Paid advertising is cost-efficient, delivers high return on Investment, offers target precision and is quick to implement. It can help many businesses grow their sales and drive better profit rapidly.

However, there are many types of paid advertising, to name the most popular: Search, display and Social ads. If you are new to online advertising, those names may not speak to you, but, recognizing the difference between them will help you choose the right ad type for your business.

It’s important for me to mention that an advertising strategy should always be paired with an organic approach. Leveraging owned and earned assets is pivotal for a healthy and steady growth.

What is the difference between Search Ads Vs Social ads Vs Display ads?

1- Search ads

Search ads, as the name may suggests, are advertisements that appear in search engine results such as those of Google and Bing. These ads are text-based and rely on specific keywords related to user’s search queries. For instance, when a user searches for “The best blue jeans for Women”, they may encounter your text ad if you’ve included the keyword” Blue jeans women” in your campaign.

→ Benefits

• Search ads are text-based. Therefore, you need to identify relevant keywords for your brand and product/ service.
• Search ads drive traffic to your website which boosts your SEO.
• Search ads offer high intent targeting since users are actively searching for products or services.
• Search ads offer retargeting options to leverage recurrent website, app visitors or customers lists.
• Search ads are easy to set up and manage.

→ Disadvantages

• They can be highly competitive in some industries and for some keywords.
• They are visually less appealing and offer limited space for creativity.
• The budget can be easily wasted if keywords list and matches are not optimized.

This is an example of a search ad ⬇️

2- Social ads  

Social Ads refer to ads that run on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Linkedin and Youtube. Social ads can take different formats: text only, images + text, carousels and videos. They provide to brands a huge creative scope to market their product with originality.

→ Benefits 

• Social ads offer more creative freedom, enabling brands to showcase their brand identity and products more effectively.

• Social ads are more interactive and engaging, allowing brands to capitalize on social interactions such as likes, comments, and shares.

• Social ads offer many targeting options based on demographics, interests, geotargeting and more, allowing brands to reach their desired audience more precisely.

→ Disadvantages 

• Social ads can be intrusive. Sometimes it's challenging for brands to stand out in a highly competitive landscape.
• A lot of testing is required to find the perfect winning combination that appeals to your target audience.
• Regular assets (texts, images and videos) updates are necessary to fight ad fatigue which occurs when users become disinterested after repeated exposure to the same ads.

This is an example of a social ad ⬇️

3- Display ads  

Display ads are visual ads that are shown across various platforms such as Google search, websites, Youtube, Gmail and apps. This type of advertising taps into the diversity of the online offerings and explores growth opportunities everywhere.

→ Benefits

• Display ads help brands explore and discover new audiences and other sources of growth.
• Display ads can increase brand awareness.
• Display ads are available in various formats allowing brands to showcase their personality and identity effectively.
• Display ads are more engaging due to the graphic nature of their ads. They can capture users' attention effectively.

→ Disadvantages 

• The implementation of Display ads may require a consequent budget allocation to be efficient.
• Users may develop ad blindness over time and ignore ads especially if they don’t feel concerned by the service or the product.

This is an example of a display ad ⬇️

Which type of ads is a perfect fit for your brand ?

To help you determine which type of ads aligns with your business growth aspirations, I recommend answering the following questions👇

→Do you market a product or a service ?

→In which industry/Market do you operate ?

→Who is your audience ? Who are you speaking to?

→What objectives do you want to achieve through advertising?

→Are your objectives long-term or short-term?

→What platforms does your audience use to search for your products/services?

→What are the various touch-points in your customer journey?

→What are your Digital assets ? Do you have an optimized website ? Do you have a social media shop ?

→ Lastly, what is your budget?

Answers to these questions will guide you in your advertising journey.

For quick results, search and social ads are excellent choices. However, it's crucial to understand how your audience searches and discovers your products and services.

For long term results, all types of ads are perfect. However, the optimal choice depends on your specific goals, target audience, available assets, and budget. 

If you are looking to boost your sales with paid advertising, I can help you achieve the best results with  Google and Meta ads tailored to your needs, book a free call with me and let's discuss!

Bonus tips

⭐ Learn the difference between owned, paid and earned media 

⭐ Factors to consider when deciding how much to invest in digital paid media 

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