Facebook Ads vs Google Ads: 1-1 or Not?

March 9, 2018

Do you pair with the search giant and their extensive list of advertising services or do you go with the social media platform to engage with users that spend hours of their time on each day?

When it comes to Facebook vs Google, with ads, are they 1-for-1 or something else? In this post we’ll examine what they both bring to the table and what could be your best option as per your budget.

Facebook & Google: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Each of the platforms bring unique opportunities and challenges for those attempting to advertise.

For example:

  • With Facebook you may find it to take longer to establish your brand because individuals generally “warm up” to your interactions before visiting your site. With Adwords, however, it is generally directed and displayed at a time of need (such as during comparison shopping) which creates haste and quick interactions.
  • Each of the platforms offer primarily PPC advertising channels or the use of pages (Facebook fan pages or Google+ business pages). Each can provide a quick bump in interaction via PPC or long-term brand building through pages. The challenge, like with each, comes from one’s ability to understand their market, find the right keywords, and develop targeted, timely ad copy.

Users of these platforms are almost always overwhelmingly located in the western World with a few exceptions for countries like India and the Philippines.

The differences of these platforms then begin to take a huge divide:

  • Facebook, unlike Adwords, allows you to drill down on your target audience through the use of user information and interests which allows for a much targeted experience.
  • Google collects the lion’s share of online advertising revenue which makes for a highly competitive market but with warrant due to the reach of the Google network into mobile, maps, email, shopping, YouTube, contextual, and more.
  • Facebook costs are generally much lower (and flexible) as opposed to Google Adwords though with Adwords you may see a higher click through rate.

Overall, after some examination, it appears the two blend the lines but remain equally divided. Facebook provides an excellent, inexpensive (but difficult) platform for long-term reach and engagement to users whereas Google Adwords remains ideal for those with budgets that allow them to tap into the full features of the search giant.

Those that remain unsure about which side to choose can look toward the expertise and guidance offered here at adQuadrant. We work closely with teams at Facebook to gain an edge via first and third party targeting that isn’t available to regular advertisers. The combined experience of the team working with Google advertising is quite extensive and remarkable, too. You can rest assured we will provide you with sound advice when trying to make a decision between the two so feel free to send us your inquires at [email protected] and we will do our best to find the right solution for your budget.

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