If you’re a business looking to start advertising online, you might be looking at Google ads and Facebook ads as two of your options. These two types of ads are among the most popular choices for businesses who want to promote their brand online, but what’s the difference?
Facebook Ads
These are the advertisements you see when scrolling through Facebook. They can come in a variety of designs and often mimic the shopping or browsing behavior of the viewer. They are also often geo targeted based on where the viewer lives. Since Facebook and Instagram are connected, you can also run your Facebook ads on that platform with just a few extra clicks, making it easy and convenient to get your ad in front of a larger audience.
Google Ads
Google is by far the biggest search engine in the United States and every business wants to be found on Google. Similarly to Facebook ads, Google ads can take many different forms and are often based on your search behavior. Since Google is the #1 search engine on the internet, ads on Google have the highest potential for reaching the largest audience possible.
What’s The Difference?
Aside from reach size, the biggest difference between the two is the intent of the viewer. When someone Googles your business or your industry you know they are looking for information. When someone is browsing Facebook, they are not looking for the same type of content. Facebook users are looking for things shared by their friends, family and brands they follow. Google users are looking for something they need information on or a website they want to visit.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
There’s a lot of information you can consume about digital ads, and it can be hard to keep up. That’s why it’s best practice to engage the services of a digital marketing team so you know you’ll always be kept up to date. Here are a few other things to keep in mind when considering Google and Facebook ads:
- Reaching a Larger Audience – Reaching more people with your ads sounds ideal, but it might not be the most beneficial for your business. If your customer or client base is niche, you might be missing them if you’re throwing out a wide net.
- Maximizing Your Budget – Because Google is such a competitive space, you might find your budget doesn’t stretch as far as you want it to when competing with similar businesses.
- Knowing Your Demographic – The demographics of your customers or clients can play a huge part in the decision of which ads to utilize. Facebook users tend to be of a more specific demographic, whereas Google users run the gambit.
- You Can Do Both – Facebook and Google ads can run simultaneously, so if one doesn’t feel like the perfect fit, why not try both?
Getting Started
When you’re ready to get the advertising ball rolling, contact Southern View Media. Our team of dedicated marketing professionals will help you decide which ads are right for you, help you curate the most effective ads and strategize things like placement, duration of ads and budget.
