“Paid Social vs. Paid Search” Which Is Better for Your Brand?

The limited budget allocation for paid advertisements restricts businesses from openly advertising everywhere; forcing them to make an informed decision of selecting where to invest their finances, to be able to create & present the best marketing campaigns every time.

Here is everything you need to know to be able to advertise your brands successfully.

What is Paid Social?

Paid Social advertising is a more contemporary & innovative form of advertising that has been on an absolute rise since its introduction in the world of marketing.

Utilizing the massive influence that social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, etc. possess; paid social ad enables advertisers to further narrow down on their specific users based on their location, demographic, gender, age, interests, & much more.

Unlike paid search ads, paid social ads to facilitate the advertisers to be able to reach out to their potential buyers through visual ads i.e. pictures, videos, animations, etc.
This not only makes the brands look visually attractive but also plays its part in increasing the chance of getting clicks from the users.

While the possibility to actually interact by liking & commenting on these paid social ads, exponentially increases the user engagement, which then translates into generating ROI.

What is Paid Search?

Paid search advertising happens to be one of the first-born forms of digital marketing that are based on a mutually beneficial relationship between the search engines & the advertisers, where search engines such as Google, Bing, etc. permit the advertisers to display & promote their PPC ads on the Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).

The paid search ad targets the users based on the keywords being used to perform the searches, bundled with the user’s geographical location; while the entire process operates on a model called PPC i.e. Pay-Per-Click, where the advertiser pays the search engine every time a potential buyer clicks on their PPC ads, deeming it a very accessible & regulated form of advertising, compared to the other more traditional marketing channels.

The advertising formats include “text ads”, that are displayed at the very top or bottom of the organic search results; & the “shopping ads”, positioned right above the search results.

Key Differences: Paid Social vs. Paid Search

The preliminary understanding of the paid search ads & paid social ads, makes the marketers think of both as being quite analogous; however, both forms of advertising have visible differences as they help brands excel in distinct areas.

• The major aspect that differentiates between the two forms of advertising is that a paid search ad is more of a receptive strategy where the users already have set requirements that they are searching for when your PPC ads show up; while the paid social ad is a more pre-emptive approach that helps brands by displaying their ads to the users already available on that particular platform.
• Paid search ads are beneficial as a short-term strategy; while paid social ads are valuable for brand awareness when used as a long-term strategy.
• Paid search restricts the PPC ads to a text-only format; while paid social offers multiple ad format options including pictures, videos, animations, etc.
• While paid search allows you to capture customers who are already searching for your products/services; paid social allows you to promote your brand, develop relationships, & cultivate interest among the users.

Which is Better for Your Brand, and Why?

In an ideal scenario, a brand should be able to utilize both forms of advertising, since their simultaneous use complements one another, allowing the brand to reach its audience wherever it may be.

However, certain monetary restrictions might limit the advertisers to use only one of the two forms. Such a case requires the advertisers to decide & elect the more beneficial form, based on their specific audience.

Eventually, it all comes down to what products/services are being offered; and thorough research of the targeted audience, indicating where the users are in terms of their buying journey.

Since paid social ads are impeccable for the users who are at the beginning of their buying journey, the ones who require awareness & interacting opportunities in order for them to come to a decision of making a purchase.
In contrast to that, paid search ads are perfect for users who are well-informed on their requirements and are prepared to make a purchase.

For brands that are struggling to choose between the two advertising forms; also have the opportunity to get in touch with a veteran digital marketing agency such as NX3 Corporation, in order for them to help the brand in different phases of marketing plan by offering their years of experience & expertise, leading the brand to achieve all their advertisement milestones.