So you’ve chosen a business idea, built your website, and now you need to get the word out. Chances are you’re already considering advertising through the two behemoths of the online ad world, Google and Facebook. But is it actually worth it to buy ads ? If so, which platform should you use? We’ll explore the difference between Facebook and Google paid ads here, giving you the information you’ll need to make the best advertising decisions going forward.
Online advertising basics
The world of online ads can be overwhelming, especially if you’re starting from scratch without a marketing background. That said, it’s actually pretty easy to get an ad campaign rolling. Let’s start with a few basic terms and concepts:
PPC
Facebook ads and Google ads both fall under the category of “pay per click (PPC) ads. When you buy PPC ads you bid on a price and, once that price is settled, pay that amount of money every time someone clicks one of your ads.
User search intent
This refers to the search terms customers might use to find your business. Why are they looking for a business on Facebook instead of Google? What problem are they looking to solve when they search for a specific term?
User search intent can help you target ads very effectively. This is because you’re basically anticipating people’s pain points and tailoring your ads to address them. If you know someone’s problem, you can figure out how to solve it, then display ads that show them the solution (your product or service).
A person’s intent will be different depending on the platform they use and what point in the sales funnel they’re at. Google’s algorithm in particular is starting to reward pieces optimized for user intent instead of just keywords. Good content wins here, not pages stuffed with keywords and questions.
CPC/CPA
CPC stands for “cost per click,” and it’s the rate you’ll end up paying to Google or Facebook for running your ads. CPA stands for “cost per action,” where an advertiser pays whenever the customer takes a certain desired action (email signups, product purchases, etc.).
Google Ads vs. Facebook ads: how are they different?
Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, and each can reach audiences in their own unique way. Depending on your needs, you might decide to use both Facebook and Google ads to broaden your reach as much as possible.
Read the rest of the article on Business 2 Community here.
If you want to get started with Facebook ads or Google PPC – give us a call and check out our information on PPC Management.
