Blog

If you’re reading this article, it’s likely because you’re considering running digital ads.
You’ve heard about Facebook Ads and Google Ads but you’re still unclear on the difference between the two platforms.

In this article, we’ll cover each platform’s unique features, the key differences to keep in mind, and the factors to consider when deciding which ad platform to use.
Let’s get started.
These platforms are often pitted against each other but in fact, Facebook Ads and Google Ads are complementary, each offering unique benefits to marketers.
If your team can only focus on one, there are a few things you’ll want to consider.
Your Campaign Goal
What do you want to accomplish with your campaign? Is it brand awareness, leads, sales, or something else? Knowing this answer can already steer you in the right direction.
Google Ads is ideal for demand capture – meaning reaching users who have high purchase intent. For instance, if I’m looking up the keyword “water bottle,” this may signal an interest in purchasing one.
With that in mind, the ads below align well with search intent and can lead to sales.

Facebook Ads, on the other hand, is ideal for reaching consumers who are near the top of the funnel, (i.e., great for brand and product awareness).
So, you could use both platforms at the same time to target users at every stage of the journey. But if that doesn’t align with your broader objectives, knowing the main goal of your campaign will help you determine which platform is better suited to achieve it.
Your Budget
With any ad campaign, your goal is to maximize your return on ad spend (ROAS). It’s easier to do that on some platforms than others.
With Google Ads, you’ll have to look at keyword competition and keyword price. If the keywords you’re targeting have high cost-per-click (CPC) and you have a small budget, it may not be the best place for you to invest your money.
For instance, let’s say you have a $100 daily budget. You want to rank for “hardware store” in your local area but the cost for that keyword is $20. This means that you’d get a maximum five clicks per day – pretty limiting.
With that same $100 budget, you could potentially reach more people on Facebook Ads and conduct experiments to learn more about which strategies work for your target audience.
It’s all about finding where your dollar will go the furthest in relation to your goals. Tools like HubSpot’s ads software can help you measure your campaign’s ROI and allow you to make adjustments to optimize its performance.
Stages in the Buyer’s Journey
As mentioned above, certain platforms align better with certain stages in the buyer’s journey.
With Facebook being a social media platform, most users are not actively looking to purchase products. However, they do explore and share their interests on the platform. With that in mind, it’s a great place for users to discover your brand, especially if you don’t think it relates to a topic users will be searching.
In contrast, it’s estimated that Google receives over 5 billion searches every single day. These searches can fall anywhere on the buyer’s journey stage, but certain keywords indicate a high purchase intent.
For example, if I search “best water bottle” or “water bottle price,” this suggests that I am interested in purchasing this item. With this approach, marketers can reach users they know are near the bottom of the funnel.
Historical and/or Competitor Data
As you develop your playbook for your next campaign, it will be helpful to look at historical data to inform your strategy. Knowing what has worked in the past, what hasn’t and what is left to explore can serve as a reference and benchmark.
If you’ve never run a campaign before, look at your competitors. What ads are they running? Where are they running them? What do their creative assets look like? What’s their messaging?
This competitive intel may highlight some areas for opportunity and give you insight into the strategies your competitors are using.
Benefits of Facebook Ads
In a 2019 HubSpot State of Marketing Report, marketers revealed that the paid channel offering the highest ROI was Facebook. Let’s dive into some of the reasons why.
For starters, Facebook is the number one social media platform with over 2.7 billion monthly active users, according to a 2021 Statista report. In addition to its large audience base, the platform offers granular targeting capabilities, allowing marketers to reach users based on demographics, behaviors, life events and interests.
Before launching a campaign on the platform, you can create a “lookalike audience,” which is essentially your user persona. Facebook Ads will then show your ads to audiences who match your description.
That’s one advantage the platform has over Google Ads – it’s much more detailed in who you’re able to target for your ads.
Beyond that, you may also be able to reach more users and get a better clickthrough rate (CTR) through Facebook Ads. Smart Insights reported found that in Q1 of 2020, the median CTR for a Facebook ad on the newsfeed was 1.11% – compared to .47% for Google Display ads in the same time period.
Benefits of Google Ads
In 2019, Google estimated that for every dollar a business spends on ads, it earns $8 in profit. Let’s see why that may be and how the platform can be useful for brands.
Google Ads, formerly known as Google Adwords, initially offered only very simple text-based ads on the search engine. Now, it’s evolved to include features that can drastically improve clickthrough rates, such as reviews, detailed contact information, a shopping function, and mobile optimization.
In Q1 of 2020, Smart Insights found that Google search ads had the highest CTR at 1.55% when compared to display ads and Facebook ads. This is likely because Google prioritizes ads based on relevance.
While you do have to bid on keywords, the highest bid doesn’t necessarily always win. Your bid gets your foot in the door, your ad’s relevance to the keyword the user’s search intent gets you in the house.
Remarketing, which is reconnecting with users who have interacted with your brand before, is now much easier using Google Ads. So, let’s say someone visited your site and added something to their shopping cart but didn’t complete their purchase. You can now re-engage users as they search on Google, watch a YouTube video or navigate a site within Google’s Display Network.
In addition, the platform’s simple interface and advanced features like search term report, ads editor and auction insights make it easy to build, launch and track campaigns.
With Facebook Ads and Google Ads, one isn’t inherently better than the other. Once you account for your goals, budget and target audience, you will find that each one offers unique features that can be useful to your brand at various points in its growth.

Last Updated on April 5, 2021 by Rakesh Gupta Salesforce is the bridge that connects end-users and developers, including citizen developers, which make up a large portion of Salesforce’s developers. This explosion of Trailblazers have bypassed the challenges of traditional … Continue reading →
The post New Research: Salesforce Delivery Teams Excel in Speed but at the Expense of Quality appeared first on Automation Champion.

Facebook is an undeniably powerful channel for marketing purposes. In fact, 91% of B2B and 96% of B2C marketers currently use it for advertising and marketing.
The success of your social media marketing strategy depends on engagement, typically in the form of Likes, comments, or shares. But high engagement rates are easier said than done.
One opportunity to increase engagement on your business’ Facebook Page is by embedding your Page on your website — which could increase likes and comments on your posts without driving viewers away from your site.
Here, we’ll explore how to embed a Facebook feed on a website. Whether you host your website on HubSpot, WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix, we’ve got you covered.

How to Embed a Facebook Feed on a Website
1. HubSpot
If you want to embed a Facebook feed on your HubSpot-hosted site, it’s incredibly easy to do.
1. First, go to Facebook’s Plugin Page.
2. Copy-and-paste your business’ Business Page into the “Facebook Page URL” box.

3. Then, adjust the width and height to suit your preferences depending on your website and placement. Once you’ve adjusted the timeline, click the “Get Code” button.

4. Switch to the IFrame tab, and copy the custom module.

5. Next, open the Editor tool on your HubSpot Landing Page, and select “Source Code”.

6. Now, paste your IFrame code into the Source Code section of your page. Then click, “Save Changes”.

And voila! Your timeline is officially embedded on the HubSpot landing page of your choosing.
2. Squarespace
If you host your website on Squarespace, you’re going to follow most of the instructions listed above. However, the third step varies for this website hosting platform.
Let’s explore how to embed a Facebook feed on Squarespace. It’s important to note: Adding JavaScript or IFrames to Code Blocks is a Premium feature available in Business and Commerce plans, so you’ll need a Premium account to proceed.
1. First, go to Facebook’s Plugin Page.

2. Copy-and-paste your business Page URL into the “Facebook Page URL” box. Then, adjust the width and height to suit your preferences depending on your website and placement.
Once you’ve adjusted the timeline, click the “Get Code” button. Copy the code in JavaScript form. 

3. Next, click “Edit Post” on a Squarespace page, then click an Insert point and choose “Code” from the menu:

4. Next, choose Javascript from the dropdown menu, and then copy-and-paste your Facebook code into the box. Then click “Apply”.

If you have additional questions on adding unique code into your Squarespace page, take a look at Squarespace’s Code Blocks FAQ page.
3. WordPress
WordPress varies slightly from the instructions listed above.
Instead of using Facebook’s custom code, you can use a WordPress plugin. (Note: You will need to upgrade to the Business plan on WordPress to use this plugin feature.)
For our purposes, let’s use this Smash Balloon Social Post Feed plugin, which is 5-star rated and has over 200,000 active installations.
Before proceeding with the following steps, ensure you install the plugin on your Business plan WordPress account. You can install either via the WordPress plugin directory, or by uploading the files to your web server (in the /wp-content/plugins/ directory). Then click “Activate”.
1. Navigate to the ‘Facebook Feed’ tab within WordPress to configure your feed. Then click “Connect a Facebook account” and choose your Business page.

2. Next, copy the shortcode [custom-facebook-feed] to embed your feed on your site. (You can also display multiple feeds of different Facebook pages by specifying a Page ID directly in the shortcode: [custom-facebook-feed id=smashballoon num=5].)

3. Paste it into the body text on your new or existing WordPress page.

4. All set! Once you preview your page you’ll see how the timeline looks in Live mode.

4. Wix
For Wix customers, you’ll use a third-party tool — Elfsight — to create the unique code that you can use on your Wix website, which is why there are a few additional steps in this list.
1. Create your own Elfsight Apps account, or login to your existing account. (It’s free to embed one Facebook feed code. If you need to use Elfsight often, consider the Basic plan, which is $18/month for startups and new businesses.)
2. Click on the “Facebook Feed” application, under the Social Tab.

3. Select the template you want to use, which will determine how your Facebook feed looks on your Wix site. For instance, you can choose to have a small-widget Facebook feed, or a full-screen Facebook feed. Click “Continue with this template…” when you’re ready.

4. Next, click the “Connect to Facebook” button to connect your business’ Facebook Page with Elfsight. You can also click on the “Layout” tab to change the height and width of your widget.

5. When you’re ready, click “Save”. A pop-up will appear that provides you with the code you need to embed your page on your Wix website.

6. Now, open your Wix ADI and select “Add” at the top of your Wix page. Click “Section to Page”.

7. Choose “HTML Embed” in the navigation bar.

8. Now, click on the section design you prefer. Then fill in the title, subtitle, and paragraph. When you’re ready, click the blue “Settings” button on HTML.

9. Choose the embed type — in this case, you’ll want “HTML code”. Then, paste the HTML code you got from Elfsight into this section. 

10. Finally, click “Publish” on your Wix page to add your Facebook feed to your live Wix site.
How to Embed Facebook Event Feed on Website
To embed a Facebook Event Feed on your website, go to the Page Plugin and paste your Facebook Page URL into the box. Then, type “events” into the Tabs section.
Now, click “Get Code” and copy-and-paste that code into your existing site using the steps outlined above.   
And there you have it! You’re now ready to embed any post, timeline, or event onto your website to increase engagement to your social pages. 

To understand what peer-to-peer (P2P) marketing is, let’s start with an example.
Recently, I was looking for a new face moisturizer. Of course, I could’ve trusted the numerous influencers I follow on Instagram, all with strong opinions regarding the “best, most effective” options available.
But I wasn’t convinced these influencers had my best interest in-mind. Yes, most influencers’ (and micro-influencers) are successful because they promote valuable products. But they’re getting commission off those posts, too.
So I handled my problem the old-fashioned way — I texted my friends and asked what products they use.
This isn’t to say influencer marketing is ineffective. Quite the opposite: When done right, influencer marketing is a fantastic opportunity to expand your brand’s reach and increase sales.
But depending on your team’s budget, influencer marketing could be limiting. Plus, influencer marketing inhibits your brand from reaching those consumers who still trust their peers above all else.
Enter: P2P marketing.

Given 93% of consumers trust friends and family over all other influences (including review sites, blogs, and social media platforms), it makes sense why P2P marketing works.
And P2P marketing, a form of word-of-mouth marketing, isn’t new. People have been giving personal opinions about their favorite — and least favorite — brands, products, and services long before social media.
Some older forms of P2P marketing include Yelp, reviews on personal business’ websites, and good old-fashioned conversations between your consumers and their friends and family.
However, there are some new tools that help businesses leverage P2P marketing on a broader scale. Amazing Brands, for instance, helps businesses generate customer reviews and referrals, guarantee event attendance, or even increase in-store foot traffic.
The tool ultimately relies on the premise of P2P marketing, which is that there’s nothing more powerful than peer recommendations.
Other tools, like Higher Logic, work to establish a sense of community among existing consumers, and increase brand loyalty — a critical component of P2P marketing. (Since consumers won’t refer products or services towards which they don’t feel loyal.)
However, if you’re learning about P2P marketing for the first time, you might be wondering — why invest in P2P marketing, instead of more traditional forms of influencer marketing?
And what’s the difference, anyway? 
What’s the difference between P2P marketing and influencer marketing?
Over the past couple years, influencer marketing has been one of the most popular and effective opportunities for brands to reach new audiences by leveraging those influencers’ built-in communities.
However, as mentioned above, consumers still trust their own peers more than anyone else. And influencers can often feel like celebrities to the general public — in fact, sometimes, they are actual celebrities, like George Clooney with Nespresso. This removes a level of authenticity you might be striving for as a brand.
Additionally, many small and medium-sized businesses can’t afford the typical influencer cost. Celebrity or macro-influencers charge between $3,000 and $500,000 for a single post — and while micro-influencers are undoubtedly cheaper, they can also charge upwards of $500 per post.

Ultimately, P2P is a form of marketing that can feel increasingly trustworthy and authentic through real, genuine reviews from peers who have no incentive to promote businesses they don’t care about.

To further explore the difference between P2P marketing and influencer marketing, let’s consider an example. 
Jessica Alba’s business, The Honest Company, has a referral program in which they credit existing customers $20 for each invited friend who makes a purchase. 
This is an example of P2P marketing. 
Influencer marketing, on the other hand, refers to the influencers on Instagram (as well as other social platforms) who tag posts with #honestambassador, signifying the post is sponsored by The Honest Company. 
These are both equally valuable marketing options, but they achieve different goals. The P2P marketing initiative (in this case, the referral program), aims to tap into The Honest Company’s existing consumers to reach new prospects.
The P2P program is likely more narrow in reach, but has the potential to convert more quickly than influencer marketing, since it’s leveraging the power of an existing relationship between customers and their friends or family. 
The influencer marketing program, alternatively, is meant to spread brand awareness about Honest Company to a wider audience. 
P2P marketing can take many different forms depending on your brand and business goals — including creating a referral program, encouraging reviews on your site in exchange for a small discount or prize, or organizing events meant to increase brand awareness to the larger community.
Ultimately, P2P marketing comes down to increasing the incentive for your consumers to share your product or service with friends and family, which is undoubtedly one of the best long-term strategies for success.

Whenever a new feature comes out on social media, I am usually a late adopter.
Back when Instagram launched Stories, a worthy Snapchat opponent, I thought, “Hm, I don’t know about this.” Perhaps it’s because change, even if slight, is uncomfortable or just because I’m naturally a cautious person.

But here we are a few years after its launch and I barely look at my newsfeed. Where am I? You guessed it, endlessly swiping through Stories.
The feature gained steam on Instagram but was then integrated on Facebook. Now, every brand with a Facebook Business Page has gained another marketing tool to reach users.
So, what exactly can you post on Facebook Stories? Get inspired by these eight brands.
Examples of Facebook Stories for Business
A Look Behind the Scenes
Back when Facebook only allowed brands to publish posts, brands were probably more selective about their content, knowing it would stay there permanently.
Now that Facebook Stories is here, brands can have a little bit more fun with what they post knowing the content will only be available for the next 24 hours.
That’s why behind-the-scenes content is perfect for Facebook Stories. It’s not necessarily important enough to be featured on the news feed but it can be a great way to create some buzz around an upcoming release.In this example, Woven Nook, a home decor company, posts a Story to tease an upcoming project. The Story allows the brand to create some anticipation around the project and also gauge the audience’s interest in this type of content.
Another important element in this Story is that it features one of the founders of the company. In recent years, studies have shown that consumers connect more with brands who pull back the curtains and show the faces behind the business.
Woven Nook could have posted the sneak peek without the founder. However, having a human featured in the image can leave a stronger impression than just a setting.
Polls and Surveys
Facebook Stories isn’t just another publishing channel, it also has great features that help brands connect with and engage their audience. Engagement is vital for building brand loyalty and understanding your consumers.
The better you understand them, the better equipped you are to deliver content that resonates.
The grocery delivery company Instacart hosted its own trivia game on Facebook Stories to test its audience’s food knowledge.

While this may not necessarily give the brand valuable insight into their audience, their engagement with the post may tell them a lot about the type of content their followers enjoy.
Want another way to use polls? Tie them to a product or service.

Alaffia posted a simple poll asking its audience about its product.
This accomplished two things at once: It introduced followers to a product they may not yet know and it had an interactive element that encouraged audience engagement.
User-Generated Content
One of the most popular uses for Facebook Stories is user-generated content (UGC). UGC provides what’s known as social proof, a psychological phenomenon where we tend to look to others for guidance on what to do.

Adjourn Teahouse leverages UGC to show the various ways in which consumers use its products. Because of the Facebook Stories repost feature, the brand can fill its Stories with content already created by others, saving both time and money.
One thing to note is that because Facebook now owns Instagram, you can repost another user’s Instagram content to your Facebook Stories – something that’s not available between other social media platforms.
The brand Curls uses this same approach to promote its products.

What brand doesn’t love free promotion? This type of UGC helps brands gain credibility and earn new customers.
Direct to Website Traffic
Have an article on your website you want your Facebook followers to read? Take advantage of the “‘See More” feature on Facebook Stories. Blavity, a news and media company, often uses this feature to lead Facebook users to its blog posts.
While this brand mostly directs traffic to its blog posts, businesses can use this feature to lead their followers to landing pages, product pages, or any other webpage.
What’s great about this tool is that it makes it easy for users to navigate to other channels from the brand without ever leaving the Facebook platform.
Giveaways
If you’re hosting a giveaway, you’ll likely create a Facebook post so that users can access it beyond the 24-hour window. However, it’s important to promote the giveaway on other channels to give it more visibility.
Note how beverage company BLK & Bold promoted its giveaway on Facebook Stories. Instead of posting all of the giveaway details, like the rules and eligibility requirements, the brand highlighted what its audience is most excited most: the giveaway itself.
If your giveaway is hosted on another social media platform – say Instagram or Twitter – you can still promote it on your Facebook Story and use the “See More” feature.
There’s no right or wrong way to post on Facebook Stories. It’s all about finding what stories resonate best with your audience.
Every Story you post is an opportunity to connect with your audience and learn more about them.
While some of these strategies may not work for your brand, they’re worth trying out. Because even stories that don’t perform well give you as much insight as those that do.