Is Facebook Ads or Google AdWords Right for You?

What’s the difference between Google Ads and Facebook ads, and which advertising platform is best for your business?

I like to think about these two platforms as a phone book and a billboard to show the intent behind the customer journey. Are they trying to find your product and service, or are they not aware of it?

So, let’s talk about Google Ads first.

Google Ads is for active users who go to a search engine like Google in search of something very specific, a product, a service, a need that they’re trying to fulfill. For example, home services are a very common business on Ads, because they work well.

When you need an electrician, you might go to Google Search, type in keywords like  ‘electricians in Phoenix,’ and an electrician’s ads pops up and you click on it. You’re taken to their landing page, where you might fill out a form or directly call, and now you’ve been converted into a lead.

That’s why I liken Google Ads to a phone book; before Google, people would look up businesses by category, and there would be a bunch of listings that people paid for. You would then call them, and you would convert.

Now, let’s move into Facebook Ads.

The intent of the average Facebook user is NOT to buy something in that specific moment in time.

Do they sometimes buy things at that moment in time? Of course! It’s like walking down the street and seeing a coffee shop and deciding to buy a coffee. You don’t have the intent to buy that product or thing, but then it appears, it seems interesting, you go check it out and then you buy it.

So, on Facebook, a user is interacting with their friends, looking at baby pictures and kitten pictures, and then, based on audience targeting, they see a Facebook ad that ideally appeals to them based on their preferences, their interests, their behaviors, or other categories. If they find it interesting, they’ll click, go to a lead form or landing page, and become a potential customer.

But the main distinction is that they had no intent to purchase your services. They may have wanted your services, they may have been thinking about it, but they’re not going to Facebook with the intent to buy that pair of shoes from Nordstroms. It’s like you’re driving on the highway, you see a billboard advertising a service, and you consider buying that product.

What business type should advertise on Facebook Ads?

The ones that appeal to more of an aspiration or achievement, let’s say meal prep services. When the concept started, no one even considered the option. So, on Facebook, meal prep services pushed their product out and created awareness. When people started buying, that’s when those businesses can go onto AdWords, because search queries for meal prep services are now regular.

What business type should advertise on Google Ads?

In contrast, a home services company is not a great company to advertise on Facebook ads using traditional audience targeting. A buyer only needs an electrician when they need an electrician; that’s search intent, and the buying window is a week, maybe a month, tops. When you’re showing ads as a plumber to people on Facebook, the majority won’t even in the buying behavior. You might be trying to create brand awareness, but the conversion rate is going to be very low. That’s why Google Ads is the better fit.

So, in summary:

• Advertising on Facebook Ads is all about brand awareness, showing your ad to a target audience as they interact with their communities.

• Advertising on Google Ads is for people actively searching for a solution.

Looking for more help deciding? Reach out to us!