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As a business owner or entrepreneur, you probably know that there’s a tremendous value and opportunity in online marketing, specifically regarding Google and Facebook, but you’re wondering which one is best for your business, what’s the difference, and ultimately which one you should bank on.
Well, there’s no simple clear-cut answer. Both Google and Facebook can deliver amazing results for your business, if done right. So, in this 5-minute read I’m going to go over the main differences between the two platforms and you will be able to determine what’s best for your business.
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Before I get into that though, make note that there are 3 types of buyers: right now buyers, soon buyers, and some day buyers. Right now buyers are the ones that are looking to buy something urgently, like right now. Soon buyers are actively searching for something but the urgency to make the decision today isn’t there. Some day buyers are not actively searching but might one day become buyers.
This is important because the biggest difference between Google Ads and Facebook Ads is the type of buyer you are reaching.
1. Intent
The intent of people searching for a product or service on Google is to buy something right now or soon – either way, they are in the market for that service or product or else they wouldn’t be looking it up.
Say your car breaks down in the middle of the highway and you search online for a ‘towing company near me’. You’re a right now buyer, looking to have your car towed right away. You most likely don’t have time to do a bunch of research for 3 hours to figure out which company to go with.
On the other hand, let’s say you’re looking to have your kitchen remodelled so you’re searching up different companies, their portfolios, materials companies to look at different finishes, and so on. You’re a soon buyer.
The intent of most people’s daily Facebook surfing is not to buy anything but to connect with their friends, scroll through their feed about other people’s business, and be entertained by memes and videos. Doesn’t mean they’re not a buyer, just not a right now or soon buyer; they are a some day buyer. Some day they’ll want to remodel their kitchen and remember seeing your company’s name, logo, and ads on Facebook over and over again.
So, given the intent of Google you are reaching right now and soon buyers, people with the intent to buy your service or product. With Facebook, you are reaching some day buyers, people that have little to no intent to buy your service or product right now or soon.
2. Targeting
With Google ads you target mainly based on keywords and location. So for example, you have a towing company in Toronto you will be targeting people in the Toronto area that are actively searching for a ‘towing company near me’ and other related keywords. Also, there are tools and strategies that can be used to get the best results and avoid wasting advertising dollars.
On Facebook, you can target people based on location, age, language, gender, interests, behaviours, and a whole lot more options, including combinations. So, while you can’t target people that are actively searching for your products or services, you can target people that are most likely to be some day buyers – your ideal clients.
3. Cost
There are a few different that you pay for Google Ads and Facebook Ads but one of the most common ways is Cost-Per-Click (CPC) which is when people click on you ad. I’m not going to dive into too much detail as this, it itself, a huge topic. The main point here is that Facebook ads are cheaper than Google – like a lot cheaper. Depending on the industry, the CPC could be $5-$10 for Google Ads whereas with Facebook Ads you’re looking at $0.50 – $1.00.
So obviously Facebook Ads are more accessible by businesses with lower budgets. On the other hand, you’re reaching the right now buyers and soon buyers with Google Ads.
4. Approach
The approach used in Google Ads is much different than Facebook Ads.
As mentioned, the intent of people searching products and services on Google is to buy. So, your Google ads will be just that, ads. ‘Buy My Shit’, ‘Limited Time Offer’, ’15% Off Promotion’, ‘Call Us For A Free Estimate’ type of ads.
Because the intent of Facebook users is friends, memes, videos, and other entertainment, ‘Buy My Shit’ ads don’t do well. This requires some level of creativity to create something entertaining or valuable to those seeing your ads. This is not saying that ‘Buy My Shit’ ads don’t work.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, there are 3 main differences between Google Ads and Facebook Ads.
The intent of those searching for products and services on Google is to buy now or buy soon whereas Facebook users are on Facebook for socializing and entertainment.
The targeting system on Google is based on keywords whereas the targeting system on Facebook is based on demographics and audience.
Facebook Ads are cheaper than Google Ads. And finally, while ‘Buy My Shit’ ads are completely appropriate for Google Ads, they are nearly most often useless on Facebook Ads.
While Google ads are about getting you a sale right now or very soon, Facebook ads are about building brand awareness and engagement with potential customers.
I hope you found some value in this post and this gave you a better idea of which platform is best for your company as well as when and how to use each platform.
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If you’d like to further explore implementing Google Ads and/or Facebook ads and discuss some strategies, feel free to reach out, let’s connect! I’d love to learn more about your business and leave you with some strategy ideas as well as some numbers if you wish to work together. Absolutely free – no obligations!
