It is the most common dilemma in paid advertising, and it has an honest answer: it depends on whether your customer is already searching for you or needs to discover you.
Google Ads: capture existing demand
On Google, the user has a problem and types it out: “plumber near me”, “running shoes sale”. Your ad appears at the exact moment of need.
Works brilliantly for: services with clear demand, local businesses, e-shops with products people search for by name, urgent needs.
Its limitation: if nobody is searching for what you sell (a new product, a niche service), there is no demand to capture.
Meta Ads: create demand that did not exist
On Facebook and Instagram nobody is searching, everybody is scrolling. The ad works like a shop window on a busy street: you stop the eye with a visual and an offer, in front of an audience targeted by demographics and interests.
Works brilliantly for: visually appealing products (fashion, food, gifts, decor), brand awareness, remarketing to people who visited your site, local events and offers.
Its limitation: the user was not planning to buy. It takes good creative and patience while the audience warms up.
The practical answer: usually both, in order
The pattern we see perform again and again:
- Start where demand exists. If people search for you, Google first: it is the closest-to-purchase audience there is.
- Add remarketing from day one. Meta ads for people who visited and did not buy. It is the cheapest audience you will ever find.
- Then widen the funnel. Once the first two perform steadily, test cold audiences on Meta to create new demand.
How much budget you need to start
For local services, meaningful conclusions usually require €300-500 of ad spend per month. For e-shops, competition usually demands €500-1,500. Below those numbers the data is thin and conclusions take too long.
One last piece of advice: watch who charges you, and how
A large part of the market charges a percentage of your ad spend. Think about the incentive: the more you spend, the more the manager earns, regardless of results. We work on a flat fee and the budget stays on your own card, paid directly to the platform. See how we run ads or ask for an estimate for your case.
