The short answer
Google Ads reach people who are already searching. Ads on Instagram and Facebook – that is, via Meta – reach people who don’t yet know they need you. That is the key difference, and it almost always decides which channel comes first.
If people actively search for your service, such as an electrician, an accountant or a locksmith, Google is usually the more direct route. If your offer lives on images and emotion, such as a restaurant, a beauty salon or a holiday villa, Instagram plays to its strengths.
Google Ads: where people search
With Google Ads, your ad appears above the search results when someone searches for relevant terms. You usually pay per click.
- Strength: The demand is already there. Someone searching “bathroom renovation near me” has a specific need.
- Well suited to: trades, emergency services, consulting, practices and any service people actively look for.
- Limit: If hardly anyone searches for your service, ads won’t bring much either. And for highly competitive terms, clicks get expensive.
Before you pay for clicks, look at the free routes: a well-maintained Google Business Profile and a website that ranks well on Google often bring plenty of enquiries already. More under local SEO.
Instagram and Facebook: where attention is created
Meta ads appear in the feed, in Stories and Reels. Nobody is looking for you there; you interrupt their scrolling. In return, you can reach people by location, age and interests before they’ve even thought about your industry.
- Strength: New customers discover you. Good images and short videos make people want what you offer.
- Well suited to: hospitality, beauty, fashion, holiday rentals, events, new products and anything you can show.
- Limit: Without strong visuals, an ad gets lost in the feed. And someone scrolling books on the spot less often than someone searching with intent.
What usually works in the feed is short, honest video.
Targeting locally
For most businesses, only a certain area matters. Both platforms let you narrow ads down to places or a radius. Choose the area based on where your customers actually come from, not as large as possible. Better to reach a clearly defined area thoroughly than a large one superficially.
Without a good landing page, the budget fizzles out
An ad brings visitors. Whether they turn into enquiries depends on the page they land on. Never simply send ads to your homepage; send them to a page that picks up exactly what the ad promised:
- a headline that matches the ad,
- the offer in a few clear sentences,
- an obvious next step, such as calling, booking an appointment or sending an enquiry,
- and a page that loads quickly on a phone.
This is exactly where it’s decided whether advertising pays off. We build these pages too, as part of your website or as a dedicated page for a campaign.
Measuring enquiries without fooling yourself
Ad platforms show lots of numbers: reach, clicks, engagement. For your business, only one question counts in the end: how many real enquiries and jobs came out of it?
- Set your own goals. Count form enquiries, clicks on your phone number and booked appointments on your website.
- Tag your campaigns. With UTM parameters in the link, your statistics show which ad a visitor came from.
- Ask. Ask new customers how they heard about you, and write it down.
- Mind data protection. The platforms’ pixels and tracking usually rely on cookies and then require your visitors’ consent. Cookie-free statistics on your website can often do without a banner, but show fewer details.
Be wary of numbers that look too good. Better a few honest figures you understand than a report full of metrics with no link to your actual jobs. This article does not replace legal advice.
Testing sensibly on a small budget
You don’t have to start with large sums. What matters is that a test answers a question:
- One goal. For example: enquiries for a specific service in your town.
- One channel. Start where your customers are most likely to be, not everywhere at once.
- A fixed period. Allow a few weeks so the platform can learn, and don’t keep changing things during that time.
- A budget you can afford. Decide beforehand what the test may cost, and evaluate it honestly afterwards.
If it works, scale up. If it doesn’t, you know why – and you haven’t spent more than planned.
What we take care of
We plan your campaigns on Google Ads and Meta, design ads, images and short videos, build the right landing page and review with you what brings enquiries. All from one point of contact who knows your brand. We set out the price in your quote after the initial consultation; you pay the ad budget directly to the platform.
If you’re still unsure which route suits you, we start with a marketing strategy or a refreshed social media presence. How advertising fits into your overall plan is explained in A marketing plan for small businesses. Or book a free initial consultation straight away.