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Google Ads vs. Social Ads: How Each Can Help Your Business

Google Ads vs. Social Ads: How Each Can Help Your Business

Online shoppers are inundated daily with social media posts, search results, and other pieces of content begging them to spend their money. It can be harder and harder to break through that noise organically. In an effort to rise to the top (literally and figuratively!), digital advertisements are a crucial tool for all businesses, including martial arts schools. Utilizing this form of marketing provides you and your school the opportunity to present your brand to people who may not have seen you otherwise and reach a larger audience.

The more your online presence grows, the more potential leads you gain and the more students you could see walking in your doors and signing up for your programs. The two most common forms of digital ads for local businesses are Google Ads and social media ads. But they each have their own unique nuances, structures, and benefits, so it’s important to understand the differences.

How Google Ads Work

Google ads are advertisements that are shown solely to targeted audiences in their search results page, and allow them to click through to your website to make a purchase or fill out a lead capture form. These audiences are targeted based on demographics, location criteria and, most importantly, keywords. Using a variety of match types, the Google Ads system allows you to build a list of keywords or phrases related to your business. These can be single words like “Taekwondo” or more detailed, long-tail phrases like “best Taekwondo school in Cleveland.” You can also create a list of keywords and phrases you DON’T want to target, in order to prevent people who aren’t relevant shoppers from seeing and clicking your ad (and in turn, using up your ad budget).

This type of granularity means your ads are especially likely to reach active buyers who are researching or shopping for a martial arts school. But it also means that Google ads are hardly a set-it-and-forget-it solution. It’s important to continuously monitor and make adjustments to your keyword lists and other components to maximize your results. Google ads are almost exclusively text based, so it’s crucial that you’re making the most of the headlines and ad copy, using language that is likely to hook potential leads and convince them to click your ad.

Google Ads Benefits

  • More likely to reach active shoppers who are ready to fill out a form or sign up immediately
  • Keyword and negative keyword granularity helps prevent ad budget being spent on irrelevant audience
  • Larger overall audience to reach
  • A pay-per-click (PPC) advertisement
    • Only pay when someone clicks on your add
  • Website connectivity for improved data
    • Set up tracking and triggers to monitor conversions and ad campaign performance
  • Ad strategy flexibility
    • Can edit and adapt your advertisements on the fly, both through automated and manual refinement
  • Increase website traffic
    • Even if ad visitors don’t convert immediately, they have an increased likelihood of returning to your website later
  • Ability for users to call your business through ads

How Social Ads Work

Social media ads are advertisements that appear as sponsored posts in users’ feeds or other areas on these apps like Facebook’s desktop sidebar and Messenger. Whether the advertisement is posted on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, or whatever hot new platform pops up, it can target specific demographics and audiences. This targeting isn’t quite as nuanced and detailed as what you’ll find on Google. Rather than setting up highly specific search phrases, social media ads typically allow you to target based on interests, profile data, or pages that a user likes. While it may not be as detailed as what Google allows you to do, it still presents unique opportunities to layer interest targeting to find the right audience. For example, you could target users with an interest in Jiu-Jitsu who are parents of kids between a certain age in an effort to promote your youth BJJ classes.

While your social media ad targeting may not be always hitting active shoppers like on Google, there is one major benefit to social media ads: creative freedom. While Google’s search ads are almost solely text-based, social media ads allow you to share and promote visual content that grabs the eye of the viewer and tell your school’s story while promoting your programs and classes. So, while someone may not be directly searching to find a Jiu-Jitsu academy near them, a killer video just might convince them to check yours out!

Social Ads Benefits

  • Can use multiple platforms with different features
    • Facebook, X, Instagram, etc.
  • More creative freedom in ad creation
    • Ads can include photo, video, a carousel of photos, or even full visual interactive experiences
    • Rotate seasonally to keep ads fresh
  • Robust Call to Action button options
    • Social ads can drive to a website, but they can also populate instant forms within the app, allow users to make phone calls, get directions to your business, or send your school’s page a direct message
  • Layer social activity targeting criteria to build audiences
    • Using demographics, behaviors, and interests based on social activity
  • Don’t require a website/landing page in order to run ads
  • Can retarget users who have previously interacted with your school
  • Help grow your social following
  • Advertise events that you’ve created on Facebook

Getting Started with Google or Social Ads

Taking the plunge into digital advertising can feel daunting. Regardless of the platform, launching and managing ads can be a time-consuming endeavor, and time is likely something you don’t have a surplus of! Plus, if you’re not experienced in website design, copywriting, graphic design, or video editing, it adds another layer of learning and effort to make them work as effectively as possible.

Fortunately, Kicksite has your back. Through our recently launched Marketing Services, our in-house marketing experts utilize their knowledge to help manage your martial arts school’s ads on Google, Facebook or Instagram (or all of the above!). This includes initial setup, ongoing maintenance, monthly reporting, and custom creative development so your school can shine no matter how you choose to expand your marketing efforts. Before you know it, you’ll be gathering new leads and prospects and further growing your student base.  

While they each have their own unique benefits and characteristics, the growth opportunities that are available with Google and social ads are undeniable. Having trouble deciding which platform is right for you? We can help! Reach out to us today and let’s talk Marketing Services!