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Hey Google! All your base are belong to Facebook...

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Google vs. Facebook

As a long time Google Ad user, I've been a big fan of the ability to submit ads on Google. It's (relatively) easy and allows you to tailor your ads based on :

  • Search term
  • Location (Geographically)
  • Time

All of this is great, right? Compared to everything out there it was really great and very affordable. But that was close to 2006. Fast forward to 2010 and the rates aren't so affordable anymore. In the space for web development key words, I've seen costs go from as little as $0.50 per click to more than $4.00 per click for top billing for the same keywords. That's 800% of what costs used to be. With that kind of rate, I found I needed to turn down and then turn off Google Ads.

Then just a few months ago I tried setting an ad up on Facebook - and WOW! Instead search term, you get a little more nebulous (but more value) area of interest to choose from. You also get all the geography filtering that Google gave you and you can also specify:

  • Age ranges
  • Sex
  • Education level (college grad, high school, etc)
  • Specific school (!)
  • Specific company (!!!)

The interface is easy and not only that, but cost per click is about one quarter of what comparable ads cost of Google ($1 vs. $4). I don't expect advertising costs on Facebook to stay lower than Google, but I do expect Facebook to take a HUGE chunk of revenue away from Google. Someone has entered the holy sanctum of Google's primary money maker - online advertising - and done one better. If I were Google, I'd definitely be worried because Facebook is about to set them up the bomb.

In case anybody doesn't get the reference in the title or the bomb reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_your_base_are_belong_to_us

Date posted: August 23, 2010

Comments

Add to that how Facebook has implemented Bing for the web results in all Facebook searches and Google has gotten serious upcoming competitors both for web searches and online adds.

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About the Author

Joaquin Lippincott, CEO

Joaquin is a 20+ year technology veteran helping to lead businesses in the move to the Cloud. He frequently speaks on panels about the future of tech ranging from IoT and Machine Learning to the latest innovation in the entertainment industry.  He has helped to modernize software for industry leaders like Sony, Daimler, Intel, the Golden Globes, Siemens Wind Power, ABC, NBC, DC Comics, Warner Brothers & the Linux Foundation.

As the CEO and Founder of Metal Toad, an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner, his primary job is to "get the right people in the room".  This one responsibility is cross-functional and includes both external business development functions as well as internal delegation and leadership development.

A UCLA alumni, he also serves in the community as a Board Member for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, and Stand for Children Oregon - a public education political advocacy group. As an outspoken advocate for entry-level job creation in tech he helped found the non-profit, P4TH, an organization dedicated to increasing the number of entry-level jobs in the tech industry, and is in the process of organizing an Advisory Board for the Bixel Exchange, a Los Angeles non-profit that provides almost 200 tech internships every year.

 

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