Welcome to the next chapter in our introduction series to the Toronto digital marketing landscape!
Previously, we talked about what the digital marketing landscape looks like and what the basics are. This episode, we take a closer look at Paid Media through Facebook and Google so that you can determine which is best for you.
These two platforms are often viewed as a dichotomy, one or the other, black or white, Facebook or Google. In reality, these two go hand-in-hand in elevating a company’s advertising goals.
Google Ads – Paid Search
Paid search is primarily text based advertisements, letting advertisers bid on keywords like specific phrases or words that might come up in a search query. The goal is that their ad will be shown on the search engine result pages (SERP). Advertisers are paying-per-click (PPC), meaning they pay for the chance to garner potential clients based on these advertisements.
Essentially, each time someone clicks on their ad, advertises are charged a fee, but the hope is that it’ll be worth it for the chance to get potential customers.
There are two main networks that Google Ads are shown: The Search Network and the Display Network.
The Search Network
The Search Network
As the name suggests, it focuses on the Google search engine so that when you look up a certain product and even a geographic location, your ad will appear (👈) to potential customers. Ads can appear on any Google SERP such as Google Shopping or Maps, as seen below, making it all the easier for consumers to look into your company directly!
Display Network
The Google Display Network focuses more on visual ads like banners or images, like the one below (👇), and it shows them on websites and apps that Google has partnered with.
Facebook Ads – Paid Social
With over 1.5 billion active users, Facebook is one of the most valuable paid social options for those who are looking to advertise on social networks.
Paid socials allows users to find businesses based on their interests and their online behaviour.
Facebook ads emphasize the visual, by integrating the videos and images into users’ News Feeds, Facebook Marketplace, etc.., with the hopes of encouraging clicks. Odds are, you’ve stumbled onto these ads on Facebook but didn’t even notice because how seamless they were.
In summary, Google Ads allows businesses to find users based on keyword searches, whereas Facebook Ads allow users to find businesses based on similar interests.
Advantages
Google has more than three billion searches every day, which makes advertising on this platform the perfect place to start. The average PPC with Google Ads is about $2.69, but this figure varies depending on the industry you’re advertising in Agency Analytics.
The Display Network and the Search Network gives you options on how to advertise your product/services, whether that’s through more visual ads or more text heavy ones.
While it’s a little more costly than Facebook ads, Google Ads have the advantage of reaching users who are already thinking about purchasing, therefore perfect for advertisers looking to increase immediate conversions.
Additionally, Google Ads emphasizes ad quality and relevancy, not how much is spent. So, if you target your audience well, specify a geographic location, and identify the market by using certain keywords, you can create a high quality and relevant ad for an affordable price!
Facebook ads give marketers the creative power to show their products with images, as opposed to being only text-heavy. Whether that’s through videos, carousel ads, or other kinds of visual content, it expands the possibilities of creating compelling high-quality ads.
Facebook Ads also lets advertisers target users through something called “custom audiences”. This allows you to aim your ads to specific demographics, like job titles or even hobbies and tv show interests.
“Lookalike audiences” takes it a step further by letting advertisers upload customer information onto Facebook to then filter through to find and match users that share similar information. You can then find users who fit your target audience based on the same interests and behaviours as your current customers!
End Goals
Both Facebook and Google are perfect to drive up sales, leads, and conversions in your business. The former is built to increase brand awareness and a following while the latter is designed to sell the products directly to consumers, and combined, the two are invaluable tools for your company.
Where We Stand:
At Katch Media, we pride ourselves in our digital marketing expertise of both platforms and can help you decide how to use them for your business’s success. As one of Toronto’s premier digital marketing agencies, we’re equipped with the knowledge and expertise on paid media in Toronto, and getting the best results for YOUR business.
