Nowadays, roughly over 55% of the world’s population or 4,2 billion people, use the Internet daily.
Big brother Google reaches BILLIONS of them every single day, whilst its social counterpart Facebook with 2.23 billion monthly active users, is closely behind.
Even INMEDIA’s mascot “Diego – the dog” understands that both platforms are great options if you’re looking to tap into that massive traffic!
But which one would be the best for YOU?
Well, let’s start with GOOGLE.
According to Business Insider and Statcounter, over 90% of all searches are conducted via Google Platforms, leaving Yahoo, Amazon, Bing and all other search platforms far behind.
In 2012 Google already processed over 3.2 billion searches per day worldwide! Google has not shared any information on how many searches it has handled since then, but it is estimated that we are now at say, 5 billion searches per day, or “trillions” of searches per year.
Psst, can someone tell us how many zeros that are?
There are a few ways to advertise on Google Ads (previously Google AdWords) and reach new audiences. By far, the two most important ones are:
• Google Search Network (GSN): Your ad can show near search results when someone searches with terms related to one of your keywords.
• Google Display Network (GDN): A group of more than 2 million websites, videos, and apps where your ads can appear. You can use targeting to show your ads in particular contexts, to particular audiences, in particular locations, and more.
With Google, people are actively looking for a solution to their problems. Whatever network you select, Google Ads excels in driving traffic to your website, landing page, app or store with the intent to buy (convert).
On the other hand, FACEBOOK is not used to search for a keyword and solve a problem. It is a social network where people engage with each other. The intent to buy is not as high as with Google.
Still, people advertise on Facebook and achieve incredible results. So, how does this platform work?
Although advertising on Facebook may appear similar to Google Ads in that you can use both to promote your business online, this is where the similarities end.
Where Google helps you find new customers via keywords, Facebook helps users find businesses based on the things they’re interested in and the ways in which they behave online.
Think of it this way: Google helps you find new customers, while Facebook helps them to find you!
Like Google, Facebook also offers various advertising methods, such as on Instagram, WhatsApp or in their Marketplace. Most often, however, Facebook ads come in the form of News Feed style ads that integrate directly into your (mobile, tablet or desktop) Facebook feed.
People share almost every conceivable detail of their lives on Facebook, from what they had for dinner to celebrating a newborn or getting married. People also search for and consume content that aligns with a huge range of personal interests, beliefs and values that allows you to target audiences in ways previously considered impossible. You can even target a Lookalike audience based off your current customers!
Thanks to Facebook Ads’ targeting options, you can expect impressive results, often at a much lower cost than through Google. Still, both are a bargain compared to traditional (offline) advertising.
If you want sales or leads, both platforms are suited for that. If your goal is to create brand awareness, newsletter sign-ups or more social traffic, Facebook Ads is the better option, while Google Ads are better for high-quality, immediate sales.
In both cases, you can expect to get the results you want. Rather than choosing one over the other, it is apparent that the two platforms should be viewed in a complementary rather than adversarial way, as it really depends on your goals to decide which one’s best for you.
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