The fight that's generating buzz in Real Estate Marketing is Facebook vs. Google.
And they're two heavy hitters.
Be honest with yourself. How many times a day do you sneak a peek at your Facebook timeline? You're not alone. Americans spend almost 5 hours a day on their mobile devices, and 20% of that time is spent on Facebook (source).
Now, how often do you use Google? If you're like me, it's almost every time you need something online. In fact, there are over 4.6 Billion Google searches everyday (source). These can be mind-boggling stats. It's no wonder people are unsure of which side of the ring to place their best.
Let's take a closer look at both Google Adwords and Facebook Ads to determine which is right for you. By the way, I promise to not end this post with a generic, "They're both great and have different benefits. It depends on your goals." Here's my real recommendation:
First, let's talk about the differences.
Audience Intent
When someone Googles a keyword or phrase, such as "homes for sale in Florida," they are specifically looking for just that. Their intent is to use Google to find the answer or solution to their problem, question, or general search.
Now, imagine another person is enjoying Facebook and your ad appears. Were they at that exact moment interested in homes for sale? Maybe, but your ad is interrupting their Facebook experience. That doesn't mean a Facebook ad can't be highly targeted or relevant to your audience. It just means that the Facebook user didn't go looking for you, you found them.
Ease of Use
While Google Adwords does have a set-up guide to help you with your first campaign and ads, Facebook's learning curve isn't quite as steep. You can set your first boosted post on a Facebook business page in no time and work your way up to more advanced settings in the Ads Manager (the new merger of the favorite Power Editor and Ads Manager tools). Adwords might take you more time to set-up and get running. However, both systems benefit from a keen eye and insight into online ads to help you get the best bang for your buck.
Budgets
Speaking of your bucks, where do you get the best return and how much does it cost?
Google is dependent on how competitive your keywords are. For example, "real estate in XYZ area" might be pricey online real estate. Your cost per click (CPC) is higher because more people are competing for that search term. You often need a more substantial budget to compete or get the results you're looking for.
Depending on how enticing your ad is, Facebook might give you the opportunity to advertise at a lower cost level. However, your quality of lead or visitor might not be as high as Google. Remember, the user's intent from above.
I hate to say this, but ROI is going to vary for everyone. It depends on how good your overall online strategy and ad set-ups are. That's where creativity, testing, and innovation come in to play!
Creativity
Google is famous for their-text based ads that display when you search. Everyone wants to be on that first page! However, you do have room to create visual ads on their display networks and through YouTube. Keep in mind that video is taking over the internet and YouTube is the second largest search engine!
In my opinion, it's much easier to get creative with Facebook. 
You can quickly create a photo, video, slideshow, or photo carousel ad. And you can't forget their interactive canvas ads and new lead ads where you can capture a Facebook user's info before they visit your site.
So, where does that lead you?
Both are excellent online advertising options. In fact, 99% of online ads are placed between the two platforms (source), and we didn't even dig into how to use them for retargeting!
We've used both Facebook and Google Adwords extensively in our marketing efforts at ERA Grizzard. After spending tens of thousands of dollars on our online ads every year and working alongside agents to help them optimize theirs, my recommendation is...
Use Facebook if you're just starting out with online ads or have a limited budget. If you feel comfortable with online advertising, have some budget wiggle-room, and time for set-up, try Google Adwords. In an ideal world, you'd use a mix of both, like us!
Online Ads at ERA Grizzard
One way we make online advertising easy for our agents is through kvCORE's Social Boost and Google Display Branded Retargeting.
We offer our agents the kvCORE platform where they can not only access their proprietary, personalized agent websites and CRM database, they also have the ability to purchase expertly made Google and Facebook ads easily. Additionally, we offer access to consultations on personalized advertising strategies for each agent to create impactful ads.
We're also proud to offer unique advertising opportunities that are free to our agents such as our Spotlight Homes Program that advertises our agents' listings and makes them stand out. Overall, we're committed to offering our agents the tools and resources they need to stand out online and grow their businesses.
Interested in learning more? See more about careers with ERA Grizzard here:
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