How to Tailor Ad Content on Facebook vs Google Adwords

Facebook ads have quickly eclipsed Google Adwords as the mobile app developer’s go-to choice for engaging with potential users. That doesn’t mean they’re the superior option in all cases, however. In this post we’ll unpack the motives users have on either platform, and how you can leverage these motives to deliver useful, timely ad content.

The golden rule of advertising has long been to reach your audience where they hang out. While you can’t beat Google on sheer volume, Facebook’s detailed user profiles and advanced targeting tools deliver up a “quality over quantity” approach — you can even direct ads at users with specific email addresses.

Furthermore, users are looking for dramatically different things when they’re surfing the Facebook feed vs entering a query to Google. On Google, they’re searching for answers. On Facebook, they’re searching for connection.

When designing ad content, it’s important to start with the context. It’s easy to fall into the trap of starting with an iPhone app developer or startup’s own needs (grow userbase, drive downloads) rather than the users’ needs (solve a problem, receive entertainment, feel inspired, etc.). Luckily, figuring out what your users want from a platform doesn’t take any special skill outside organization and observation.

For an example of how startups can leverage user needs, consider a Boston iPhone app developer seeking clients in the mobile gaming market. On Google AdWords, they’d do well to target keywords related to direct needs like “game developer Boston” or “how do I build a mobile game?” On Facebook, however, they should seek to build a long-term brand audience by offering tangential content that entertains and inspires, driving potential customers to like their page, subscribe to newsletters, or simply begin associating the brand name with mobile gaming in their heads.

Overall, iPhone app developers should approach Google as the “head” and Facebook as the “heart.” It takes hard work and dedication to offer consistent value in both channels, but ultimately it pays off with rock-solid brand equity and a trusting audience of potential clients.