Let's get ready to RUMBLE!
Introducing in the blue corner, Facebook Ads. Fighting out of Menlo Park, California with a record of delivering ads to people based on their interests and demographics. Mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.
Introducing in the red corner, Google Ads. Fighting out of Mountain View, California with a record of delivering ads to people based on their search activity and website viewing habits. Mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.
Who do you want to put your money on?
The quick answer is BOTH. Facebook and Google compete in different leagues pursuing different objectives. Here's the tale of the tape.
Facebook Ads
Winning hearts and minds is where Facebook Ads best compete. Generating awareness, providing customer service, and increasing loyalty are the best applications of social media for business goals. Facebook ads, specifically, are best used to create interest in your product/service from target audiences you have already identified.
If you don't know your target audience (interests, demographics, lifestyle, hobbies, etc) then you'll be wasting your money. The strength of Facebook ads is to micro-target the people most likely to purchase your offering. They may not be in the market to buy right now, but may be at some point. Facebook ads help you start and/or grow relationships with your brand.
Facebook Ads are relatively easy to set-up and require little technical knowledge. The downside is Facebook offers little live support.
Google Ads
Providing answers to peoples' queries is where Google Ads best compete. Serving advertisements only to those looking specifically for your offering or visiting websites related to your business. Although Google Ads provides some demographic profiling, the real strength is appearing when people have intent to consider or buy. If your goal is purely transactional, then Google Ads can be very effective.
If you don't how people search for your offering in terms of the words they use, then you can lose a lot of money by attracting the wrong type of traffic. Take, for example, a glass window installer - If campaigns are not set up properly the ads could get a lot of clicks from people looking for Microsoft Windows. The keywords you target are just as important as the keywords you want to exclude.
Google Ads require more technical sophistication than Facebook Ads, but Google provides support from an actual person to help you get started.
Who's the Ultimate Winner?
If you could only choose one platform my advice would be to bet on Google Ads since their platform consists of search, display, and video formats. Google representatives will help you get a campaign set up and the platform is increasingly being made easier to use. That said, Facebook should still be a consideration for generating awareness and showcasing your brands personality. Ideally, the two work best as a tag-team rather than being opponents.
