paid search vs paid social – which one to choose?

January 15, 2018

by Amy Habashi

So we are guessing you’ve realized, for one reason or another, that it’s time to up your marketing game and invest in paid advertisement. You will be faced with an immediate question, paid search or paid social? Let’s break down both of these channels to help you decide on what is right for you.

Breakdown:

Paid search which is also known as pay per click (PPC) is simply a method of online advertising. This method is used by businesses to direct targeted traffic to websites through the search engine results. Paid social on the other hand is a form of advertising in which ads are placed on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. These adverts are then displayed directly in the news feeds of targeted users.

Which one to choose?

It is a very hard decision to decide which one to choose from. If you’re a small to medium size business then the chances are your looking to grow your business and bring in fast amount of traffic. Taking this into account both paid search and paid social would work well for you.

• Paid Search: The key benefit to look at with paid search is that it allows you to reach an audience with high intent. This means that the audience is already searching for your product or service therefore they are already interested. By selecting relevant keywords it will allow you to get your brand in front of people who are likely to be interested. Audiences with high intent are the best quality traffic you can get as they are more likely to convert.
• Paid Social: If you have just launched a new brand or product that has never been seen before then paid social media is the place for you. If people don’t know that your brand or product exists how would they know to search for it? This method will allow you to draw customers to your brand, strengthen awareness and generate demand. If you’re an e-commerce and have visually appealing products then social media is a great route for you. Paid search has very high competition which means a higher expense. Social media on the other hand allows you to target the audience you want with exactly how much you want to spend.

In summary both channels have their own benefits in bringing traffic to your site. With social media users are not looking to buy products therefore it will help generate awareness and demand. Search however is proven to bring in more sales as people are searching for something with the intent of purchasing.