In the ever-expanding digital landscape, businesses are constantly striving to capture the attention of their target audience and maximize their online presence. With billions of people connected to the internet daily, two dominant players have emerged in the realm of online advertising: Facebook and Google.
Facebook Ads and Google Ads have revolutionized the way companies reach and engage with potential customers, but the question remains: which advertising platform reigns supreme?
Facebook Ads Pros
When we say FB Ads, we’re not talking about boosting a post. That’s not worth anybody’s time or money and you’ll get much better results with Facebook’s actual business ad offerings. Facebook ad campaigns that use targeting are what we’re all about! Here are some of the pros of using Facebook Ads:
They’re cheaper
Compared to Google, the cost for results is a lot cheaper per month when you use Facebook Ads. We’ve seen results for only R40!
Bigger reach/audience
Contrary to Google, you can reach people on Facebook that might need your services and not know that they need your services. It’s a great way to reach your market in their own space!
Offers shorter time-frame campaigns
With Facebook Ads, you can run campaigns for a much shorter period compared to Google. Instead of monthly campaigns, you can run weekly ones.
Facebook Ads Cons
As with anything, there are downsides to using Facebook Ads. Here are some of the most common cons: of using Facebook Ads:
Hard to set up
One of the bad things about FB Ads is that they’re tricky to set up and can be very confusing. Often there will be this issue or that issue that makes you want to pull your hair out! Beware of the nightmare.
They can be “finicky”, and their policies are very strict
Your ad can be rejected because of one word when you set up a Facebook Ads account. Yes, one word. You then need to request a review of this which can take too long for anyone’s liking, and again, can become quite a nightmare.
Our advice for you, if you use Facebook Ads, is to make sure you read their policies and guidelines and stick to them!
Google Ads Pros
We use Google Ads for most of our customers, and we think it’s great! Here are some of the pros of using Google Ads:
Higher intent and direct targeting
What’s great about Google Ads is that you get a much higher intent from your audience, especially if you’re using search ad campaigns. That means you can find people who really want your service and target them and what they’re searching for.
Advanced targeting
The targeting that Google Ads offers is a lot more comprehensive and advanced than Facebook, which makes better results flow in.
Location-specific
Not only can you target specific locations, but you can also target located-based keywords like “solar installations in Somerset West”.
Google Ads Cons
Expensive
It can be very hard to get results if you’re not putting at least R2000 into your Google Ad budget. Yes, the results may be better, but they do come at a higher price than Facebook.
Harder to optimise
It’s much harder to set up the tracking on Google, and most people require professional help here. It can be tricky, but it’s worthwhile in the end.
Only long-term campaigns
It’s virtually impossible to have a successful Google Ads campaign over a short period of time. You will get results throughout, but it’s not something that you can just switch on and off.
Limited reach
The issue with higher intent and that you can be left with a limited reach, especially if you don’t do in-depth specific keyword research as we do with our clients.
Final Thoughts
The battle between Facebook Ads and Google Ads boils down to targeted engagement versus intent-driven reach. While Facebook excels in personalized campaigns and community engagement, Google ads leverage user intent and search behaviour for precise targeting. The choice ultimately depends on business goals, audience, and budget.