Google or Facebook Ads? » Insights Portal

The question of where to invest resources for digital advertising is one of the most common questions that marketing consultants receive from clients, curious people and industry enthusiasts. And, oddly enough, it is one of the easiest questions to answer.

Before hitting the hammer on a specific platform, however, you need to understand what the sale is about. Nowadays, 95% of known and commercialized products and services fall into at least one of two categories: consumption of necessity and consumption of desire.

When it comes to a desired product, it is recommended to start with Facebook and Instagram Ads, since on these platforms the brand can do in-depth work on educating the customer for the purchase. In other words, if it is a product of desire, not necessity, in theory, the brand needs to make a little more effort, especially to attract the attention of potential customers.

Furthermore, it is crucial to convince the consumer that they need what the brand offers, as not every desired product is, in fact, a necessity. And it doesn't stop there: it is also essential to make the potential customer understand that the brand offering is the best option.

A classic example of a desire product is a coaching service. A coach is a professional who, despite having become very popular in recent years, is not a necessity. Or have you ever heard someone wake up and say: “wow, today I need a coach urgently!”, like “I need to buy bread” or “I need to pay the electricity bill”?

There is no rule, everything is relative, but, if there are cases in which the coaching service is considered a necessity, they are the exception to the rule. In addition, mentoring and courses can also be very good for the consumer, but they are not as necessary as other priorities.

But, for this type of product, Facebook and Instagram Ads are recommended, because, in addition to allowing the creation of content that attracts potential buyers, the cost of the ads is not so high. After all, on these platforms, small and large brands are not fighting head-on for the visibility of those who have more resources to advertise.

Invest in ads with Moment of Truth

Google Ads works on an auction basis. Thus, the more companies advertise a specific keyword, the more expensive the campaign CPC becomes and, consequently, the more expensive the total cost of the advertisements becomes.

In short, for purchases primarily focused on desire, Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads are the assertive choices within digital marketing.

On the other hand, for consumer products out of necessity, where you don't need to convince the consumer of anything, but rather be in the right place at the right time, Google Ads can be an excellent alternative. After all, this platform is much more practical and straight to the point.

Some examples of products and services that are best advertised on Google are: hairdresser, mechanic, locksmith, sleeping bag, party costume. In these and many other cases, the logic is as follows: the consumer knows that the product or service exists, they do not need to be convinced that they need it, but they want to find the best supplier possible.

At Google, thanks to the definition of ZMOT, or Zero Moment of Truth, this is not only possible, but it is also the line that divides who has the best chance of winning customers, even if they are a small company, and who will remain in the shadow of competition, even if it is a giant in its sector.

If you know, for example, that a region has water and sewage problems, and you have a plumbing service, you can understand that this is where people may need this professional. Google allows much more specific advertising, by region, when people need it.

There are no rules

Not really: the “ideal platform” may even be a necessity for those who do digital marketing, but it will remain just a desire. It is not possible to say which one is the best, as each product or service will require a specific action.

In some cases, Google Ads can work for want products and Facebook Ads for need products. But, in general, to know where to start, especially if your budget is limited, the suggestion is to segment by objective: wants = Facebook and Instagram, needs = Google Ads.

There are other advertising platforms such as Waze, Spotify, Snapchat. However, these “secondaries” generally have several limitations, including budget, and may not bring as many benefits, especially for small and medium-sized companies.

In a perfect scenario, the ideal is to measure the return on investment of all resources used with digital ads, carrying out tests between platforms. So, if you use text in Google Ads, use the same text in Facebook Ads the following month. Make a comparison and see which one gives the most results in the medium and long term.

To optimize resources, always remember to fit your product or service within the expectations of your ideal customer. If it's desire, he may have other options, and you'll have to convince him. If it's necessary, you need to be in the right place at the right time.

This is basically how you discover, over time, where it is most viable to invest in ads and increase your brand's revenue.