Paid Search vs. Paid Social: Which is Right for Your Business?

Paid search and paid social media advertising provide unique marketing opportunities. Understanding the differences between the two will help guide your decisions.

What is Paid Search Advertising?

Paid search involves placing ads on Google, Bing or other search engines. The ads appear at the top of a search engine results page (SERP) when customers enter keywords that relate to your product or service. You must bid on those keywords to get your ads in front of your intended audience.

Pros and Cons of Paid Search Advertising

Advantages of paid search advertising:

• High intent: Reach users who are already looking for your product or service.
• Measurable ROI: Track clicks, conversions and cost-per-acquisition.
• Keyword control: Target queries that match your product or service.
• Location specification: Deliver ads to a defined geographic market.
• Scalability: Increase or decrease ad spend based on campaign performance and budget.

Despite its strengths, paid search has some limitations, such as:

• Competition for high-volume keywords
• Limited audience targeting beyond search behavior
• Constant monitoring and optimization
• Click cost fluctuations

When to Use Paid Search Ads

Consider creating them when you need to drive conversions, sales and email subscriptions. Have a defined keyword strategy and budget, so you can address specific users instead of trying to capture a broader audience. Those ads are also good for promoting time-sensitive offers, like seasonal sales and events. And if your brand isn’t well known, you can implement paid search to spread the word about your company.

Comparing Costs and ROI

Paid search operates on a pay-per-click basis. Cost-per-click (CPC) varies based on industry, competition and keyword relevance. Curated landing pages can help you optimize ad conversions and enhance your ROI. Remember, a limited budget could make it difficult to rank well on a SERP, especially when competing in a crowded market.

What is Paid Social Advertising?

You can place social media ads on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and X through paid social advertising. Unlike paid search, paid social ads can create demand by exposing your message to users based on their interests and behaviors.

Pros and Cons of Paid Social Advertising

Paid social advertising is beneficial for:

• Precise targeting: Use demographics, preferences and previous interactions to connect with users.
• Visual creativity: Showcase products and services with images, videos and carousels.
• Storytelling: Social ads are an effective way to deliver value propositions.
• A/B testing: Test multiple versions of an ad with different copy, images and calls to action.
• Retargeting: Re-engage past website visitors and followers.

But consider these potential obstacles:

• Users may not actively search for your product.
• You may have to spend more to establish an appropriate reach.
• Creative elements require resources and testing.
• Users have short attention spans and scroll quickly.
• Platform algorithms and ad policies can impact results.

When to Use Paid Social Ads

You can use paid social ads to increase brand awareness and create visually appealing content. paid social if you’re targeting niche demographics or interests to get your product in front of the right customers at the right time. Showcase a new product or service, or drive traffic to digital content, videos and blog posts.

The Cost of Paid Social Ads

Paid social advertising often operates on a cost-per-thousand impressions or CPC basis. The cost to reach 1,000 people could be relatively low compared to paid search, so it’s an appealing option for awareness campaigns. However, since users might not actively search for your product, service or brand, conversions may take longer or require multiple touchpoints. ROI can be substantial with retargeting strategies.

Using Paid Search and Social Ads Together

Using both digital ads at the same time allows you to reach customers in different stages of the buyer’s journey.

Here’s how:

Top-of-funnel awareness: Social media ads to introduce your brand to new audiences with visually compelling products and services.

Bottom-of-funnel intent: Once awareness is established, paid search ads help you connect with customers looking for solutions.

Cross-channel retargeting: If someone clicks on a social ad but doesn’t convert, you can retarget them with a search ad.

Consistency: Users who encounter your content on multiple marketing channels will become more familiar with your brand as they move through their buying cycle.

Data-driven optimization: Access more data by running both types of ads to refine your messaging and budget more effectively.

A Team That Can Help You Make the Right Choice

Choosing the right combination of search and social media ads can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. TouchStone’s digital marketing team specializes in building customized strategies to fit your goals. Email us or call 419-299-9000, and we’ll create a custom strategy together.