google adwords vs facebook ads

google adwords vs facebook ads

google adwords vs facebook ads

Facebook has gotten extremely popular, just like Google. Both sites are therefore good places to advertise because there is a huge amount of people who visit those sites. Both have advertising programs. Both advertising programs allow you to target your Ads to be shown in your choice of geographic location. You can show your Ads only in your city, your state, the whole country or world, or within a radius of a location. Google has Adwords which includes both Pay Per Click and Pay Per Impression options as does Facebook. With Google you can advertise on their search sites which include not only google.com but aol.com and other search partners. You can also advertise on the Google Display Network (formerly called the Content Network). The Display Network consists of thousands of websites that have integrated Google ads through the Google Adsense program. With Facebook you can choose to Pay per Click or Pay per Impression. However there is no search network on Facebook in terms of advertising. Advertising on Facebook is in some ways similar to advertising on the Google Display Network. A common question is "which is better, Google Adwords or Facebook Ads?". There is no yes or no answer to this question. It depends on what is being advertised. Put yourself in the users position. What is the user doing. The user on Google search sites is searching for something of course. The search query tells something about what the user is doing or looking for at that moment but nothing about who the user is. Less is known about the intent of the user on Facebook. However, the user on Facebook has a profile that includes the users gender, approximate age, likes, interests, hobbies, etc. This is extremely powerful marketing information. As an advertiser on Facebook you can target your ads to display to a subset of Facebook users based on profile parameters that you specify when setting up your ads. For example, if you are advertising womens shoes you can target your Ads to display only to women in the age group 18-55 who have specified "clothing" or "shoes" as their interests. So you are targeting your ads to the demographic that is most likely to buy your product or service. With Google Adwords you do not have this capability especially if using only the Google Search Sites option. However, with the Google Display Network your Ads will be shown on websites that are related to what you are advertising. So in a sense you are targeting users based on what their demographics are, you just don't know specifically what those demographics are. A woman who is 18 years old may be looking at a fishing website and your Google Ad that advertises mens sunglasses may be showing on that website in which case you are not getting the most accurate target for your Ad. When deciding between Google Advertising and Facebook Advertising always consider the user. Put yourself in the user's shoes, what is the user doing, what frame of mind is the user in. Users do not go to Facebook looking to buy a product or service. Users go to Facebook to network and communicate with friends, to find new friends, to be entertained, etc. Users on Google search sites are looking for something and you often know much about what they are looking for based on their search query. People are probably in more of a buying mode when they are on Google.com than when they are on Facebook. On Facebook and the Google Display network you are depending more on impulse buyers to sell your product or service. Selling on Facebook depends on you catching or reminding the user (potential buyer) that they need or want your service or product. This is also true on the Google Display Network. With Google Search sites you are putting your product or service in front of users who are looking for your product or service (assuming you set up your advertising campaign correctly). This is a huge difference and you must always be aware of it.

Facebook Ads - Sell fun things or brand your business or product. Sell things that people were not thinking of until they saw your Ad.

Google Ads on Search Sites - Sell what people are searching for. People are telling you what they are looking for through their search query so get in front of them so they can find you.

Google Ads on Google Display network - Similar to Facebook Ads just a different method. Sell fun things or brand your business or product. Your Ads will display on other websites that are related to your Ad (based on keywords you select and the content of your Ad). You can also specify websites that you would like your Ads to display on. These Ads can be text, animated flash, image, video, etc...

Check back with me on my blog (onlineMarketBlog) for more information on Online Marketing, Local Business Marketing, and SEO.

By Jeff Meland of OnlineMarketBlog.com

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