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Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Facebook vs. Google Ads: Which One Will Help YOU Live Better?

Have you ever logged on to Facebook, seen an ad, and realized that it was for something that you JUST looked at on another site? Good news! This form of semi-stalking is just one part of what we call online display advertising, and it can be very effective if used properly. Online display advertising refers to ads that you see online, such as commercials, picture ads, etc. Two of the bigger places that companies spend their money on for advertising online include Google and Facebook, but which one is better for you and your company? We'll answer this question and see what a successful company like Walmart uses for their online display ads.

Facebook vs. Google with Haberman


Stephanie Haberman of Mashable.com created an infographic and article in 2012 about the significant differences between Facebook ads and the Google Display Network. She uses statistics and other resources to back up her findings. So, if you're trying to decide between Google and Facebook, here are a few of the things that she explores to decide on the most beneficial advertising avenue:

The first thing that Haberman looks at is which company is able to get to the most people. Both Facebook and Google are used quite commonly in everyday life, so, in each of their own ways, they both have a good "advertising reach" (Haberman). Facebook has "more impressions" while Google has a "broader reach", which means that while Facebook has more views, Google has more "internet users" that see their ads (Haberman). Because of this, it kind of equals them out on this point.

The second thing involves the profits that you are able to gain by using each of these sites for advertising. According to the statistics presented by Haberman, in the "first quarter of 2012" Google beat out Facebook by $1.84 billion. In addition, Google was still growing from their previous "quarter" while Facebook was on the decline from their previous "quarter" (Haberman). On this point, Google has one up on Facebook.

The third thing that this article covers is how often a company's ads are interacted with on each site. Google, again, wins on this aspect. Facebook, sketchily, did not post these results at the time of the article (2012), but, even so, it has been calculated that Google still beat out Facebook on ad interactions. Just like profits, Facebook's numbers fell from previous years.

The fourth thing that Haberman covers is "ad targeting options". Google hits the mark with this concept like the Green Arrow: right on the bullseye! Google takes into account a person's actual "location" and "demographics" as well as Facebook, while Facebook just looks inward and takes into account a person's profile (Haberman). Google also has an overall better coverage in this department. Basically, with Google, you're getting more for your money.


The fifth and final thing that this infographic looks at is how your ad actually looks on Google and Facebook. If you had to take a lucky guess, who would you say is going to win this one? I hope you said Google, because that is the correct answer. Google has many ways that it can get your ad across, including "videos", "mobile web or games", "image ads", and "text ads" (Haberman). Facebook really only has its normal ad that you would see on a Facebook page and its "sponsored stories" (Haberman). 

Would you only go to Dairy Queen if they just had vanilla and chocolate ice cream and nothing else? Of course not! When I go to DQ, I want my chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzard! We want all the topping and flavor options, just like we want the most ways to advertise as we can for our money.


Well, if you haven't figured it out by now, Google Display Network is the best way to go. To see more stats and proof of Google over Facebook, you should check out Haberman's infographic and article. However, even though Google may be better overall, don't rule out Facebook just yet, because it can also be helpful in promoting your business. If you're like Walmart, you'll implement both.

Spotlight




Did you know that in 2012 Walmart was crazy enough to buy all of the ads on Facebook during Black Friday weekend? According to a Wall Street Journal article by Evelyn M. Rusli and Shelly Banjo, this very thing occurred and lasted for "72 hours" straight! If you can't tell by this insanity, Walmart has a giant ad presence online and is a great company to look up to for online display advertising.

Facebook is one of Walmart's greater social media presences, but it's not the only one. Walmart also uses Google Display Network pretty heavily and is pretty successful at implementing its use. To see how they exactly accomplish this, look at this Adbeat blog post to see their numbers and strategies. This post also looks at other successful stores that use the Google Display Network really well, such as Target, so make sure to take a good look! I hope that you have a great online display advertising experience with your ventures!





Pictures found through Google Images. I do not own these pictures, nor the Arrow, Walmart, and Dairy Queen trademarks and quotes. This is being used for educational purposes.

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