The Difference Between Search + Social Paid Ads

Should I Run A Search or Social Ad Campaign?

Are you a small business considering paid social vs paid search campaigns? While the two seem similar in theory, there are actually a lot of differences between them that can determine how successful your ad spend will be. There’s an art behind paid media, meaning it’s not as easy as plugging numbers into a platform and hoping the phone rings.

At Greenhouse, we look at the company as well as the goal of advertising before recommending strategies to our clients. If you’re green to understanding paid media, you’re in luck because we wrote this blog post just for you to break it down!

What is a Search Campaign?

A search campaign is a type of digital marketing strategy that focuses on targeting users through search engines. At Greenhouse, we recommend using Google for search campaigns. When someone logs into Google and searches a question or for a product related to your business, your ads appear alongside the search results. If you login to Google and look up “potted plants”, you will see the word sponsored next to specific products. That means these products are using search advertising to grab the attention of the user right away.

 

Key Features of Search Campaigns:

• Topic-Driven: Search campaigns target users who are already looking to research or make a purchase for something relevant to your business, making them more likely to convert.
• Keywords: Success in search campaigns relies heavily on choosing the right keywords that potential customers are using in their searches. Seen in our example above, Easy Plant pays for the keyword Potted Plant which is why they are ranked first.

What is a Social Media Campaign?

A social media campaign, on the other hand, focuses on engaging users on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X, and LinkedIn. These campaigns aim to build brand awareness, foster community engagement, and drive traffic to your website through visually appealing and shareable content. A social media campaign is not topic drive, but audience driven. This means a sponsored ad will appear on someone’s profile who reaches the targeted demographics, even if they are not searching for the product specifically. For example, I logged into my Instagram account and found an ad for Nuuly, a clothing rental company. While I did not log into Instagram to look at clothing rental companies, because I fit the demographic that the brand was targeting, I am now receiving content for it.

 

Key Features of Social Media Campaigns:

• Targeting Options: Social media platforms offer advanced targeting options, allowing you to reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. This allows consumers to find your products, even if they aren’t searching for it.
• Brand Awareness: Because consumers spend so much time leisurely on social media, it is more likely for a consumer to begin to remember your brand name after multiple posts of brand exposure.

Which One is Right for Your Business?

• If you’re looking to capture leads who are looking for your product, a search campaign is the way to go.
• If your goal is to bring new customers to your brand, a social media campaign is the way to go.

Still debating paid social vs paid search? One of our team members at Greenhouse would be happy to connect with you and make a strategic recommendation for your brand.

Shoot us a message today and we can help plant the seeds to help your business grow.