Facebook vs Google: The Battle for Digital Marketing Supremacy
You did all the right things, talked to all the right people, and finally decided to utilize digital marketing–now what? Let’s not talk about budget, but rather the important question of what route to take. Do you use Google Ads or Facebook marketing? Which platform is going to give you the best bang for your buck? Which platform is ideal for your marketing needs? Is Strathcom trying to just sell me their service with this blog? The answer to the last question is a resounding “No!”, but the other questions aren’t quite as simple.
Choosing to implement digital marketing is an easy first step, but choosing between platforms can be a difficult one. We can easily just say, “Why not do both?”, and with good reason. But the purpose of this blog is to give you an inside look into both from an analyst’s perspective. Both platforms are ideal marketing tools and without bias, a good analyst will review both platforms. Just remember, the success of your marketing resides on your budget and the types of campaign(s) you want to run; our department has seen success with both platforms, with various types of campaigns. There is no easy answer, but that doesn’t mean we won’t help you find the right answer.
Why Google?
Perhaps the founding father of digital marketing, the team at Google are the pioneers who set the notion of digital marketing ablaze and who truly found success in delivering consumers to businesses. With headquarters all around the world, Google has come a long way from their days inside a garage, and they now provide products that consumers use daily and can’t seem to survive without. So maybe, just maybe, the answer you seek was there in that last sentence. Products they can’t survive without. That’s how powerful Google is, that one can’t survive a task as simple as their daily commute without it. Google uses its marketing products and combines them with everyday tools to deliver your content to consumers. Whether your potential customers are using Google Maps, YouTube, or checking their Gmail account, Google easily reaches your target audience via any of these platforms. Google Ads is a viable tool to get to the “right now” customer. Think about all the “near me” or “open now” searches, and at the same time think about all the product searches the customer makes–whether they intend to buy it right now, a couple of days from now, or weeks from now. Utilizing Google Ads and its various ad products like search and display-ads will give your dealership an upper hand over the competition as you are already in the hands (often literally) of a potential client. Whether it is spreading awareness of your dealership, or being the customer’s number one option within a 10km radius of your dealership, Google ads can help you be relevant and stay relevant when a customer needs you.
Analyst’s Favourite:
As mentioned earlier, Google Ads utilizes various ad products and we encourage you to use them all. But if you are on a limited budget and want to have an immediate presence, utilize the search network. This will allow your analyst to bring you the right amount of traffic and conversions at the lowest cost.
Why Facebook?
Facebook is relatively new to the game, but they are improving their products daily. Being a young bull, Facebook is eager and ready to fight Google, with the goal of dethroning them as the king of digital marketing. That’s not something Facebook has ever admitted to, but working with their product which undergoes constant updates, it is pretty obvious they’re positioning themselves to be the best. Just like Google, Facebook uses various kinds of products to reach potential customers. From messaging app(s) to picture sharing apps, Facebook has it all. Still, the looming question is why Facebook over Google? Okay, there were no subtle hints here, but just look at you (or your loved ones’) daily process. Think about the first thing you or your spouse or your child does, first thing in the morning when they wake up. Facebook opens, Messenger opens, Instagram opens. How many likes did I get, and what’s going on? If you’re looking for an answer as to why Facebook is a great medium to utilize for your digital advertising needs, look at your data usage by platform and I feel fairly comfortable that you’ll find Facebook and Instagram at the top of your most used apps. This is a platform that reaches people daily, unintentionally. People use Facebook for everything from news to the latest memes and videos to finding out where the newest and hottest spot in town is. With the utilization of Marketplace and Instagram stories, Facebook was able to take their game to another level. Facebook is a great tool for digital marketing especially when you want to make the potential customer aware of your dealership and product. Think about all the personal knowledge that your potential customer willingly shares. Facebook uses this information to convey your message, services, and products to the right customer–the customer most likely to convert based on their Facebook history. You can’t lose with this platform because at the very least, you are increasing your brand and product awareness at the cheapest cost. Show us a billboard that can do that in the 21st century.
Analyst’s Favourite:
More than a specific product, the type of content available is what we favour. Video ads are one of the most consumed kinds of content out there and will help you reach and gain more customers. Videos shorter than 60 or 30 seconds will improve your reach and increase customer engagement. So if you have any videos that you use organically, send them to your analyst and they will be able to utilize them for better engagement.
Final Thoughts
There is no arguing both platforms have incredible benefits. To try and dial it down to one, or even an individual product, is too difficult a choice. Both Google and Facebook advertising uses similar strategies and products to improve your product and brand awareness, and each of them goes about it differently. Both utilize remarketing, helping you stay relevant even when customers didn’t convert or engage with your ads and website. You can’t lose no matter which path you choose, although we recommend utilizing both of them at the same time for optimal results. The only way you suffer, is if you decide to pass up on either of these digital marketing powerhouses and continue with the expensive, traditional, and frankly ineffective, forms of marketing. Seriously, what is your cost per acquisition; can you even measure where your advertising budget went? The best part about using either of these platform, if not for the advertising reach, is how easily you can measure your advertising spend and accommodate accordingly to further improve your ads and lower cost.
We understand that this is a lot of information to take in, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of what these products can do for you and your business. Not to mention how it can help you become relevant, and stay relevant, in a cutthroat industry. At Strathcom Media, we have a department of over 10 specialists who utilize both these platforms to improve the online presence of various clients (while bringing down their advertising costs). Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions regarding either of these products, or want to learn more about what Strathcom Media can do for your dealership. Contact us by email at info@strathcom.com, by phone at 780-433-8844, and learn firsthand how we can answer all of your questions regarding the world of digital marketing.
