The two major powerhouses in online advertising right now are Google & Facebook.

Last year Google took in over 55 billion dollars in net advertising… yes we said 55 BILLION. The Google search engine is so popular the company name has become it’s own verb – “Just Google it!” Positioning their paid advertisers at the top of search rankings has become one of the simplest and most lucrative ventures for the company.

It feels like everyone is on Facebook, whether actively or not, and advertisers have followed. Facebook advertising grew 50% between 2015 and 2016 according to Forbes. With its ability to send ads directly to people on their newsfeeds, as well as through Instagram and a variety of ad partners, Facebook has held its own in target marketing.

While both have proven results, it can sometimes be hard to decide which best fits your marketing goals. Make sure you are putting your advertising dollars to good use by understanding the differences in the platforms and their targeting.

 

The Look

Google offers two advertising options:

TEXT ONLY: Google AdWords – Looks like a traditional Google search engine result, it will just be accompanied by the word “Ad” in a box before the URL

TEXT & GRAPHICS: Display Ads – These banner-style ads are seen on a variety of partner websites that most relate to your company or target audience. These can be video or static ads and will click though to your company website or social media page.

Facebook ads:

Often appear like any other post in your newsfeed. Interactive options include long and short videos, carousels and slideshows

 

Targeting

One of the main differences between advertising on Google and Facebook is how people get to see your ads. Google targets based on keyword searches, or in other words, it targets people who are already looking for goods or services similar to yours. Because of this, there is a good probability that the consumer will turn into a viable lead for your business.

Facebook is able to target on a more personal level. Its built in data collection allows advertisers to go beyond basic demographic or geographic indicators into more in-depth personal information and deliver ads to a specific type of person. These factors can include income, parental status, hobbies and more. Many times niche markets have great success with Facebook advertising when able to target using these very specific variables.

 

Your Objective

All advertisers end game is to ultimately sell more. Defining what your immediate objective is will help you allocate funds in the right advertising avenues. If you are looking for pick-me-up in your sales, using Google to aim for the people already looking for you is a good bet. If you want to increase engagement and nurture your relationships with potential customers while increasing brand awareness, Facebook may provide the outlet to do that.

 

With the rapid growth in online advertising over the past few years, harnessing the right advertising platform should help skyrocket your business’ marketing efforts.