With all the hype that surrounds social media marketing our team decided to put out an article regarding Google (vs) Facebook when it comes to advertising.

As most people know, Facebook was never designed really for businesses, nor was it even an afterthought that it would become known as a great place to advertise. However it’s deep, intrusive, and very specific demographic targeting has allowed advertisers to put themselves in front of “targeted” prospects like never before.

Google on the other hand is a beast in of itself; developing perhaps the most influential and forward-powering tool in technology with its search engine, all while turning the tables up-side-down on how businesses market to consumers.

The debate over Google (vs) Facebook in terms of advertising really comes down to 2 seperate types of marketing.

ACTIVE (vs) PASSIVE MARKETING

Active Marketing involves an action (an active person actually doing something to trigger the marketing to take place).

Passive Marketing involves no action (you simply put the ad in front of someone, the better targeted, the better off you are).

Google is certainly a big believer in active marketing. It’s AdWords platform relies on one typing in a “key word phrase” in order for an ad to trigger. The advertiser does not pay at all for the “impression” (aka view by the user) and only pays if their ad is clicked.

What a fantastic transaction! Thank you Google. Roll back the clock and try to find a marketing method prior to search engine advertising that allowed the marketer to only pay if their ad was not only viewed, but also acted upon. This is a big reason why Google has become Google.

Passive marketing on the other hand involves the much more traditional style of advertising. Billboards, magazines, newspapers, flyers, mail advertising, radio, tv, and so on, are all members of the passive marketing category. Can you be successful with only passive ads? Of course you can! Businesses did this for centuries before big search engines like Google came along.

So what about Facebook? Facebook has figured out how to do passive marketing better than anyone. How? By relying on all the dirty little details they know about each and every single person.

Let us be clear in stating that Google certainly harvests data on users (just open Google Analytics) but they really are not selling it when you look at how active advertising works. Facebook on the other hand relies heavily on all the details they know about a user so that the advertiser can hone-in on their targeted client base like never before. It is a great form of advertising and in a perfect world being shown stuff you may be interested in really isn’t a bad thing right? That is a whole seperate issue of course.

Look at it from an advertising perspective though and ask yourself this:

- Would you rather only pay if someone is seeking out services you have directly, sees your ad, and then interacts with it?

(or)

- Would you rather pay to have your ad put in front of boat-loads of people, targeted, sure, but pay something regardless?

That is really what it all comes down to.

“Sure, Jamie the soccer mom might like to know that shin guards are available at a local sporting good store because her kids play soccer and she drives a mini van”

but I rather pay for my ad if

“Jamie said she was looking for shin guards from a local sporting good store and seemed to like what I offered”

This article was not written to put Google on Cloud-9 (above all else) nor was it a cheap-shot at Facebook. It was simply to present potential advertisers with the facts. Do both types of advertising work? Of course they do. Has Facebook targeted demographics unlike any other? They sure have. Do they offer a better primary source of online advertising for businesses than Google? In most cases, no.

If you are considering advertising online, starting with Google is typically the best bet. In some rare cases doing something social-media related first makes sense, but not always. Facebook after-all does have a pretty good word-of-mouth tool with the “like me” feature. We wonder how many people, places, and things would be “liked” if people realized what their simple-click actually results in.

For more information on advertising online or to discuss your business website with a consultant, please visit our main page or call us at 1-866-572-3434.

Were you scammed by (HIT) Heritage Web Design?

Do you need a professional website or something basic ASAP?

Read the important information below. DreamCo Design has been assisting x-(HIT) / Heritage customers for years. We recently reported, via a major press release, news which broke in regards to the closing of Heritage Web Design.

To continue with learning more about DreamCo Design and our services, click the image to the left to be taken to our main page.

If you want to learn more about the HIT/Heritage Web Design closing and see the specific options we have put together just for HIT/Heritage Web Design Clients, read below.

Hit/Heritage Web Design has closed the doors once and for all.

As reported on their official website, HIT/Heritage Web Design ceased operations on March 8, 2011. Read the Press Release here.

HIT/Heritage Web Design Customer Relief Program

DreamCo Design has put together the following offer for previous HIT/Heritage web design clients:

Option A)  PROFESSIONAL DESIGN DISCOUNT

Most customers require custom web design solutions. Regardless of how simple a solution may be, no two businesses are exactly alike. DreamCo Design has launched over 1,000 successful projects for businesses all across the globe, spanning across all industries. Contact a DreamCo Design consultant to discuss your unique situation during this important transition. We are offering a 10% discount with the mention of this article and your story which expires 05/31/2011. Upon contacting DreamCo Design your project will be discussed and quoted as needed.

Option B)  FREE WEBSITE PROGRAM

The free website program will allow any previous HIT/Heritage Web Design customer unable to get their website back online the opportunity to get a basic website. The details of the basic website being offered for free can be discussed with a DreamCo Design consultant by dialing 1-866-572-3434. You must mention this article.

The free basic website offers a few pages, content management tools, and basic customization. Gold Hosting with DreamCo Design is required as part of this program with no contract being necessary.

A message from the owner of DreamCo Design is as follows:

“Over the last couple of years we have received numerous calls from prior Hit/Heritage customers who were dissatisfied. Our practice has always been to never disparage any organization, however the overwhelming evidence made public by independent parties supports the reasoning as to why so many have jumped ship. While it may be in our business interest to obtain new customers, as is the case for any company, we also  feel a moral obligation to help those we feel have been left stranded. Therefore, our team has put together a solution for these previous HIT/Heritage customers in the hope that we can assist in bringing businesses back online professionally, as needed.”