Both Google Ads and Facebook Ads can make sense for the B2B segment, depending on your goals. Do you want to generate awareness or create conversions?
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Basic differences between advertising on Facebook and on Google
Both online platforms show to have a few general differences which you need to keep in mind when publishing ads:
- The users of search engines like Google and of social networks like Facebook have different desires on the different channels: concrete searching on the one hand and communication on the other.
- During a Google search, the user desires to have a product or service which he or she has already been informed of. On Facebook, the user can become excited about products or services without actually searching for them.
- On Facebook, the target group is precisely defined according to users’ age, interests or geographical data. On Google, the target group is filtered based on the keywords they are searching for.
Based on these differences, as well as additional special characteristics, a range of pros and cons arise for B2B marketing when it comes to advertising on Google and on Facebook.
Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads: some pros and cons at a glance
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Google Ads: Pros and Cons
Google Ads – Pros
- Higher conversion rate due to relevant and late-phase customer communication
- Extremely high reach on the search engine
- High acceptance of ads
- Good for B2B advertising, as the user is also searching in a business environment
- Extensive campaign support and analyses are possible
Google Ads – Cons
- Wide scatter
- Ad formats are mainly in text; space is limited
- High efforts for generation and maintenance of the Google Ads account
- Campaigns via cost per click can be quite expensive depending on the industry
Facebook Ads: Pros and Cons
Facebook Ads – Pros
- Very detailed target group communication; low scatter
- Diverse range of ad formats, incl. images and videos; lots of space for text
- With Facebook Pixel, users who had already been on the company’s website can be precisely targeted
- Reinforcement of customer loyalty and interaction
- Extensive campaign support and analyses are possible
Facebook Ads – Cons
- Lower conversion rate due to early-phase customer communication
- High efforts for defining the target group, for the procedure and ad creation
- Lower acceptance; ads are more frequently seen as being bothersome
- Not always suitable for B2B advertising, as the user tends to be on Facebook in their free time
Conclusion: a combination of both networks frequently makes sense
Facebook or Google – both channels can be extremely worthwhile for your business. A single sentence sums up the differences perfectly: Facebook Ads help customers to find you; Google Ads help you to find customers.
„Facebook Ads help customers to find you; Google Ads help you to find customers.“
Your choice of channel depends on your goals, the target group and the time when the ad campaign should be launched. While Google Ads tends to be more suitable for capturing new customer groups and increasing conversions, advertising on Facebook has the tendency to activate already existing target groups – thus reinforcing customer loyalty, brand awareness and interaction.
A combination of both networks is the best solution for many B2B marketing campaigns. This also enables synergies to be leveraged: knowledge gained about targeting from the Facebook advertising can be integrated into a Google Ads campaign to boost the latter’s success with better matching keywords.
