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Facebook Costs Less Than AdWords, But Is It Better?

Last Updated: February 15, 2024

It’s no secret that paid ads are a great way to inject some power into your online marketing efforts. But whether it’s a PPC (pay-per-click) campaign from Google AdWords or a social media campaign from Facebook Ads, you need to be using the platform that best aligns with your business’s needs.
This is where most people get stuck.
If you’re struggling to decide between Google AdWords and Facebook Ads, there are two things you need to know:

Facebook costs less than Google AdWords by a substantial amount.
Facebook and AdWords are built for different kinds of businesses.

So, if you’re on a tight budget, that’s one reason to be in Facebook’s corner. However, just because Facebook costs less, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best fit for your company. The nature of your business will largely determine which advertising platform you use. Facebook is good for some businesses; AdWords is good for others.
Keep reading to see what we mean!

Facebook Is More Budget Friendly

For most business owners interested in paid ads online, their first question is, “How much is this going to cost me?” While the exact cost will obviously depend on the specifics of your campaign, we can tell you Facebook is typically the more cost-effective option.
Managing numerous campaigns for clients, we’ve seen firsthand that Facebook ads are, overall, a better bargain than AdWords. Take Bethany’s Cleaning Service, for example:

In one day, Bethany’s Cleaning Service spent $39.45 on AdWords versus $22.67 on Facebook.
On AdWords, their ad was placed in front of 126 people and was clicked 7 times.
On Facebook, their ad was placed in front of 951 people and clicked 29 times.

Therefore, Facebook cost $0.78 per click, while AdWords cost $5.64 per click. That’s a pretty big difference.

Read the full case study about Bethany’s Cleaning Service to see how Facebook Ads and Google AdWords match up!

So, if you’re worried about spending too much on sponsored ads, then Facebook is the way to go.

Facebook Is Good for Ongoing Service Providers

However, while Facebook costs significantly less, that doesn’t mean it’s beneficial to everyone. On the whole, Facebook ads make more sense for businesses that provide ongoing services for customers. These businesses can be anything from landscapers to beauty spas to weekly garbage collectors. Their common traits are:

Their customers typically do a fair amount of research and get referrals before working with them.
They provide recurring services their customers need on a regular basis (not just one-and-done jobs).

Our client, Advantage Disposal, is a prime example. As a residential trash collection company, they have regular, loyal customers whom they serve every week. Due to the nature of their business, they rely on name recognition, word-of-mouth, and customer satisfaction not only to retain their current customers, but also to gain new ones.

READ: [Case Study] Advantage Disposal

We ran two different Facebook campaigns for them (one short-term, another long-term), and they both flourished. As you can see in our case study, Advantage Disposal’s Facebook ads received a ton of engagement and generated an incredible number of leads with each passing month. Each ad focused on their customer service and personal touch, which led lots of fans to like, share, and comment to show their support. The result is that their ads reached thousands of local users and got them a lot more phone calls.

Google AdWords Is Better for One-Time Jobs

Unlike Facebook Ads, Google AdWords is suited for businesses that specialize in time-sensitive, one-off jobs. People are more likely to search Google for something like “refrigerator repair near me” or “dumpster rental in [town name]” when they’re on a time crunch and just need a one-time service. They aren’t as concerned about building an ongoing, working relationship with the business, nor do they have the luxury of time on their side.
Take a look at how AdWords worked for our client, All Bergen Appliance Service, LLC. As a local appliance repair business, they’re the ideal candidate for an AdWords campaign. In their case study, you’ll see how our pay-per-click campaign increased their monthly leads and doubled their monthly calls.

READ: [Case Study] All Bergen Appliance Service, LLC

Ultimately, we helped All Bergen Appliance Service, LLC, increase incoming calls from prospective customers from 203 in April 2017 (the month prior to the AdWords launch) to 464 in July 2017!

Don’t Go by Price Only

Sure, price is a critical factor when deciding which online ad platform to use. However, don’t let that be your only deciding factor. Although Facebook costs less and is more affordable across the board, it will still be a waste of money if it’s not well suited for your business’s needs. So, make sure you’re listening to more than just the part of your brain that wants to pinch pennies. Listen to your marketing specialists and invest wisely.
Want to discover more info about the differences between these two platforms? Check out our previous post, “How Do You Choose Between Facebook Ads and Google AdWords?”

Promote Seasonal Services to End the Year Strong

Last Updated: February 15, 2024

It’s that time of year again! It may feel too early to start compiling your Christmas wishlist or planning a holiday party, but it’s never too early to start promoting your seasonal services. In fact, doing so will ensure you close out 2017 with a bang.
Right now, most local business owners are starting to think about what they can do to capitalize on the holiday season. If you’re smart and you want to make sure you’re booked through the end of the year, you’ll start promoting now. Whether it’s a limited-time coupon, holiday special, or seasonal service, Prospect Genius can help.
Our online marketing specialists are here to put your wintertime specials in front of the right people and get your phone to ring. Keep scrolling to see how our services can help you close out the year strong!

Promote These Seasonal Services

Local businesses in a wide range of industries can take advantage of the winter season. Whether you’re a handyman, electrician, or landscaper, there’s bound to be a seasonal special you can offer to your customers. For example:

Leaf removal
Stringing up Christmas lights and outdoor decorations
Snow plowing and/or snow removal
Firewood delivery
Christmas tree pickup
Year-end accounting
Aftermarket car accessories
Massage therapy
New appliance installation
Home theater installation
And many more!

Of course, there are countless other seasonal services we haven’t mentioned. If it makes for a popular gift idea or a helpful service during the winter months, it’s an offer worth promoting right now.

Use the Resources Available From Prospect Genius

If you’re a Prospect Genius client, you have access to numerous packages optimized for both short- and long-term results.
Since we’re talking about holiday promotions right now, you’ll want to focus on just the next couple of months ahead. So, let’s dive into a few options that will help you achieve the short-term performance you’re looking for.
Boost

This is a 1-month, paid advertising package that uses Facebook ads to drive results. Its short duration means minimal commitment or investment. Therefore, it’s ideal for quick campaigns and anyone who wants to try Facebook ads for the first time.

Read: “How to Run a Holiday Facebook Ad That Drives Results”

Pay-Per-Click

This package uses Google AdWords and places your ads in the sponsored section of Google’s search results pages. We manage every aspect of your campaign, from ad rotation to keyword testing to bidding. You set your budget, and our experts work their magic to keep your costs as low as possible.

Facebook Advertising

In this package, we put you in front of a targeted audience on Facebook. You can use this package to promote general awareness of your business, increase visitors to your website, or amplify a specific Facebook post. Our marketing specialists will work with you to tailor this package so it fits into your overall web presence and short-term goals.

Check out this case study to see how effective Facebook ads can be for our clients!

Take Advantage of the Holidays

This time of year, many people have Christmas gifts to buy and inclement weather to endure. Smart business owners will use this season to their advantage and keep themselves busy until the ball drops on New Year’s Eve. If you, too, want to end the year with a bang, start promoting your winter specials now!
As always, Prospect Genius is here with the expertly designed packages you need, no matter what your goals are. Let us help!

How to Start Promoting Holiday Services in October (and Why You Should)

Last Updated: October 12, 2017

Do you have a plan yet for capitalizing on the holiday season? We know, we know: “It’s only October!” But we all know the holidays have a way of sneaking up on us before we’re ready. This year, why not plan ahead?
That’s why we put together this quick guide to help you jump-start your winter advertising early. By following our suggestions in this blog post, you’ll promote your seasonal services and set yourself up for a busy, fruitful winter. (Better stock up on coffee now!)

Why Market Seasonal Services Early?

Before we get into the how-to, let’s explain why it’s a smart move to start marketing your winter seasonal services in October.
First, if you start your advertising a few weeks early, you’ll give your ads a chance to gain traction. They’ll put the bug in people’s ears for holiday gift ideas, winter specials, and other seasonal services they might be interested in. As one business owner says, “It can really help to beat the noise by starting a seasonal campaign before everyone else.”
Most people don’t consider it wintertime until at least mid-November (even though the winter solstice isn’t until December 21). So, if you start running ads now, you can get an edge on your local competitors. You’ll get your message across before everyone’s Google and Facebook pages are flooded with winter-themed ads.
Of course, it’s not only about beating your competitors to the jump. By starting your marketing early, you’ll also reach those eager holiday shoppers looking for gift ideas. As Adam Heitzman writes for Inc.com:

“Starting in September, the internet comes alive with holiday fanatics who are already counting down the days to December. On top of that, a huge number of adults start their holiday shopping as early as October to space out their purchases. If your business peaks during these holiday months, start promoting deals, products, services, and ideas to reach those early shoppers.”

So, if you’re going to start advertising early, make sure you’re choosing products and services that are seasonal or time-sensitive. This will build a sense of urgency, which makes ads more effective.

What Kinds of Seasonal Services Are Good for Ads?

When we talk about seasonal services for the winter, we’re referring to any service that has significantly higher demand in the winter months. These could be popular Christmas gift ideas or just services relevant to the fall and wintertime. For example:

Year-end accounting (seasonal service)
Remote car starter (gift idea)
Massage therapy (gift idea)
Snow removal (seasonal service)
Leaf removal (seasonal service)
Firewood delivery (seasonal service)
Electrical/handyman work for stringing up lights and decorations (holiday-specific service)
Christmas tree pickup (holiday-specific service)
New appliance installation (gift idea)
New car stereo (gift idea)
Home theater installation (gift idea)

…Just to name a few!

How to Run Sponsored Ads for Seasonal Services and Gifts

Whether you decide to advertise with Google AdWords or Facebook Ads, that’s up to you. As we explained in a previous post, both platforms are well suited to special, limited-time promos. Your decision will come down to your budget and what, exactly, you’re promoting:

On AdWords, your special must be for a product or service people are already searching for. On Facebook, the special has to be intriguing enough that it steals people’s attention away from their news feeds.

Also, keep in mind that AdWords is generally more expensive than Facebook. Meanwhile, Facebook will be easy on your budget and still allow you to reach quite a large audience. Plus, Facebook’s ads are highly versatile and customizable. Just remember that AdWords is more often credited for directly driving up revenues for businesses. So, while AdWords is expensive, it may turn out to be worth the investment for you.
You can discover more about their differences here: “How to Choose Between Facebook Ads and Google AdWords.”
Once you’ve chosen which ad platform to use for your seasonal services, it’s time to think about what you want your ads to say.
Ad Creation Tips:

Keep your message clear and straightforward.
Make your ad’s headline count. Put the most important message right there in the headline so your audience can’t miss it.
Use strong call-to-action language (e.g. “call now,” “click here,” “contact us today,” etc.)
Don’t give too much information away. Instead, give your audience an intriguing preview so their curiosity builds.
Create a sense of urgency by using phrases like “don’t miss out” and “last chance.” If it’s a limited-time coupon, include the end date.
Use a high-quality image with bright colors and a high contrast. This will make your ad leap off the screen.
Speaking of images, make sure your image has a visually interesting subject to grab people’s attention. In most cases, it should represent the particular product or service you’re promoting.
Include your company slogan to increase brand awareness. Use other brand assets, like a signature font and logo, while you’re at it.
Consider adding a giveaway with your promo to generate more interest and excitement.
If you have the capability, create a video ad. Adobe reports that consumers who watch a video ad are 1.81 times (almost twice) more likely to make a purchase.
Show off your sense of humor! Don’t force it, but if you can make a good joke in your ad, your audience will respond more strongly.

Two MUSTS:
1.) Whatever product or service you’re promoting must have a dedicated webpage your ad can link to. It can be a landing page specifically designed for this promo, or it can be a relevant page on your existing website. Just make sure the page contains all relevant details and displays your contact info prominently. A call to action would help, too!
2.) Give yourself some time for your ad to be processed and approved. To be safe, create your ad at least 24 hours in advance of when you need it to display.
Feeling stuck? Need some inspiration? Check out this awesome list from AdEspresso: “55 Facebook Ads That Get the Holiday Advertising Right.”

Prepare to Be Busy!

If you use these suggestions to promote your wintertime specials and seasonal services, and you start advertising NOW, then you’ll be in great shape by the time the holidays roll around. In fact, this scene might start to look a little too familiar:

Good luck!

How Do You Choose Between Facebook Ads and Google AdWords?

Last Updated: February 15, 2024

If you’re one of our clients, then you’ve heard us talk about the advantages of paid advertising. In fact, you’re almost certainly sick of hearing about how advertising on Google AdWords and Facebook can be super-effective ways to reach a wider audience.
However, in all our talk about these two platforms, we rarely get into how you should choose between them. After all, most local businesses don’t have room in their budgets to advertise on both platforms. So, when it comes down to Facebook Ads versus Google AdWords, which one should you choose? That’s what we’ll help you decide in this post.
Keep reading to find out how your goals and budget will play into your decision!

Facebook Ads Versus Google AdWords: What’s the Difference?

Let’s start by going over the fundamental difference between Facebook Ads and Google AdWords. It’s as simple as “push” versus “pull.” Let us explain.
As you may know from reading our previous blog posts, we describe Facebook Ads as “interruption marketing.” Facebook sprinkles ads throughout your audience’s news feed. As a result, when users are scrolling through their friends’ photos and status updates, your ad interrupts them. (This is how TV commercials work, too.) These people aren’t searching for your company or services, but you’re putting your name in front of them anyway. You’re essentially “pushing” your brand and your offerings into their consciousness.
On the other hand, Google AdWords uses your business’s offerings to “pull” customers in. Google only presents your ads to users after they search for your specific products or services. Then, it’s your ads’ job to grab people’s attention and intrigue them enough to click. With Google AdWords, you’re relying on the fact that people are already aware of and interested in the services or products you offer.
In simpler terms: Facebook ads push your services onto potential customers, while Google ads use your services to pull them in.

Use Google AdWords When Demand Is Built In

As we explained above, Google AdWords is ideal for products and services that people are already seeking out. These ads are pay-per-click, and your main goal is to get people to click on your ad. Clicking on your ad brings them to your website, which, hopefully, convinces them to call you for a job. Plus, whoever clicks is already a motivated consumer because they’re clearly interested in learning more about your service offering (otherwise, why would they have searched for it?). Therefore, AdWords is the best way to directly increase your leads and revenue.
So, if you provide a well-known service that local homeowners regularly need, like household appliance repairs, then you may benefit from an AdWords campaign (provided it’s set up and managed correctly). People’s refrigerators and dishwashers break all the time, and they only have three options: repair it, replace it, or live without it. That means your ad for a common, straightforward service like appliance repair has built-in demand. This makes your chances of converting leads into sales much higher.
Please note: Because clicking on your ad brings users to your website, make sure your website is up to snuff. It should have high-quality images, well-written content, and all of the pertinent details customers want to know upfront. In other words, before you even think about starting a Google AdWords campaign, you better fully optimize your website.

Use Facebook Ads to Establish What You’re About

While Google AdWords targets a product or service and directly converts new leads, Facebook Ads promotes a general awareness of your local business. More awareness will eventually lead to more customers, but you shouldn’t expect your Facebook Ads to single-handedly drive up your revenue.
So, what kind of awareness do you want to spread with Facebook Ads? If your local business is doing something different and your desired customers wouldn’t necessarily know to search for it, then you’re a prime candidate for Facebook Ads. Facebook Ads are ideal for promoting things like a brand-new product, a special technique you use in your work, or a unique perk that comes with your services. Basically, you’ll want to use Facebook Ads for anything that’s novel or can’t be easily distilled into a couple of keywords.
For instance, we have a client who successfully uses Facebook Ads to promote their trash collection company. The focus of one of their ads is the old-fashioned customer service they provide. Because Facebook Ads are designed for interruption and “pushing” your business into people’s minds, they’re a great platform for establishing your brand’s personality and values. In this case, our client uses their ad to tout their dedication to customer satisfaction. Not surprisingly, this ad receives a tremendous amount of engagement and positive feedback from its audience. Over the course of a few months, they saw a substantial increase in phone calls.
Please note: While Facebook Ads generally don’t lead directly to new sales, their versatile design allows you to set whatever call-to-action you like. You can lead your audience to visit your website, visit your page, or send you a direct message straight from the ad. This helps you tailor your campaign so you get the results you’re looking for.

Both Are Great for Special Promos

Special promos, like limited-time offerings and discounts, are where Google AdWords and Facebook Ads overlap. A special’s time-sensitive nature automatically builds a sense of urgency. Plus, if it’s a sale, the promise of savings is sure to catch people’s attention.
However, the same basic differences between Google and Facebook still apply. On AdWords, your special must be for a product or service people are already searching for. On Facebook, the special has to be intriguing enough that it steals people’s attention away from their news feeds.
When you target and manage these special campaigns effectively, you’re sure to see success on either platform. The platform you choose simply depends on how much you’re willing to pay. Which brings us to…

Price Comparison

It all comes down to cost, doesn’t it? Google and Facebook’s pricing structures are dramatically different. Here’s what you need to know.

Google AdWords

Frankly, AdWords is expensive. So, while it’s an effective tool in generating more leads, you should only start a campaign if you’re sure you have room in your budget. For many local businesses, though, the return on investment for AdWords tends to be on the higher end of the spectrum, which makes the investment worthwhile. However, your ROI will depend on a few key factors:

Your local market. Are enough people seeking out your products or services to justify the costs of running a campaign? Sometimes, there’s just not enough demand, and your small revenue won’t cover your investment.
Your local competition. Are you going against regional chain stores or national corporations? Chances are, they’re going to beat you because of their name recognition and large budgets. It will be an uphill battle for you.
Your budget. High-ranking keywords often cost more per click. As a result, many people diversify into multiple different keywords. This stretches the budget too thinly across the ads. And when you underfund them, they underperform. It may sound counterintuitive, but if you set your AdWords budget too low, you’ll actually waste more money.

Facebook Ads

Facebook, on the other hand, is more affordable than AdWords. While a keyword-targeted ad for your industry might cost you $13 per click on AdWords, an ad with similar messaging may cost you just $3 per click on Facebook.
However, as we’ve established, the AdWords audience is more motivated in the moment to make an immediate purchase—so you may get much more out of that $13 than you do out of the $3 on Facebook. At the same time, that’s why Facebook is a great tool for when you just want to broaden your visibility and brand awareness. It all circles back to what your goals are.

Summary of Facebook Ads Versus Google AdWords

Phew! We’ve covered a lot of ground in this blog post, so let’s do a quick recap.

Use Google AdWords when you have an in-demand, well-known product or service you want to promote.
Use Facebook Ads when you want to increase visibility and brand awareness for your local business.
Use Google AdWords only if you’re willing to pay more upfront to get more in return.
Use Facebook Ads if you’re on a small budget and need an affordable alternative to AdWords.

Of course, there are still several nuances and shades of gray that take years of experience to fully grasp. Only trained online marketing specialists understand the countless factors that go into deciding between Facebook Ads and Google AdWords. So, if you’re still unclear about which platform you should go with, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our specialists. We’re here to help your local business grow in any way we can.

Don't Let Pay-Per-Click Turn Into Pay-Per-Search

Last Updated: August 22, 2017

Curious about how your PPC ads look? Googling yourself to check on your pay-per-click campaigns is understandable. However, it’s also ill-advised.
That’s because frequently googling your company can sabotage your AdWords campaign.
Don’t believe us? Keep reading.

How Googling Yourself Tanks Your CTR

Your cost per click is substantially related to your ad’s click through rate (CTR). This is the ratio of passive ad views (impressions) to active ad clicks. If your ad gets lots of views but few clicks, you can end up with a low CTR—and paying a greater cost per click.
Why a greater cost? Because your CTR affects your AdWords Quality Score, and your Quality Score controls how much you pay per click. Google wants to show ads that are interesting to its users: otherwise users may get fed up and choose a different search engine altogether. To make certain ads are as high quality as possible, it relies on Quality Score.

Quality Score and Cost

Your Quality Score is heavily impacted by two factors: CTR and relevance. If either metric is low, it will drive down your Quality Score (and drive up your price per click). Relevance can be addressed by targeting ads using both keyword and location. Click through rate is a bit trickier to fix, though. Under normal circumstances, your marketing agency will test different ad versions to get your CTR as high as possible.
However, you work against your marketing agency’s efforts when you frequently google your company’s name or other search terms to check your ads. This is because frequent searches increase the number of impressions. And since you know that clicking on your ads raises costs, you probably never click. As a result, you’re driving up impressions but not clicks. This leads to a lower CTR for your ad. No amount of testing by your marketing agency can fix it as long as you continue to depress your CTR by googling yourself.
This is where the domino effect starts. Once CTRs are low, your Quality Score follows. As PPCHero explains, “If you have a lot of low CTR ads in your ad groups, they could be contributing to a low Quality Score since AdWords considers all of your ads when calculating your scores.”
Unfortunately, a low Quality Score ultimately results in higher costs for you. The short version of the story is that if you frequently google your company, you’re spiking your own PPC bill!
This isn’t just a theoretical problem. At Prospect Genius, we’ve seen it firsthand. In fact, we had one client snowball their cost per click from $22 to $31!
We don’t want the same thing to happen to you. So if you’re thinking about checking your PPC ads by googling yourself, just don’t!

Stop Tanking Successful Ads

This issue goes beyond cost. When you continually google yourself, it’s not just that you end up paying more money per click for no good reason. You also single-handedly undermine your own advertising. If that doesn’t frustrate you, it should!
You see, PPC, by nature, targets a motivated audience. The searcher is already looking for your product or services, so they are more likely to click when they see your ad. So, when you go the extra mile and actually target your ads to a specific service in a specific area, you get maximum results for minimum cost.
Except when you search for your own ads.
When you’re searching for your own products or services just to “check” on your ad, you can end up substantially warping your results. The more specific an ad, the smaller the number of impressions it’s going to get. Usually, this isn’t a problem because you’re offsetting the low impressions by reaching an audience that’s more likely to click.
But that’s what makes these types of ads especially vulnerable to sudden dips in CTR. Because impressions are already low, you’re relying on a high number of clicks to keep your CTR up. So when you google these ads, look at them, and don’t click, you’re preventing the CTR from growing.
And if an ad’s CTR is low because you’ve been looking at the ad and not clicking, it could spell major trouble. If you’re working with a reputable PPC provider, they monitor your ad performance regularly. So when they see a surprisingly low CTR, they will try tweaking the ad to improve performance. However, nothing is wrong with that ad: the CTR is just low because you’ve been googling without clicking. Ultimately, you’ll be spurring your PPC agency to change an ad that otherwise could have been successful for you!

Safe Ways to Monitor Your PPC Ads

Please note: we’re not saying don’t check on your PPC campaigns. On the contrary. It’s very important to stay updated on how your ads are doing, so you can make informed decisions about your return on investment. But unlike googling yourself, there are ways to check your AdWords campaign without also inflating your costs!
Your best bet is to work with a professional pay-per-click advertising agency that provides clear tracking features. At Prospect Genius, our clients have unlimited access to their account’s call logs, leads, and other reports right in the Client Portal—letting you see your campaign’s performance without having to resort to Google. If you’re not sure what metrics are the most relevant for assessing your campaign, check out this analysis.
Or, if you’re a staunch do-it-yourselfer, you can use the AdWords dashboard to look up your ads’ performance, preview appearance, and more.
At the end of the day, we hope you now recognize that googling yourself can be harmful to your PPC campaign. Do yourself a favor and opt for alternative methods of checking performance instead. Keep your costs down by NOT googling yourself.

Prospect Genius

How to Start Promoting Holiday Services in October (and Why You Should)

Why Market Seasonal Services Early?

What Kinds of Seasonal Services Are Good for Ads?

How to Run Sponsored Ads for Seasonal Services and Gifts

Prepare to Be Busy!

Don't Let Pay-Per-Click Turn Into Pay-Per-Search

How Googling Yourself Tanks Your CTR

Quality Score and Cost

Stop Tanking Successful Ads

Safe Ways to Monitor Your PPC Ads

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