When it comes to online advertising, everyone normally chooses Google AdWords. However, with more than 1.7 billion people using Facebook every month, people are using Facebook to advertise more and more. If you need help to decide which to choose from for your company, this will help.

Google AdWords advertisements appear in Google’s search results and on third-party sites that form the Google Display Network. Facebook ads appear in various locations across the social network, including users’ news feeds and the right-hand sidebar. Facebook also has its own network of third-party sites on which it displays ads, called the Audience Network. Both have very good coverage for ads, as both are used every day by people searching the internet.

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Google AdWords pros:

⊕ Outstanding control panel which lets you easily track campaigns

⊕ Can reach users who are looking to buy

⊕ Complete control over the daily budget and maximum cost per click

⊕ Various ways of advertising, including display network, search network and remarketing

⊕ Uses retargeting for those who have already visited your site and are therefore more likely to become customers

Google AdWords cons:

⊗ Difficult to master

⊗ Potential to make costly mistakes

⊗ The design and management of the ads can be very time-consuming

⊗ Limited space in the display (three lines of text)

⊗ If you do not use other forms of Google advertising, such as Google Shopping and YouTube Advertising, you can’t use pictures or videos

⊗ Cost per click can be very high

How to target to Audiences:

When someone sees an AdWords ad in a search result, that ad is targeted based on the search term they’ve used. If someone sees an ad on Google’s Display Network, then the targeting is likely to be based on that user’s search history.

On Facebook, targeting is based on demographic data and information on a person’s interests. For example, if a user has expressed an interest in artists, then advertisers will be able to target them based on that interest.

Business models:

Google and Facebook have differing business models, this affects the way their ad platforms are designed, and the way their ad platforms are used.

Google is all about helping people find whatever it is they’re looking for – whether that’s information or a certain product. In many ways, this is an ideal situation for advertisers as people will be happy to engage with them.

Facebook is focused on socialising, can be a harder place for advertisers to get attention. For that reason, it can be harder to sell directly on Facebook than it is on Google.

The cost:

Like any business, before you start any advertising campaign you’ll want to know what it’s likely to cost you.

Signing up for Google AdWords is free, you only pay when someone clicks your ad to visit your website. You set a daily budget that you’re comfortable with and you can adjust it to suit you whenever you want. You can adjust, pause or end your campaign at any time without extra charge. Payment methods include regular credit or debit card (Visa, Visa Electron or MasterCard) or via a bank payment if you prefer.

Facebook has an advert creation process, this is where you set parameters that the auction will use to deliver your advert to people, including budget, audience demographics and you can decide how you want your advert to look.

You can run adverts on Facebook, Instagram and the Audience Network on any budget. You set your budget and bid. Adverts are shown to people likely to be interested all you have to do is choose your objective – impressions, conversions – and only pay for those.  The advert auction determines which adverts should be shown to which people. Using the information you provide in the advert creation process, the auction shows your advert to the people most likely to be interested in it – for the price you bid or less, and never higher.

Facebook Ads Pros:

⊕ Campaigns are easy to track

⊕ Complete control over the day’s budget and maximum CPC

⊕ Advanced targeting options, including, cities, regions, age, preferences/interests, income class, and other demographics data

⊕ Easier to set up than Google AdWords

⊕ You can use pictures and videos to sell products and services

⊕ CPC is relatively cheap, depending on the industry

⊕ Using lookalike audiences, you can create target groups that match your buyer profile.

⊕ Can retarget users who have already visited your website and are therefore more likely to buy from you

⊕ Good way to promote content

Facebook Ads cons:

⊗ Incorrect settings can lead to ads targeting irrelevant audiences

⊗ Facebook users aren’t usually looking to buy a product when they’re using the site

⊗ Can be harder for business-to-business companies to make an impact

⊗ Hoarding covered in advertisements

Are your #FacebookAds not performing as well as expecting? You might be doing one of these mistakes: https://goo.gl/POCKmt#SocialMedia

Posted by Idunn on Thursday, 9 February 2017

 

If you’re looking to sell a product, then Google AdWords a lot better than Facebook every time. However, Facebook is great for content promotion and can be an inexpensive way to boost sales if your brand is based around socialising. Facebook also has an advantage over AdWords in that it’s easier to get started with. However, in the long run, it may be worth your while putting the effort to master AdWords.

If you are looking for more information about Google AdWords: Click here

If you are looking for more information about Facebook Ads: Click here