Battle of the Ads: Facebook vs. Google

Battle of the Ads: Facebook vs. Google

Stark SocialPodcast, Social Media

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Facebook is constantly changing its algorithm to improve the user experience. Surveys showed Facebook that users were unhappy with being inundated with content from brands that didn’t matter to them. Moreover, that is what sparked a change in algorithm again and again, and now they have adapted their formula to ensure that users are getting more of the family, friends, and brands that matter than anything else. The bottom line is that if you are a brand trying to reach someone on Facebook then you are going to need to play the game. Google’s algorithm has changed to improve its quality of use for web search to include a better selection of demographics and criteria.

So what’s better for businesses?

Deanna and Nate chat about the differences and which method of targeting audience and ad buys is truly the best option for the masses.

Audience Targeting: Facebook wins this one with its incredible ability to target down to gender, age, income and more. While Google Adwords is still mostly keyword based.

Delivery Method: Google is purely search based with Adwords, which means your potential client needs to be searching for your keywords to find you. While Facebook edges it out with a serious delivery network that allows a variety of placement including Instagram.

Local Business Search: While Facebook is swell for connecting with businesses, I do not know many that people that ultimately search for and comparison shop business or services on Facebook.

Audience Engagement: Clearly Facebook edges out Google Adwords here. You can share Facebook ads like gangbusters while Google only allows the user to link to the potential search and even that is not easy.

Ad Quality and Customization: Let’s face it, Facebook keeps creating more exciting and new ways to make ads look and feel organic and enticing, whereas Google is still killing it with text ads.

Ultimately, it is important to have a solid mix of both but make certain you are spending your budget wisely. Avoid companies that sling “leads” or promise to drive traffic to your site without providing you with access to you ads account so that you can see the numbers and understand exactly what’s happening with your success and failures with advertising.


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The Social Life Hosts

  • Deanna L Miller | Partner & Marketing Director Stark Social Media Agency
    Deanna L. Miller
    Partner & Marketing Director
  • Nathan Imhoff | Partner & Creative Director Stark Social Media Agency
    Nathan Imhoff
    Partner & Creative Director