In the online advertising game, Facebook and Google are the obvious heavy hitters. They reach the most people, have the most targeted ad delivery systems, and they are completely scalable to fit your budget. Now the question is…do I advertise with Google Adwords or with Facebook Ads to best reach my audience? Here’s our take…
Facebook knows a whole lot about their users. They can match ads to what kind of mood someone is in. Not really…, but pretty close. If someone talks about a subject pertaining to your business, BOOM! out comes your ad. Since the average Facebook enthusiast spends about 20 mins a day on the site, that 20 mins could have your advertisement front and center in front of people talking about goods or services that you provide. Sounds like a match made in heaven huh?
Google knows where you’ve been, and they are starting to get to know users a little better with Google +, however the fledgling social network has been slow to catch on. If you are cruising the net looking for a toaster, Google knows to show you ads from toaster retailers. They also have ads on MANY websites out there, including most leading publishers. This means news sites, gossip sites, community sites, social sites, magazine and video media, and a whole lot more. They are everywhere on the web, not just restrained to one website.
So Who Wins? You do.
In our minds, each of these two advertising venues may be better or worst depending on what is being advertised. Entities that need laser-guided targeting may want to go with Facebook to reach a niche market. Companies that operate on a global basis and have extremely high volumes may want to go with Google advertising to reach a more broad audience.
Of course what most businesses would want is the best of both worlds without having to spend big $ on a regular basis to keep the adverts going. This can be accomplished. Having effective social media strategy and quality SEO can get you there. By building an online community within social networks, businesses can reach their targeted audience for free. With kick-ass SEO, your website can appear at the top of search engine rankings, along with ads placed by Google. This is also for free. Establishing great SEO practices early on and taking the time to get to know your consumer is a great way to keep your advertising budget down and keep your business on the “up & up”.
