Google and Facebook, both, are big players in the advertisement industry. They are true giants that put everything else of the same kind in their shadows. So, when you want to choose one, which do you choose? Both, of course. Who’s stopping you? But, let’s suppose you really need to pick one and need to know the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Which one is better then? Well, depends. Depends on a few things, in fact. What is your objective? Is it getting customers and conversion? Or is it just brand awareness? There are a lot of questions to answer. But, let’s get a general idea of the whole thing.
How it works
Google advertisements or AdWords depend on keywords. They use textual data to attract people using these keywords in their search queries. These keywords are the core of what you need to promote and are usually no more than a couple of words and corresponding to search queries, your ad pops up.
Facebook ads depend on your company’s reach on social media and your social media presence to attract customers. Ads can be tailored to a certain kind of audience unlike Google ads which just puts it out there for anyone using the keywords you paid for.
Which one has a wider reach?
Undoubtedly, Google has a wider reach. A wider reach doesn’t not mean more conversion rates. It just means wider reach. Google has a wide variety of suites to offer and a wide variety of environments when it comes to advertisement. Like, YouTube ads or through Gmail. Facebook on the other hand is limited to Facebook, Instagram and such media platforms.
Google has a wider reach but, the conversion rates could not be as high. Facebook, on the other hand, has a smaller reach but better conversion.
Budget
Budget is a very important part of the advertising process. Which is more budget friendly? Depends on your objective, length of the campaign and which business you are in.
For Google, the business you are in is really important due to their Cost per Click (CPC) or Price per Click (CPC) thing. When someone clicks your ad that takes them to an external site or an ad in the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) when clicked will cost you. And, this price depends on the kind of business you’re doing.
If your business doesn’t have a lot of competition, the price you’re looking at is really low. But, if your business has really tough competition, the prices you’re looking at will be high.
Facebook has a more stable rate for advertisements when compared to Google. But, to see results, you will have to invest long term. Because to see which kind of ads work best and getting things set up specifically for something is going to take time. We’re talking months here.
The Model/Structure
Google has a funnel model – a top, a middle, and bottom. The top is people who are in no way interested in your business or any other business of your kind. They are hard to convert into clients as Google has a wide reach and not everyone is looking for your products. The conversion rate is extremely low at the top of the funnel.
Then, there is the middle, where people are mildly interested in your products and people who come down from the top of the funnel. Here conversion rates are a bit higher, but not a considerable increase. Then, there is the bottom, where people are really looking unto your products. Here the conversion rates are high.
Facebook uses an entirely different approach. They use advertisements that look just like normal posts in the form of a picture or video, so people won’t just scroll past it. They will take the time to understand your products and what you offer. Is this why the conversion rate is high? Makes no sense. Of course not. There are things in play behind the scene.
Facebook is somewhere people’s personal lives, interests, and a lot of stuff come to be public. They do it themselves. This makes it easier to sort people with similar behaviors with regard to purchasing products or things they like. This is called “lookalike” something. So, when you have lookalikes and target them, the conversion rate is incredibly high.
Ease of use
Which one is more user-friendly from a beginner perspective? With a lot of similarities between the two platforms, such a question is to be expected. Which indeed is more user friendly? Both have their pros and cons in this…field. Google has a simple UI in the basic section. But, the basic section is very limited and if you need more control and be able to do more, you will have to switch to advanced, which can be quite daunting.
Facebook has a very simple UI where you know what everything is. It is very beginner friendly. Too friendly to the point where you can make mistakes because of it. For instance, you could just delete an entire campaign when all you wanted to do was delete a post that wasn’t attracting customers.
It all comes down to the user.
Local services
Which of the two help get a boost for local businesses? Here, Google takes the lead. Because of apps like Google Maps, Google can know where a person is. When they are within proximity of your business, Google will automatically suggest your business if they are searching for something related to it.
Facebook, unfortunately, has no such service to offer. So, if you’re a local business trying to make a name for yourself, Google is the way to go.
When can you start?
For Google ads, you can start whenever. You can think of it today and get the campaign underway today itself. With Facebook, there is ad preparation. Then, there’s a lot of trial and error to find the best thing that works for you. This could be weeks or months of preparation. And, more waiting to get results that you might like.
If you are looking to get ads made for Google or Facebook, we at TGI Technologies, one of the best digital marketing companies in Kerala can help your business. We have been helping people like you and will continue to do so. It’s for a reason why we are the best digital marketing company in Kochi. Our team can get you running in the span of a few days.
