Different targeting features
The Facebook social network lets you choose the audience for your ads, and several targeting options are available to you. Whether by geographic criteria such as the user’s city of residence, or by demographic criteria such as age, gender, education level or even occupation, the possibilities are vast! Targeting options can go even further, letting you base your targeting on users’ interests and behaviours, such as the pages they like, their hobbies or the browsing platforms they use.
This way, when you advertise on Facebook, you have a very good chance of reaching the right target, since your ads will be seen only by users whose profiles match the criteria you’ve chosen.
Google AdWords also lets you target the users you want to reach based on geographic and demographic criteria. However, AdWords doesn’t analyze what its users like, the pages they follow or the data in their profiles. The relevance of Google AdWords ads is therefore judged based on the keywords users include in their searches.
In other words, Facebook targets users based on their characteristics, while Google AdWords targets what users are searching for.
The importance of a strong brand
The Facebook Ads and Google AdWords advertising platforms give you the opportunity to build your brand, but in very different ways!
Clicking a link shown in AdWords results after a search takes the user to your business’s website. It’s therefore essential that the site’s design and content be original and relevant enough to encourage the user to keep browsing. A site with too high a bounce rate, meaning too large a share of users who leave as soon as they arrive, will be viewed less favourably by Google AdWords.
Facebook, for its part, uses peer influence, among other things, to increase the reach of its ads. If you see an ad from a business whose page is liked by someone you know, you’ll be more inclined to trust that business. Facebook Ads also uses repetition by showing the same ad to the same user several times. Facebook also gives you the chance to include original content in your ads, along with a photo, which will be visible directly in users’ news feeds.
Different costs
The cost of advertising on Google AdWords or Facebook Ads varies widely. On AdWords, the cost per click ranges from a few cents to several tens of dollars, depending on the size of the businesses bidding on those keywords and on their reach. The conversion rate varies from one industry to another, but in most cases hovers between 2% and 5%.
Facebook ads, on the other hand, have a cost per click that is almost always under $1; the retail industry average is $0.45. The average conversion rate for Facebook ads is lower, generally between 1% and 2%.
Different goals
In light of this information, we can conclude that the effectiveness of Google AdWords and Facebook Ads depends on the type of consumer you want to reach. Google lets you reach consumers who have already started their search process. If you want to reach consumers in a specific area who are looking for a dental clinic or a podiatrist, AdWords advertising is the right choice for you.
Facebook ads, meanwhile, have the advantage of increasing your business’s visibility by letting you connect with new consumers. Facebook won’t necessarily let you make more sales or instantly increase the number of appointments booked at your clinic. Its advertising platform will let you nurture a relationship with consumers you have targeted beforehand. If you want to increase your clinic’s visibility in your area, Facebook Ads advertising will be your ally!
Google AdWords and Facebook Ads advertising each have their advantages and reach different consumers. Both platforms should therefore be considered when it comes time to set up a web strategy, so you can improve your brand awareness while reaching consumers likely to become your clients quickly.
