Google & Meta: A Power Duo

In many ways, Google Ads & Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram) couldn’t be more different. Even so, when used properly, they can massively amplify each other’s success. Here are three ways you should be using Google & Meta together.

Assuming it can find and target your audience, Meta can build awareness better than any ad network. Meta can be a potent tool for launching a new product, building a brand, or getting your message out to your audience.

However, that’s all at the top of the funnel. Meta will generate (depending on your budget) thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of impressions for you, your business, and your brand. But impressions sometimes result in direct clicks.

You’ll generally see something we refer to as brand lift. This is where people engage with something other than the original ad campaign but, instead, search for you, your brand, or even your specific product names later.

#1

To properly capitalize on brand life, make sure you’re not getting picked off by competitors, and improve your ability to track conversion paths, always run robust brand campaigns within Google Ads that coincide with your Meta campaigns.

While Google ads are compelling, they’re generally more expensive than Meta and don’t act as favorably towards new advertisers, temporary (non-evergreen) campaigns, or advertising experiments. Google favors longevity, while Meta allows for experimentation.

For YouTube ads, Google recommends setting your budget at 10x to 15x your target CPA. For many advertisers, that can be steep, even more so if you’re still learning what works in terms of audience, offer, and messaging. With that in mind…

#2

Use the Meta ads platform to make your mistakes, test out new ideas, find new audiences, craft your messaging, and hone your offers. Most videos that perform well on the Meta platform can be segued to YouTube ads nicely.

There’s one ubiquitous truth across all digital advertising channels: Most people don’t buy the first (or second, or third, or sometimes even the fiftieth) time they see your ads. This leads me to the most important way you should use Google and Meta together.

#3

Run cross-channel remarketing campaigns. If you’re running ads on Google, you should be remarketing on Meta. If you’re running ads on Meta, you should be remarketing on Google. Remarketing is one of the most powerful tools for maximizing our ad spend.

In my campaigns (at Solutions 8), remarketing more than doubles the efficacy of our paid advertising campaigns. Before remarketing, my CPL hovers just over $500. After: It drops to under $250. And this isn’t an unusual use case.

Remarketing is insanely cost-effective. In many cases, you only pay if a prospect clicks. Or, even if you’re paying per impression, remarketing tends to be your cheapest CPM.

Most importantly, You can choose who you remarket. I wrote a story on advanced remarketing strategies.

What’s been your experience with combining Google and Meta Ads?