You’ve got a lot of options for online advertising these days. AdWords is one of the most popular platforms, but Facebook has become increasingly popular over the last few years.
So which one should you use?
Here’s a quick comparison of the two so you can have a better idea about which is the best option for advertising your products and services.
How the Platforms Differ
The difference between AdWords and Facebook Ads (Paid Search vs Paid Social) mainly comes down to user intent.
With paid search like AdWords, the user is searching for something specific when they see your ad. They may be looking for a new office desk, for example. They are demonstrating intent, and if you sell office desks, your AdWords ad might pop up just at the right moment.
Paid social like Facebook Ads, however, does not work this way. It displays ads to relevant people as they browse their news feeds. In this sense, it is more like traditional advertising (though it’s completely different in many ways too).
In this case, you might advertise your office furniture to people who have already shown an interest in the types of products you sell, or who match your target market because of their demographics. But you are still suggesting something they might be interested in rather than showing them an ad based on their intent.
The other big difference is that Facebook is a visual platform. Ads on Facebook need to blend in with the other visual content in the News Feed, whereas AdWords ads are text based.
Similarities Between AdWords and Facebook Ads
Despite their differences, there are a few similarities between the two platforms. For a start, they are both forms of pay per click (PPC) advertising. No matter how many people see your ads, you only pay each time someone interacts with an ad, usually by clicking on it.
In addition, both platforms are huge, meaning you can reach a lot of potential customers. Google dominates search globally, and Facebook has well over a billion users, so there are plenty of people to target your ads at.
When Should You Use Each Platform?
Because of the difference in intent, it makes sense to use each advertising platform to achieve different goals.
In general, Google is ideal for getting your products and services in front of users at the exact moment they are looking for them. The people who see your ads have demonstrated a clear interest in the types of solutions you provide, and you are in a better position to either make a direct sale or encourage visitors to find out more about your solutions.
Facebook Ads, on the other hand, are often better used for building brand awareness. When people are using Facebook, they are not searching for your solutions – in the same way that when you read the newspaper, you’re not looking for a product, but an ad might catch your eye.
Facebook also has access to a huge amount of demographic data, and you can match your services with your ideal customers very precisely by targeting people with specific interests and demographics, which AdWords does not provide.
With Facebook, you will probably make better use of your money by increasing awareness and encouraging people to visit your site, read about your business and sign up to your list rather than attempting to make a direct sale.
Why Not Choose Both?
The simple answer to which platform to use for your business is ‘both’. As you can see, both platforms have their uses, and you don’t need to choose one over the other.
In fact, they can work well together. For example, it could be that you increase awareness on Facebook, then people search for you in Google and find your ad.
So experiment with both platforms, but just remember to approach them differently. And always track your results and make improvements to your campaigns so you ensure you are getting the most out of both platforms.
As a specialist digital marketing agency consisting of a number of highly experienced digital consultants, Web Results Direct is expertly placed to support its clients with advanced, and strategic, digital marketing consulting services. To learn more contact us – call us now on 01483 429222.
