When running your first online advertising campaign, the classic dilemma is where to start — with Google or Facebook. Both ad platforms are very effective at generating leads, but there are significant differences in the kind of leads you will get.
At first glance, Facebook may seem to be the most desirable. Generally, its ad costs are cheaper, and it brings in a greater number of leads. But consider that Facebook campaigns are what we call “interruption-style” advertising. While you can optimize targeting to limit audience size, your ad is shown to large numbers of people for whom real estate isn’t top-of-mind. Some of these may be motivated leads, but more likely, your ads will attract people with only a casual interest in buying or selling a home.
As a result, follow-up with Facebook leads tends to produce a lot of “just looking” responses, or flat-out avoidance from people worried about being sold. These leads may create business for you long-term, but they’ll need more maintenance to keep them interested.
While Google Ads generate fewer leads than Facebook on average, those leads tend to be much higher-quality. This is because people see your ads immediately after they enter a search keyword related to your campaign. This is a strong indicator of interest and intent, which means these leads are potentially more responsive. You can also fine-tune your search keywords on the Google platform to keep ads from being shown to the wrong audience.
If you’re just starting out, have a very limited budget, and want a large number of leads fast, then Facebook is a good option. However, don’t be too quick to dismiss Google as simply “more expensive” when you want high-quality leads.
If you want to explore the best approach for your lead generation, let’s chat. Our team of digital marketing experts has 23+ years of experience in online advertising for real estate. To learn more, click the green button below to get started with a free marketing assessment.
