If Google is a Genie then Facebook is Santa Claus
When it comes to online advertising, two major advert platforms that seem to have dominated the field immediately come to mind. Let’s give a warm welcome to Google and Facebook and look at some questions that always come up when discussing the topic.
Are they the same?
No
Are they expensive?
It depends on what goals the company aims to reach.
Google or Facebook?
Well… read the article
The Genie
In Aladdin’s story of wishful thinking and happy endings, the genie is the star of the show, making things happen. Aladdin wanted a flying carpet, he got it; wanted to become a rich boy, and so he did; want your company to thrive?Chances are, Google can pay a fair contribution.
Google is the go-to place for finding out information about any given subject. If you need some tips on getting the ideal business loan, you search on Google; need life insurance? Google will give you some great suggestions. Based on a number of factors, Google’s job is to provide you with the best results to match your criteria. Some of these factors include: location of the user, the device from which the user is accessing the website, and the keywords that the user typed in.
Google does not stop there! It records the information that the user searches for and stores them for later use; you may know these as cookies. Cookies are pieces of information that are being stored on your computer to take your preferences into account. They primarily aim to learn about the user and tailor the programme to enhance their online experience. So when you see travel ads at the side of your screen after having searched for flight fares, that is cookies doing their job in an attempt to increase sales performance.
What does this mean?
When creating an ad for Google, extensive research about relative keywords that users usually type in to obtain information is a necessity.
Where are Google ads?
Google owns spaces in various websites around the world. These spaces come in banners, leaderboards, skyscrapers and videos.
The Santa Claus
On the other hand, Facebook caters for a demand generation!
When we were young, we used to eagerly wait for Santa to bring us the gifts we asked for in the letter we had sent him. Times have changed, and Santa no longer needs our letters to find out what we desire for Christmas. Nowadays, he would know that since I continually search about Indian food on the internet, I may enjoy a recipe book with some delicious Indian cuisine recipes, or maybe a voucher for the finest Indian restaurant around. Facebook emulates this process by analysing everything.
The content we write on our walls, the users we speak to, the type of pages we like and the pages we engage with are the main factors Facebook uses to get to know its target audience. Facebook knows us because we spend a lot of time there; it is there to show you adverts of things you might like, items you may buy and news you can share. Facebook is there to fulfil both your conscious and subconscious wish list.
Users do not log on to Facebook with the intention of purchasing something, but the eye-catching advert that is perfectly targeted to the specific user makes them more prone to click on the ad and create a conversion. Facebook has the benefit of being highly accurate when it comes to showing users what they really want, because users have their own profile and continuously socialise; Facebook therefore knows what I engage with.
Although many people have a personal Google account, they might not always be logged on to it, so Google won’t know precisely who the user is or what they are looking for unless they type something in the search box.
So Genie or Santa?
It depends on what the goal of your company is! If you aim to sell the product immediately, then Google is the way to go. Users will reveal their ‘wish list’ in the search box and Google will display the product that the user needs. If the company aims to build a relationship and connect with its user, then Facebook should be the preferred choice. On Facebook, companies can promote their services by posting demand generation content on their Facebook page. The posts can either be boosted so that more people will be reached, or the company can rely on organic reach. This in no way means that Facebook is cheap! Investments need to be made in order to successfully reach your target audience on Facebook.