Stick To The Classic Or Go Social- Google Adwords vs Facebook Ads- Which Is Best?

Last Updated on: 27th June 2024, 03:45 pm

Not so long ago this question didn’t even need to be asked. It was Google Ads, hands down every time. So many businesses have found success using PPC as part of their online marketing strategy, so why would they need to consider another method? As of late Facebook advertising has become increasingly popular, so is this something you need to consider? Should you be doing it along side AdWords or instead of it all together? Is AdWords still the online advertising leader or should you be adding Facebook ads into your strategy? Lets find out-

Targeting

Like any form of advertising, you’re going to want to target those who are actually interested in your business and likely to spend money with you, if you don’t target the right people you’re going to be wasting your money. Both AdWords and Facebook Ads allows you to target your audience, but in very different ways.

By using Google AdWords you are able to target those who are physically searching for your products or services. Through clever use of keywords you can even target those who practically have their credit card in hand and are ready to spend.

Facebook ads work a little differently. Facebook ads appear to those who seem to already have an interest in your business, but aren’t necessarily looking to find you and spend some cash. In many cases the user won’t click through to the site the first time they see the ad and it isn’t until they have seen it a few times and become familiar with it that they become interested.

Both are good options for targeting here, but in terms of conversion Google AdWords ads may have the edge as you can tailor your ads for those already looking to buy.

Ease Of Use

For those with little time or who want to keep the budget at a minimum the ads that are the easiest to set up are probably going to be preferable.

Facebook ads are relatively easy to set up if you are short of time. If you’re really pushed you can simply set a budget and activate the ads. Obviously the less time you spend the lower the success rate will probably be, but for those pushed for time Facebook ads are an easier option.

AdWords does take some time and you need to know what you are doing. This is why so many business owners choose to hire an expert to set up and look after their AdWords accounts. If you’re new to PPC chances are you will struggle and possibly end up wasting your budget. PPC doesn’t have to take up a lot of your time as the best bet is to get an expert on the case or maybe get some training.

Conversion Rate

The conversion rate of both ad options greatly relates to targeting touched upon earlier.

What most people find is that AdWords does have better conversion rates firstly because you can tailor ads down to the tiniest of details to get the best results and secondly because those clicking through to your ads are already looking for what you do.

When it comes to Facebook ads they might not be amazing at converting clicks through to your site, but they are great for building up your social media. If you refer back to my previous blog ‘How Does Social Media Really Help SEO‘ you will see just how important social media is to internet marketing. Through Facebook ads you can dramatically increase likes helping spread the word socially about your business, increase traffic and help with SEO so they are worth investing in.

The Verdict

Ideally you’d be looking at using both Facebook advertising and AdWords but of course for some of us our budget won’t allow for this. If you are solely focused on conversions and like to see solid figures and an increase in profit then Google Adwords is the right choice for you. If you’re more interested in increasing brand awareness and driving traffic that might not always convert but will help spread the word about your business then Facebook ads are the way to go.

What do you think? We have differing opinions here at Mesmerised, some of us loving Facebook PPC and some preferring AdWords. What is your preference and why?

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