Udemezue John
Introduction.
One way to make sure that your business reaches the four corners of this world is to fully utilise digital tools such as; Email marketing, search engine marketing, Social media marketing, content marketing and many others.
There is no limit to the number of doors and earthly borders that can be opened when digital technologies promote any business.
Back in the old vintage days, when the computer was not invented, starting a business was very difficult. A lot needs to be arranged and spent on marketing before an influential audience is reached.
Still, with the advent of the super-computer and the internet, anyone from any part of the world can start a business in the twinkle of an eye and get their product to any part of the world with the speed of light.
I wrote an article to help you properly strategise on the most effective digital marketing strategy; click the link below to get started.
When it comes to digital advertising, two companies hold the hotspot: Facebook and Google.
Facebook is a social media platform created in 2004 and has over 2 billion users making it one of the most populous online platforms.
Google, also holding the position of the most visited online source when it comes to accessing information via the world wide web, has a record of over 7 billion people worldwide, hitting its website when it comes to information search.
Both are great excellent platforms for advertisers, the fact remains that they both serve a similar purpose, but one is more versatile than the other.
If you want to reach customers, then Google’s search network or Facebook’s news feeds are the places to be.
In this article, I will show you How to make the right choice for your business? Should you spend on both? Well, that’s what we’re here to find out.
What is Google Ads?
Google Ads is a search engine marketing platform created and owned by a search engine, and tech giant Google, Inc. Google ads were made in the year Google 2000; it was called Google Adword at first before it became Google ads in 2008.
AdWords advertisers paid for the service monthly, and Google would set up and manage their campaigns. To assist small businesses and those who wanted to maintain their campaigns, Google soon introduced the AdWords self-service portal. In 2005, Google started a campaign management service called Jumpstart.
Adverts placed via the Google ads platform are displayed across Google-owned platforms such as YouTube, Google search, Gmail, Android smartphones, and Google partner websites(Adsense configured websites such as this one).
While browsing this website, you will likely see some advert banners popping all over this current page; these adverts are not randomly generated; they are shown based on your prior interest or engagement across the internet. That is how search engine ads are designed to operate.
Whenever you type a search query via the Google search, and an advertiser has created an ad campaign via the Google ads including that specific keyword in his campaign, then you continue to see such flashy banner relating to that particular search query, most times, those ads that get popped up the first few minutes before you start watching a YouTube video, that is an example of a Google ad campaign in action.
1. Google ads Via The search engine.
Google ads are designed to be displayed via the Google search engine, and here is what they look like so that you will be able to identify one when next you see one.
2. Google ads via YouTube.
Another variation of Google ads can be found via YouTube. The image above depicts a certain kind of ad that pops up when you are about to watch a monetised video on YouTube.
3. Google ads Via a Google Partner.
The ads are displayed via the Google partner websites (websites that have Google AdSense enabled on their website).
These ads pop up when you enter a search query, or the existing search query that you entered not too long ago is used to display a certain kind of ads when you visit a website that has Google Adsense enabled by default.
If you want to learn about Google advertising, I wrote a comprehensive guide to help you get started by adequately understanding how Google ads work and creating one by yourself; click the link below to get started.
Pros.
Google ads come with many pros and cons, but we will be elaborating more on the pros in this section. But, first, let us take a little time to discuss the benefits attached to Google ads.
1. Results from Google Ads can be immediate.
Google Ads can be effective if you look to quickly drive traffic to your site. Search engine optimisation can take weeks, sometimes months, to take effect. Leveraging on Google Ads is immediate.
2. You can reach a large audience.
One of the primary reasons I like Google ads is that it allows you to reach a global audience. The search engine sees billions of searches every day from users worldwide, and that’s just the search engine itself.
For your website and content to do their duty, people have to see them first. If that is the step you struggle with, PPC, like Google advertising, enables you to tap into the enormous numbers of users that Google and its partner sites have developed.
3. You only pay for clicks.
Google ads allow your ads to show up to many people, but that does not mean they will get the desired number of clicks that would convert to your landing page.
But you don’t have to worry about what it costs you. Google Ads only charges advertisers when a person clicks on the ad. So every time you get deducted, it is because someone clicked through ads.
4. Remarketing allows you to maintain a connection with past visitors.
Most times, prospective clients may engage your ads but do not effectively convert; Google ads allow you to use the remarketing feature that shows that ad to that person over again.
Google AdWords makes it possible to serve up ads around the web to people who have already visited your website, ensuring that you remain top of mind for someone who has already shown interest in your product and is more likely to interact with your brand again.
Cons.
Google ads come with cons; every software has its downside, not restricted to Google ads alone. Here are some of the few cons of Google ads.
1. You pay for each click on your website.
Google ads only allow you to pay for clicks. That means that you pay whenever someone clicks on your ad, notwithstanding whether that click converted or not. So you may get clicks from visitors who have no plan of ever buying your product or service, making that budget a waste of time and effort.
2. Competitive industries have a higher cost per click.
Every keyword you target on Google already has a fixed price if a mush spending competitor has already used it.
If your competitors are already using Google Ads, this might be the reason why you want to start your campaign. However, your ads could be exiled to page 2 or 3 of the search results if your keyword bid is too low.
3. If you have no budget, your ads will stop.
Google ads are designed to work with a prescribed budget that must be paid before creating an ad.
Google Ads has a concise shelf life. And when I say quick, it means that your ads turn off when your budget is spent. Compare this with Search engine optimisation, which has a longer shelf life.
4. Ad Creative have limitations.
You are limited by the number of characters you are allowed. There are three 30 character headlines, two large 90 character description lines and a customisable display URL. To overcome this limitation, you need to hit the nail with just very few words.
5. The learning curve is quite hard.
Unlike Facebook ads, Google takes more than just watching a single tutorial to master it; you need tons of experience before even understanding it.
Getting to understand the Google AdWords platform takes some time. If you’re new to PPC advertising, I advise you do some research or training to learn the ins and outs of using the platform to succeed with your ads.
You should either be ready to engage some real-time to learn how to do PPC advertising well or devote some of your marketing budgets to hiring someone that already knows it well.
6. You need to invest your time.
When it comes to the success of your Google ad campaign, you need to dedicate a whole time to it to monitor and effect change when necessary.
You need to spend quite a lot of time after the campaign’s been set up to ensure that it has been done correctly, and then you need to keep observing it to find out what’s transforming, what’s not, and so on.
7. Be careful with keyword targeting.
Google ads is a search engine marketing software that relies heavily on keywords, You need to ensure that you have added enough negative keywords to your campaigns, or your ads could be shown to the incorrect users.
8. Your landing pages need to be of quality.
Many factors ensure that your Google ad campaign is booming, and one of them includes creating a landing page of quality.
By improving your website’s landing pages, your Quality Score will increase, which will mean you pay less for your clicks.
Ultimately, you can’t just rely on Google Ads to get you traffic; your landing pages need to be good quality and relevant to your ads, so you can’t neglect your SEO.
What Are Facebook Ads?
Facebook ads is a social media advertising tool created by American social media giant Facebook, Inc. It was added just a few years after Facebook was made.
Adverts placed on Facebook are shown across other social media platforms owned by Facebook, such as; Instagram, Whatsapp Business, Facebook, and Messenger. Have you ever wondered why you see some strange post that you never liked or even followed via your Facebook timeline, carrying the Sponsored tag just above the image card? That is a Facebook ad.
Here is a perfect sample of a Facebook ad being displayed via desktop.
Pros.
1. It’s the Biggest Social Platform.
Facebook has over two billion users making over 70% of internet users on Facebook.
Twitter and other social media platforms are only half the user base of Facebook. Facebook is still growing; this means Facebook will deliver your content to more and more people. Your reach will be broad if you intend to advertise globally.
2. It Boosts Your Page Likes.
By advertising on Facebook, you get more page likes from real people interested in your brand, making your page genuine and trustworthy.
People trust brands with social authority, so some brands see a need to buy fake likes and followers.
3. You Technically Don’t Need Another Website.
When setting up an ad in Google ads, you need a website to send potential visitors. Still, with the aid of a Facebook page, Instagram and the integration of a Messenger Chatbot, you can kickstart your business without a website on Facebook.
Did you know you can use your Facebook page to set up a Facebook store? This allows you to market straight to customers from the affiliate website.
You technically don’t need a website of your own. But you really should have your website because your Facebook page could disappear at any time!.
4. Your Content Could Go Viral.
Nobody shares your adverts on Ad Words, making the state of your ads rigid. But on Facebook, your content can be shared by the audience who wants their friends to see your post on their timeline. This can cause your post to go viral with a limited ad budget.
Cons.
1. Diminishing Organic Reach.
Unless you are spending Facebook for ads, no one notices your content, which is a big fraud to Facebook advertising. As a result, many marketers who are not intrigued by paying to share their content on Facebook will not be able to profit from the platform.
2. Some Metrics Are Misreported.
Facebook has been scrutinised for recording metrics that are not always correct. In addition, there have been issues of overreporting or increasing simple metrics which only promote Facebook.
3. The highest bidder wins.
You want to get your content before the very eyes of your audience, but who is going to pay for it? Facebook is now a race for the wealthiest only. You need a sizeable budget to get your solicited results if you want your content to be seen.
4. There are Other social media platforms.
Facebook has become obsolete, with new social media platforms coming out. In addition, features of other social networks such as Snapchat and Instagram have stirred the focus from Facebook. They might still have the most significant number of users, but they are no longer the majority’s top choice.
My Personal Opinion.
In this section, I will lay down my own opinion on which advertising platform to use at a particular time.
1. Budgeting.
If your budget is relatively small and you want to promote a particular product or service, I recommend sticking with Facebook.
Facebook ads have been known to be budget-friendly to advertisers all over the world. You can launch a Facebook ad with less than $1; the bottom line is that you will get results at least, but not as advertisers who spend over $100 on their Facebook ad campaign.
2. Reach.
Reach is another aspect that I would like to advise you about when picking the best ad platform to use.
Suppose you intend to reach a global audience quickly. In that case, I recommend that you use Google ads, Facebook ads also have an option to reach a global audience, but it comes at a considerable cost.
The Facebook ads algorithm is designed to show ads primarily in your location by default. Google ads win here.
3. Ease of Use.
If you start with internet advertising and need an easy to use platform, I recommend Facebook ads because it is easier to use than Google ads.
Google ad is more complex, and it is reserved for experts who have done it repeatedly with essential experience in search engine optimisation.
4. Targetting.
When it comes to the target, the Facebook ads platform has not done enough to be accurate; though it has an ad targeting option, it is not correct, and making use of it most times can kill your ads.
This is why the Facebook ad team would tell you not to use it to reach a broad audience; you can also import an existing audience from your email list and explicitly market to that lookalike audience.
Google ads win here when it comes to accurate targetting. Proper knowledge of how keyword research works can help you tailor your ads to the right kind of people.
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