In this article we see a comparison between Google Ads and Facebook Ads. By the end of the reading you will be clear about when to invest in Google, when NOT to invest in Google, and when to invest in Facebook. You will also be clear on how to integrate both platforms into your marketing strategy.
First, when to invest in google?
Some of the cases when you would be better off investing in Google Ads is when there is conscious demand, that is, when people know they have a problem and know how to seek a solution. Example: physical therapist, dietitian, etcc.. Another case is when there is a focus on performance, which is when your goal is selling or getting contacts in the short term (thus avoiding all branding, awarness, etcc..) Or it can prove to be really performant when you need to scale your business, that is, when you want to have the ability to scale and increase your revenue.
When NOT to invest in Google Ads
You don‘t want to use Google Ads when you’re addressing latent demand, which is when people don’t know they have a problem, or aren’t looking for a solution. An example might be a meditation class, so people who are not actively seeking the meditation class itself, but have a latent need to start a physical activity. Another case is when there is too much competition. When you have many competitors making use of online advertising using Google Ads the advertising costs increase and the cost per click (CPC) becomes so high that it will not lead to sustainable economic returns.
When it pays to invest in Facebook
The first reason is the presence of latent demand, which is when people do not know they have a problem, or are not looking for a solution. Another time when it makes sense to invest in Facebook Ads is the high competition on Google Ads and consequently the CPCs are very high, or sales is not your primary focus, so you have goals such as branding or you want to have an online showcase of your business.
Another important factor that makes investing in Facebook Ads smart is when you have to sell inexpensive products. Maybe your products have low costs and can be purchased on “impulse.” Selling with Facebook Ads is useful when you have a funnel, i.e., when you can afford to sell products that are also quite expensive but need storytelling or involve nurturing, nurturing steps designed to educate the user.
Or it can prove very useful when you have “Instagrammable” products, that is, when the design or beauty of your products is enhanced by visual ads.
Recommended strategy
In the vast majority of cases you are better off starting with Google Ads, as it will bring results right away. If you need new sales or new potential leads to turn into customers Google Ads is for you and will be able to bring you performance in the short term.
By using Google Ads you are targeting an audience that is already very interested in your product, so you exponentially increase the chance of bringing in results. Use Google Ads until you saturate it, unless you have a large budget or fall under the cases where it is not recommended.
You can still allocate a portion of the budget on Facebook Ads as support, especially for the initial funnel stages, similar audiences and retargeting. because you could already reach a large segment of your audience through Google Ads and then go and intercept them again on Facebook and Instagram.
Further advice may be to do some testing. If you’re not sure if it might work better Google Ads or Facebook Ads you could split the budget to test what performs better.
If you have any doubts or would like to start implementing your campaigns with our strategies contact us or book your free consultation.
