers.
For this technique, you’ll want to tag the visitors with a cookie which helps to build your audience for remarketing purpose. You can also apply behavioral and demographic filters to target your ads on more interested visitors.
5. Easy managing ads
Facebook ads are really easy to use and manage. Every step is well defined and easy to operate. After following simple guidelines of Facebook ad, anyone can easily manage and start a Facebook ad on their pages.
Facebook Ads or Google AdWords: Which One Should You Use?
Both of the platforms are incredibly effective for your business. For the welfare of your business, it is better to utilize both platforms effectively to grow your business. You can equally optimize both platforms to amplify your business.
Basically both of the Facebook and Google AdWords works on similar concept of ‘pull or push’. For example, when you run your ad on Google, you are opting for people who are active and have higher buying intent as people directly make thorough research on search engines before buying anything. However, the case is entirely different with Facebook. If you have service oriented business like education or training or even gaming, Facebook works better.
I’ve had quite a bit of experience with gaming companies because if it’s a latent need, people will definitely go and search for it or click on it rather than actively search for the product.
There’s been a recent study saying that customers need to see a brand or an advert at least seven times to recall or remember. So, this is really helpful if you have a brand new company. That way, you can make your brand visible as people won’t be searching for your business product on google from day one.
Your business product or service will receive much needed exposure when advertised virtually. Facebook and other social platforms can be a great way to create awareness among your target audience. Once they become familiar with your product, they engage with your brand and channel. Once their interest starts growing towards your product, they will obviously search for you online and even buy your products if they got convinced.
I’ve seen customer journey’s where people first click on social media i.e. Facebook as an awareness piece. They might view it, they might click through or they would have that exposure until they go into google and search in the keyword and then find the product again.
Which one is better platform for advertising?
I don’t think one is particularly better than the other, I think they can both work together. Facebook will work better in some industries while google will do for others. For example if you’re a plumber on an electrician or you’re selling washing machines, you wouldn’t really be putting that on Facebook because when you are searching or when the customer is searching for those products there is quite a bit of intent in the purchase. People tend to google the products before buying it. Therefore, those industries tend to do better with google AdWords.
Google vs Facebook
However I’ve seen for example businesses like educational services or training can do really well with Facebook Ad because it doesn’t come into people minds that they want to study art or science or learn another language or even what I’ve had experience in was drones, flying drones so that’s not really on the top of people’s minds.
Facebook has worked better in such cases because I suppose it pushes the concept onto the user and then it intrigues them to take further actions or click through the page and sign up for more information.
I have seen examples as well where there’ll be a new product or new device online I see first on Facebook or see an ad in a movie. Movies are a great way where you’re not actively searching for a movie but when there is something that’s out there that’s when frequent display and social media is really good.
Because it gets that in front of your mindset you’re aware of something coming through and then you actively search for it to try and find out when it’s available or when it’s coming out.
So, on the flip side I wouldn’t go to social media if I was actively looking to buy something whether that is a watch or sunglasses generally I go to social media to look at videos to look at photos or my friends and family again when there are adverts that are linked to my interests then that’s when I’m more interested to click on them find out more about those brands.
However once I’ve discovered a new product or a new company then I’ll go to google and search for them and actively look to purchase them if and when I’m ready.
In Conclusion
Using both the power of paid search and paid social media marketing, you can grow your business effectively and efficiently. Although both of them are equally important, you need to consider the platform which provides maximum ROI and profits your business growth.
If your business relies on intent base selling products and services, then Google AdWords can be the best option for you. But if your business needs a broad audience, you should definitely tap into Facebook Ads.
Also, the collaboration of both the platform would be a great decision for the business.
So, what have you planned for your advertising?