Google Ads vs. Social Media Advertising: Where should my spend go?

Google Ads vs. Social Media Ads: Where Should My Money Go?

In the dynamic world of digital marketing, businesses are constantly faced with the ever-timing question of where to allocate your budget. Recent times have seen the emergence of 2 paid players; social media ads and Google Adwords, join us as we take a look at the pros and cons of both types.

Google Ads: The Power of Search

Google Ads operates on the pay-per-click (PPC) model, where advertisers bid on keywords and pay for each click on their advertisements, and is promoted for it's power of intent, over its budget friendliness. 

Pros:
- High Intent Audience: People using Google are actively searching for specific information, products, or services, which means they are often further along in the buying cycle (as long as you are targetting the correct keywords).
- Measurable Performance: Google Ads offers robust analytics and tracking tools, allowing advertisers to measure the success of their campaigns in real time.
- Wide Range of Formats: From text-based search ads to display shopping ads, Google provides a variety of ad formats to suit different business needs, regardless of budget and market.

Cons:
- Can Be Costly: Popular (and sometimes non-popular) keywords can be expensive in terms of cost-per-click, especially in competitive industries. Which can quickly destroy your budget if not managed correctly.

- Time-Consuming: To get the best results, Google Ads campaigns require constant monitoring and tweaking. This includes adjusting bids, refining keyword lists, experimenting with ad copy, and analyzing performance data. This time investment can be significant

- Complex Platform: Google Ads platform can be overwhelming for beginners. The complexity of its features requires a good understanding of digital marketing principles. Fortunately, our Google Ads management services have you covered, and our expertise team are here to help you and your business navigate the complex world of Google Ads.

Social Media Advertising: Engaging a Broader Audience

Social media platforms including Facebook & Instagram have 

Pros:
- Broad Audience Reach: Social media platforms have billions of users worldwide, offering a vast audience for your ads.
- Advanced Targeting Options: Advertisers can target audiences based on interests, behaviours, demographics, and more, making ads highly relevant.
- Engagement and Brand Awareness: Social media ads are not only about direct sales but also about building brand awareness and engagement.

Cons:
- Quality of Traffic: Traffic from social media ads can sometimes be lower quality in terms of lead conversion, especially if the targeting isn’t precise. This can result in lower ROI for your campaigns.

- Lower Conversion Rates for Direct Sales: Since social media users are typically not in a buying mindset, conversion rates for direct sales are often lower compared to Google Ads. Social media is more effective for brand awareness than immediate conversions.

- Ad Fatigue: Users can develop ad fatigue, leading to negative perceptions of your brand. Overexposure to ads on social media can also lead to users ignoring them, or worse, developing negative associations with your brand. For an effective ad to run, it's recommended to regularly change your ad assets, targeted areas and more, keeping the content and audience fresh. Our social media Ad management packages place an emphasis on creating unique exciting content that converts and stands out.

Generally speaking, if your primary goal is to drive sales or generate leads, particularly for a specific product or service, Google Ads might be more effective. The high intent of users actively searching for something specific can lead to higher conversion rates.

However, if you're looking to build brand awareness or engage with your audience to create a community around your brand, social media advertising is a strong choice. The visual and interactive nature of social media ads is ideal for storytelling and connecting with users on a personal level.