When it comes to marketing your Architect Practice, there is perhaps no better way to drive more traffic to your site – and fast – than pay per click advertising. Google Adwords is arguably the most popular pay per click provider, and there is no denying that a well-crafted and executed Adwords marketing campaign can be super-effective. However, under the lead of Facebook, social media marketing has evolved to present new, exciting opportunities in the pay per click arena. Which is best for your business, Google Adwords or Facebook ads? There is no one right choice for everyone. Your decision should be based on your business’ specific needs and circumstances. Here are some things to consider:
Who is your audience? Google is the leader when it comes to market share, but Facebook boasts an impressive membership count of well over 400 million people worldwide. While that is a considerable segment of the population, it is also a relatively specific segment. Is your audience likely to be found on Facebook? Not everyone on the Internet uses social media, but everyone on the Internet uses a search engine to navigate around. Consider that when deciding between Google and Facebook.
Targeting. While both Google and Facebook offer typical targeting options like age, language, and geographic location, Facebook allows you to target a much more specific segment of the population with your ads. By aggregating all of the data it collects from its users – relationship status, employer, likes, and interests, for example – Facebook allows you the unique opportunity to reach a very specific audience. If you run an obscure niche business, Facebook wins when it comes to targeting, hands-down.
What is your marketing objective? Google and Facebook are two very different mediums, and people use them differently. While Internet users navigate rapidly from one screen to the next on Google, searching for one specific thing, people on Facebook tend to spend a much longer time engaged on a single page. Therefore, if your primary objective is to get clicks and conversions, then you may be better off with Google Adwords; if the purpose of your advertising is to get a message across or strengthen brand awareness, then Facebook is probably a better option for you.