Every year, businesses in the U.S. spend billions of dollars on digital advertising.
In fact, the amount of money businesses spend on digital advertising has even surpassed the amount of money spent on TV advertising!
Are you looking to take your digital advertising strategy to the next level? If so, you’ve probably spent some time trying to decide whether you should focus more energy on Facebook Ads or Google Ads.
Not sure where you stand on the Facebook Ads vs Google Ads debate? Not sure which one is the best for your particular business?
Read on to learn more about the pros and cons of each so you can decide which one you should make your primary focus.
Facebook Ads Pros and Cons
Facebook Ads are a type of paid social advertising. Basically, you’re paying for the opportunity to get ads for your business in front of people who are using Facebook.
Facebook Ads help social media users find businesses based on things that interest them or based on the type of searches they perform and the activities they engage in while they’re online.
When you invest in Facebook Ads, you get to promote your business on the Facebook news feed. You also get to promote it on other platforms like Instagram and Facebook Messenger.
Pros
There are many reasons why marketing professionals are turning to Facebook Ads to help promote their business.
Facebook Ads are highly affordable, so it’s a great advertising option for small and medium-sized businesses that don’t have a ton of cash flow.
Another great benefit of Facebook Ads is the opportunity to micro-target certain groups of people. Facebook allows you to target and build trust with a highly specific audience based on a variety of factors, including the following:
- Gender
- Age
- Marital status
- Location
- Employment status
- Annual income
- Hobbies
This makes it easy for you to structure your campaigns so they appeal to the people most likely to be interested in your products or services.
Cons
There are some downsides to Facebook Ads as well. Some advertisers are frustrated by the specific rules Facebook has in place for its ads.
For example, if too much text appears in an image, Facebook will reject it. When using Facebook Ads, you have to be very diligent and make sure you’re caught up with the latest rules if you want people to see your ads.
Some people are also upset by the fact that Facebook Ads has somewhat diminished businesses’ organic reach.
It’s harder for people to see your ads unless you’ve paid for Facebook to promote them. This can be frustrating for businesses that have prioritized putting out high-value content.
Sometimes, what you consider to be high-value and what Facebook’s algorithm considers to be high-value are two different things.
Google Ads Pros and Cons
Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords) are a type of paid search option. Most of the time, when people use the term “paid search,” they’re referring to Google Ads.
Paid search involves paying a fee so that the listing for your business will be featured on a search engine result page (also known as a SERP).
Paid search is all about focusing on targeting keywords and using text-based advertisements. Advertisers who use Google Ads will bid on keywords so that their ad will show up on a SERP. Every time someone clicks on the ad, the advertiser gets charged a fee.
Investing in Google Ads allows you to advertise on Google search pages, as well as YouTube, Google Maps, and Google Play.
Pros
When you use Google Ads, there is potential for billions of people to see your advertisements—just think of how many people use Google every single day.
Keyword marketing also helps you ensure your ads are always relevant to the people who are interested in your business’s particular products are services.
Paid search advertising helps give your business a bit of a boost, too. SEO is a long, strategic process, and it can take a while for you to see results.
Combining your SEO efforts with Google Ads helps you to make progress faster and get your ads in front of more people.
Cons
There’s definitely a learning curve involved when it comes to adding Google Ads to your online marketing strategy. Because of this, it can take a while before you start to see results from your efforts.
Google Ads is highly competitive, and it can get expensive, too.
If you want to utilize high-value keywords, you’ll likely end up spending a lot of money trying to outbid other businesses for them.
This can make it hard for smaller businesses to compete with their larger, more established counterparts.
Facebook Ads vs Google Ads: Which Is Right for You?
As you can see, there are benefits and drawbacks to both Google Ads and Facebook Ads.
The good news, though, is that you don’t have to choose just one. Your business can benefit from using both of these strategies to expand your reach and increase sales.
That being said, some businesses are better off placing more of a focus on Facebook Ads while others would do well to prioritize Google Ads.
Generally speaking, Facebook Ads are a good option for your business if you’re just getting started and want to grow your audience and start building brand awareness.
You might want to invest in Google Ads instead, though, if you have the money to spend bidding on keywords and are looking for immediate sales and leads.
Need Help with Your Online Marketing Efforts?
Now that you know more about the pros and cons of both of these popular online ad types, have you developed a position on the Facebook Ads vs Google Ads debate?
Both Google Ads and Facebook Ads are beneficial for businesses that want to stand out online. But, you’ll probably want to prioritize one over the other.
Do you know which one you want to focus on for your business?
If you need more help choosing between Google ads and Facebook Ads or if you just need help improving your digital marketing strategy in general, we can help at Bear Fox Marketing.
Contact us today online or by phone to learn more about our services or to schedule a consultation.