Paid advertising is the process of promoting a brand through online ads that have specific pay models. One such example is the Pay-Per-Click (PPC) model, where you pay for that ad when a potential client clicks on it, not when they view it.

Advertising for contractors, in all its kinds, is essential to staying on top of the game, continuously attracting new clients, building a positive image, and staying ahead of the competition in this fierce, and often oversaturated field.

The issue lies in deciding where to allocate your marketing budget. With so many options out there that may seem difficult to navigate at first, it may feel like an enormous task. However, this article will break down two of the most common platforms for paid ads so you can make well-informed decisions. 

Google Ads for contractors

The way Google Ads works is that you generate an ad and bid on relevant keywords, pr generate the custom audience according to your ideal customer profile and show them your ad whenever they visit a particular website or use any Google service. 

Every time your ad is clicked on, you pay a small fee. This is how Google Ads works using the PPC(pay-per-click) model.

Google Ads for contractors is unambiguous. You simply have to bid on the keywords that relate to the services you offer as well as the locations that you serve. 

Google Ads Pros and Cons

One of the main advantages of contractor advertising on Google Ads is that you can rest assured that the user who gets your ad recommended to them is someone interested in converting and becoming a paid customer. On this platform, the ad is recommended to those who are actively searching for contractors. This helps in keeping your marketing investment fruitful.

This platform also allows you to be specific in who your ad targets. This, coupled with the PPC model, keeps you from wasting your budget on users who are less likely to convert.

One of the primary disadvantages is that you will have to bid against others fighting for the same spot on the search list and continuously improve the quality score of your ad. It’s not so hard when you cooperate with a marketing agency or Google Ads expert. 

However, the platform does charge less for ads that are optimized and well-made, helping you stay on top of the competition while saving you from bidding higher sums.

Facebook ads for contractors

Meta Ads is the advertising tool that allows you to pay for ads that will be portrayed on multiple platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, to name the major ones.

This platform follows both a PPC(pay-per-click) model and a CPM(pay-per-1000 impressions) model, which is when you pay based on how many impressions, or views, your ads get.

Facebook ads for contractors are used to reach potential audiences on social media, where a large proportion of your clients probably spend a good amount of their time. A good tip is to use these ads to show off some footage of your work. In this way, you can play on aesthetics and catchy content to attract their attention. 

Facebook ads pros and cons

The benefit of advertising on Facebook Ads is that you can be as specific as you want with whom your ads target. In other words, you can specify location, habits, interests, parental status, age, social status, and more. This targeted approach helps you create ads that are specifically catered to appeal to the populations you are interested in.

Another advantage is that this form of advertising is generally more cost-effective than advertising on Google Ads.

A disadvantage is that the content made for social media might require a lot more effort to produce. You may need creative videos and pictures that will stand out while a user is scrolling. These forms of ads are more time-consuming to produce and require more thought put into them. We advise you to hire a content manager at least for the first time to gather various content for future ads. 

Google vs. Facebook advertising for contractors

Both platforms serve different purposes based on the way you can reach and target audience.

On Google Ads, those who come across your ads are actively searching for the services you offer. This means that they are very likely to convert to paying customers soon enough.

On Facebook Ads, those who come across your ads are not necessarily looking for the services you offer, but they might be interested. This means that your ads are likely to convince them to choose to hire you soon.

On social media, it is important to remain relevant and continuously advertise yourself to build positive brand awareness. It is also where you can benefit from convincing people of the non-urgent, and often aesthetically-centered, services you offer. Meanwhile, on Google Ads, you benefit from advertising yourself as their best solution to their current existing problem. 

Advertising for a construction company can yield incredible results when done right. With Semantic Empires, we guide you through which direction and approach suit you best and which will yield the most significant results for your company.

We educate our clients and help them make informed decisions that benefit them in the short and long term.

Contact us today to kick-start your company’s successful marketing journey in this fast and ever-changing field that you need to stay on top of.