The eternal dilemma. And the answer to this is not easy. While these two giants often position themselves as competitors, that is not the case. In fact, the vast majority of businesses run campaigns on both platforms to maximize visibility, increase sales, and attract new customers. What is the difference between them?
Type of user
One of the main differences we noticed between the two giants is the mindset of the users. On Google, people were looking for answers to their questions, so they focused on their purchase intent.
On the other hand, on Facebook, users browse, view photos, share messages, chat... They don't look for answers first.
Focus on strategy
Since audience intent differs between the two platforms, your strategic goals should also be different.
On Facebook, you need to focus on building an audience with the right interests, demographics, and characteristics for your ad. With Google campaigns, on the other hand, it's important that your campaign keywords match the question your website answers.
Targeting options
When it comes to segments, Facebook offers a variety of options so you can get more specific and build different types of audiences. For our part, with Google Ads we cannot go into details, the demographic and interest segmentation options are weaker since they focus on targeting keywords, but users are closer to the purchase decision.
Cost of advertising campaigns
Depending on the industry you are in, the cost per click (CPC) can vary considerably. Although it is usually higher in Google Ads than in Facebook, especially in highly competitive fields.
Getting started on Facebook is cheaper these days than it is on Google Ads, and the budget you can invest in plays a big role here. While your Google Ads spend will typically be higher, your conversion rate may be higher.
Ad format
Facebook ads are distinguished by their attractiveness, each ad must have at least one image. And there are many formats: photo ads, movie ads, for IG Stories, slideshow ads, carousels, collections, canvases...
The Google Ads ad format changes based on your location and is not visually appealing. The most common on the search network are text ads, labeled "Ad," which appear above or below search results and include a title, URL, and description. If you have a store, you can use Shopping ads to promote products and increase sales. This format shows users product images, titles, prices, and store names in Google Shopping and in search results. If you want to redirect calls to your business, Google offers a mobile-only format where clicking an ad initiates a call.
So which is the winner?
Both Google Ads and Facebook Ads are extremely powerful advertising platforms that are suitable for almost any type of business. Facebook Ads are perfect for increasing your brand visibility, positioning and awareness. If awareness is what you're looking for, this is it. Google Ads is ideal for attracting customers who are looking for your purchasing information and interest. So if you want to sell products directly, don't hesitate any longer. And remember that the use of Facebook Ads does not exclude Google Ads and vice versa. On the contrary, a good strategy that combines the two platforms will produce great results.
As always, I hope it has been helpful to you and you have been able to learn a little more about the subject, in the same way if you are interested in learning more about advertising on social networks, I invite you to read our posts on the subject.