Social Media Ads vs Google Ads: A Concise Comparison for Marketers

In the world of digital marketing, advertisers often find themselves deciding between social media ads and Google ads to promote their businesses. Both platforms offer unique benefits and can help achieve specific marketing goals. I have found in certain campaigns that when you utilize both strategies together, the results can be pretty amazing. 

Social media ads focus on reaching audiences through social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, while Google ads target users searching for specific keywords on Google’s search engine result pages (SERPs).

As you plan your advertising strategy, it’s critical to understand the differences between the two advertising platforms.

 Social media ads tend to be more visually engaging and allow advertisers to target specific demographics and interests, while Google ads have broader reach potential due to their presence on the world’s most popular search engine.

 Examining the goals of your campaigns, your target audience and your budget will help you determine which platform best suits your needs.

Key Takeaways

• Both social media and Google ads have their strengths, and understanding them can help you make informed decisions for your advertising strategy.
• Factors such as target audience, ad formats, and budget can influence the effectiveness of each platform.
• Analyzing performance metrics and adapting your strategy accordingly can ensure successful ad placements and maximize your return on investment.

Understanding Social Media Ads

Social media ads are online advertising that enables you to display your ads on various social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram. These ads offer the advantage of targeting specific demographics, interests, and behaviors, allowing you to reach the right audience for your business.

When creating social media ads, you can choose from several ad formats. These include images, videos, carousels, and more, depending on your platform. This flexibility ensures you can present your message suitably and engagingly to your target audience.

One essential aspect of social media advertising is the ability to control your advertising costs. You are only charged with most platforms when someone clicks on your ad. This means you can set budgets and bid strategies according to your preferred level of investment and risk. 

With video social media ads, you can also be charged for each view. This is often a better way to go as you will expand the reach of your video, and then you can retarget those who engage with the post. There will be more on retargeting later. 

Social media platforms provide detailed analytics and insights to help you track your ad campaign performance. This data helps you optimize your ads, refine your strategy and improve results over time.

Understanding Google Ads

Google Ads is a popular online advertising platform that allows businesses to reach potential customers through targeted ad campaigns such as Search and Display. With Google Ads, you can create ads that appear on Google search results pages and Google’s partner websites.

To begin your advertising journey, you should first set up an account on the platform. After creating your account, you can create campaigns based on your business goals. Google Ads allows you to choose keywords related to your products or services so that your ads can be shown to users who are actively searching for what you have to offer. You can also set your budget and control costs by paying only when someone clicks on your ad. 

One of the key benefits of using Google Ads is that it provides users with a wealth of data and insights into their campaigns’ performance. By analyzing this data, you can make informed decisions about how to optimize your ads and potentially improve your return on investment.

Some of the common ad formats available on the platform include:

• Search ads: These are text ads that appear on search engine result pages, typically above or below organic search results.
• Display ads: These are visual ads that can include images, videos, or animations, appearing on various websites within the Google Display Network.
• Shopping ads: These are product-based ads that showcase your product’s image, price, and other relevant information, making it easier for users to compare products directly from the search results.

PRO Tip: This may sound obvious. Start out with a small spend and test. Test a lot, at least for the first couple of weeks.  I have had many clients who just want to jump in and spend but there is a lot more to running successful ads then just creating some starting ads and launching your campaign. This applies to Google ads and Facebook Ads (Meta) or any of the platforms. Always test your ad copy, images, and video with multiple versions. Test different audiences and keywords as well. More on this later. 

It’s important to note that while Google Ads can drive a lot of targeted traffic to your website, it relies heavily on the quality of your keywords, ad copy, and landing pages to convert visitors into customers. Therefore, you should invest time and effort into optimizing these elements to maximize your chances of success with the platform.

Comparing Reach

When evaluating the reach of social media ads versus Google ads, it’s essential to consider both the size of the potential audience and the targeting options available. In social media advertising, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn offer businesses the opportunity to tap into a large user base. For example, Facebook has over 2.9 billion monthly active users.

On the other hand, Google ads, which include Search, Display, and YouTube ads, allow you to reach people actively searching for specific keywords related to your business or browsing websites on the Google Display Network. With 92% of global search engine market share, Google has a significant reach as well.

Social media platforms offer various targeting options, such as demographics, location, interests, and behaviors, allowing you to tailor your message to a specific audience. For example, LinkedIn lets you target users by job title, industry, and company size, making it a powerful tool for B2B marketing.

In contrast, Google Ads relies on keyword targeting, which means that your ads are shown to users searching for a specific term related to your product or service. This targeting can be further refined by utilizing geographic, demographic, and device targeting.

A key difference between social media and Google ads is user intent. With social media, users typically browse their feeds for entertainment or to stay updated with friends and family. Ads on these platforms can capture users’ attention and create interest, but they might not be actively looking to make a purchase. In contrast, users who see Google ads typically search for answers, solutions, or products, making them more likely to convert.

Social media ads can also create new followers from the ad platform. These followers can become very valuable to you overtime. So, although they may not be looking to make a purchase at this exact time, the more you engage with them, the likelier they are to purchase from you. Consider this when looking at your KPIs and longer return on ad spend. 

Types of Social Media Ads – A brief overview of advertising platforms

Several social media ads offer unique advantages for businesses looking to target specific audiences and achieve their marketing goals. This section will explore four popular social media advertising platforms: Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and Twitter Ads.

Facebook Ads

Facebook Ads provide a powerful way for your business to engage with a large and diverse audience. With over 2.8 billion monthly active users, Facebook is a dominant force in the social media landscape. By utilizing their detailed targeting options, you can reach the right audience based on demographics, interests, and other key factors. There are various types of ads available on the platform, including image ads, video ads, carousel ads, and more, allowing you to choose the format that best suits your campaign goals.

Instagram Ads

Owned by Facebook, Instagram Ads offer a visually appealing way to promote your products or services to a younger and more engaged audience. Instagram boasts over 1 billion active monthly users, making it an excellent platform to showcase your brand. It offers a range of ad formats, including photo ads, video ads, carousel ads, collection ads, and Stories ads. To create an Instagram ad, you’ll use the same Ads Manager platform as Facebook Ads, which allows you to leverage the same robust targeting options.

LinkedIn Ads

For businesses targeting a professional audience, LinkedIn Ads are an ideal choice. With over 774 million members, LinkedIn is the go-to platform for B2B marketing and business networking. Their ad formats include Sponsored Content, which appears directly in users’ news feeds, InMail ads that are delivered to users’ LinkedIn inboxes, and Display Ads, which appear alongside users’ LinkedIn feeds. To maximize your campaign’s effectiveness, LinkedIn provides tools to target users by job title, industry, company size, and more, ensuring that the right audience sees your ads.

X (Formerly Twitter) Ads

Twitter Ads offer an opportunity for your business to engage in real-time conversations with its approximately 330 million monthly active users. With different ad formats like Promoted Tweets, Promoted Trends, and Promoted Accounts, you can choose the best way to amplify your message to your target audience. X or as we still say, Twitter’s targeting options include keyword targeting, interest targeting, and follower targeting, allowing you to put your ads in front of the users most likely to be interested in your products or services.

Types of Google Ads

As a marketer or business owner, it’s essential to understand the different types of Google Ads to develop a successful advertising strategy. This section provides an overview of three primary Google Ads categories: Search Ads, Display Ads, and Video Ads.

Search Ads

Search Ads are text-based ads that appear on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs). When users search for specific keywords related to your products or services, your ad can potentially show up at the top or bottom of the results page. Search Ads help increase visibility, drive relevant traffic, and generate conversions.

To create a Search Ad, you’ll need to:

• Identify relevant keywords for your target audience
• Write engaging ad copy that highlights your product or service’s benefits
• Set a daily budget and bid strategy

Pro Tip: Google has a great tool called Keyword Planner that will help you with keyword research for your Google advertising. Many SEOs use this as their main keyword planner, even for their website content. 

Display Ads

Google ads appear on a vast network of websites, including blogs, news sites, and other online platforms. With Display Ads, you can reach potential customers beyond search engine results as they browse the web.

Some advantages of Display Ads include:

• Visual appeal: You can use images, text, and custom layouts to capture the audience’s attention.
• Reach: Display Ads can potentially reach more than 90% of internet users worldwide.
• Targeting options: You can choose specific demographics, topics, and interests to ensure your ads reach the right audience.

Video Ads

Video Ads are an engaging way to showcase your products, services, or brand story to potential customers. These ads appear on YouTube, YouTube Shotrs, and other video platforms within the Google Display Network. Video Ads can create brand awareness, generate leads, and boost sales.

These ads are highly effective with my clients, and I recommend you learn all you can about this form of advertising. 

Video Ads can be:

• In-stream: Played before, during, or after other videos on YouTube or partner sites.
• Discovery: Displayed in YouTube search results or alongside related videos.
• Bumper Ads: Short, non-skippable 6-second ads shown before a video.

When creating Video Ads, keep in mind:

• Ensure your video content is engaging, informative, and relevant to your target audience.
• Utilize analytics to analyze performance and optimize your ads consistently.

Cost Analysis

When comparing the costs of social media ads and Google Ads, several factors must be considered. Each platform has its own pricing model, and the cost will be affected by your targeting options and campaign objectives.

Social media ads like Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram ads are generally considered cost-effective. They tend to yield an average 200% return on investment (ROI) and provide a lower-cost alternative to targeting your competitors’ audience on search platforms. Social media ads are particularly useful for raising brand awareness, as they have a vast reach and allow you to customize the ads according to your branding and style.

Google Ads, on the other hand, operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, where you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. The cost per click (CPC) can vary widely depending on factors such as keyword competition and targeted location. Google Ads can be beneficial for driving relevant traffic to your website, as they appear when users search for specific keywords related to your business. 

I have found that Google Ads can get very expensive but are highly effective when done right. 

Here is a quick example. I recently spent just over $400,000 on a Global Google ad campaign. This is a lot of money for anyone, especially a startup. We did a lot of testing and ran smaller ads in many markets. We utilized different ad types and targeting before committing to this level of spending both with Google and Facebook ads. These were our two most successful platforms, driving just under $4 million in results. A 10x return! Not all campaigns are this successful, but when you use Google Analytics and good tracking, many of your ad campaigns can be great. Just plan to test before you execute the larger spend. Read more on how to create a digital strategy

Here’s a quick comparison of the two platforms:

• Social Media Ads:

  • Lower-cost alternative
  • Effective for raising brand awareness
  • Customizable ad formats
  • Wider audience reach

• Google Ads:

  • Pay-per-click (PPC) model
  • Driven by keyword targeting
  • Can be highly relevant to search queries
  • Provides data on ad performance

In fact, Facebook ads gave us a better return in the example I shared above, but we quickly ran out of the audience we needed to reach. Google gave us more reach but advertising on social was a better return for the spend.

While considering these differences, evaluating your goals for the campaign is important. Social media ads could be the better choice if your primary objective is to grow brand awareness. On the other hand, if your goal is to drive website traffic with relevant search queries, Google Ads might be more suitable. Ultimately, the cost analysis will depend on your specific campaign objectives and budget.

There are many more variables, for example the difference between Google ads vs Facebook Ads (Meta) could be much greater in your business. The only way to know is to test. 

Target Audience Differences

When comparing social media ads and Google ads, one significant difference is the way you target your audience. In social media ads, you focus on users’ interests and demographics. For example, if you own a shoe boutique, you might target women aged 25 to 45 with ‘fashion’ listed as an interest or even target someone who recently started a new job or sport or someone shopping for Prom dresses. They are probably looking for new shoes.

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Twitter allow you to create highly customized ads targeting specific job titles, interests, and geographic locations.

Google ads, on the other hand, rely on keywords to reach your target audience. You bid on keywords relevant to your product or service so that your website appears on top when users search for those terms on Google. This method focuses on users actively searching for information related to your offering, making it a more intent-based approach.

Another aspect to consider is the user mindset while they interact with these platforms. Social media users are often browsing content for entertainment and socializing purposes, meaning they might not be actively looking for products or services like yours. However, this also means you have an opportunity to attract their attention and pique their interest in your brand.

In contrast, users on Google are searching for specific information, products, or services, indicating a higher level of intent and possible readiness to engage with your business. Your Google ads can directly answer the users’ queries, leading to better chances of driving conversions. 

Even better, with Google ads and paid social media, you can retarget visitors to your website. This is where the real return on advertising can happen. As a visitor leaves your site to visit other sites around the web, you can serve them with highly targeted ads for your product or service. 

As you can see, social media ads are effective for generating brand awareness and connecting with potential customers based on their interests and demographic characteristics. Google ads are ideal for targeting users who are actively searching for your products or services, providing better opportunities for conversions. Choose the appropriate platform based on your goals to maximize your advertising efforts.

Analyzing Performance Metrics

When comparing social media ads and Google ads, it’s essential to analyze performance metrics to determine the effectiveness of your campaigns. In this section, we’ll discuss some key metrics to track for both advertising platforms.

For social media ads, it’s important to pay attention to follower growth and audience size. This can help you gauge how well your campaigns resonate with your target audience. Additionally, measure customer satisfaction and feedback collected through social media channels. Analyzing awareness metrics, such as impressions, reach, and engagement, will also provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your content.

Don’t forget to track customer retention and loyalty through social media engagement, as well as social media referral traffic and website visits. This will help you understand how social media ads are translating into tangible results for your business.

On the other hand, Google ads offer a different set of metrics to monitor. Start by setting up and monitoring conversion tracking to measure the impact of your ads on specific goals, such as sales or sign-ups. Track the click-through rates (CTR) of your ads to evaluate their relevance and attractiveness to users.

Cost-per-click (CPC), cost-per-acquisition (CPA), and return on investment (ROI) are critical metrics to measure the financial effectiveness of your Google ad campaigns. By monitoring these metrics, you can determine if your ad spend is translating into profitable results.

Considerations for Small Businesses

As a small business owner, it’s crucial to understand the key differences between Google Ads and social media advertising to decide which one works best for your specific needs. Here are some important factors to consider:

Budget: Both Google Ads and social media advertising require a budget to run ads. Consider how much you are willing to spend and which platform offers the most cost-effective solution for your business.

Test: As I mentioned previously, be sure to start with a small spend and test variations of your ads and then commit your spend to what is working. Continue to monitor your analytics and adjust your ads and spending as needed. 

Audience: Think about who your target audience is and where they spend their time online. If your audience frequently uses search engines for product research, Google Ads might be a better fit. On the other hand, if your audience is more engaged on social media platforms, social media ads might be the way to go.

Objectives: Determine your primary advertising objectives. If you’re looking to drive conversions and sales for products or services in high-demand, Google Ads could be the optimal choice as it targets users who are actively searching for those offerings. However, if your goal is to build brand awareness for new or niche products, social media ads can help reach a broader audience and create interest.

Cost: Take into account the costs associated with each advertising method. Social media ads tend to be cheaper than Google Ads, which makes them a good option for businesses with a limited budget.

Strategies for Effective Ad Placement

When deciding between Social Media Ads and Google Ads, it’s vital to understand the differences and how they can benefit your advertising strategy. Both platforms can be successful depending on your goals, target audience, and budget. Here are some tips to help you create effective ad placements on each platform.

For Social Media Ads, like those on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, consider the following:

• Leverage audience targeting by using demographic, interest, and behavior data unique to the platform. This will help you reach the right users and increase the potential for engagement.
• Focus on visuals as social media ads often rely heavily on images and videos to capture user attention. Make sure your ad creatives are compelling and tailored to the platform.
• Test multiple ad formats such as single images, videos, or carousels to understand which resonates best with your audience. Each platform offers different options, so experiment with what works for you.

For Google Ads, including search and display ads, keep these strategies in mind:

• Use keywords wisely because Google Ads relies on search queries to show your ads to users. Research and select relevant, high-performing keywords that match your business and customer intent.
• Opt for responsive ads in the Google Display Network (GDN), which will automatically adjust the ad size, appearance, and format to fit available ad spaces on different websites. This increases your ad’s reach and visibility.
• Monitor and optimize your bidding strategy to achieve the best possible ad placements while staying within your budget. Google Ads offers various smart bidding options that utilize machine learning to optimize your bids for maximum return on investment.

Combining both advertising methods can help you achieve maximum visibility, increase leads and sales, and reach new customers. Keep your advertising strategy flexible to leverage the strengths of both platforms and obtain remarkable results from your investment. Remember, a well-rounded approach to online advertising will give your brand the best chance for success.

Finally

In comparing Google Ads and social media advertising, it’s essential to recognize their unique benefits and determine which platform aligns best with your business objectives, target audience, and budget.

Google Ads generally have a higher cost per click (CPC) due to the competitive nature of search advertising. However, they offer excellent visibility and cater to users actively searching for products or services like yours. If your goal is to reach people with higher purchase intent, Google Ads may be a suitable choice.

On the other hand, social media ads tend to have lower CPCs but may require larger budgets for effective reach and engagement. These platforms allow for greater customization and targeting of specific demographics, perfect for niche brands. Additionally, the visual appeal of social media helps with brand awareness and user engagement.

One key consideration is that a comprehensive marketing strategy often incorporates both platforms. This blended approach ensures optimum coverage, increased visibility, and diversified ad placement. By combining the strengths of Google Ads and social media advertising, you can maximize your reach and engagement with your target audience.

In summary, evaluate your goals, budget, and target audience to make an informed decision between Google Ads, social media ads, or a combination of both. By doing so, you’ll optimize advertising efforts and achieve better results for your business. And if you need help with your Google ads or Facebook ads or really any of your digital marketing needs please feel free to reach out to us.