Had to choose between Google Ads or Facebook Ads for my bakery's launch

Opened a small bakery in Austin last year. Had a $500 budget for the first month. Google Ads seemed logical since people search for cupcakes nearby. But my friend pushed Facebook Ads hard for targeting local foodies. I went with Facebook in the end. Got 40 orders in the first week from a $200 spend. Still wonder if Google would have brought more repeat customers though. Anyone else split test these two with a small budget?

3 comments

3 Comments

nguyen.blake5d ago

My buddy runs a food truck in Portland, had the same problem. He blew his whole $300 on Facebook targeting hipsters who follow local food pages... got a bunch of one-time buyers but not the regulars he needed. Switched to Google for the next month and saw the same people coming back, but it took longer to get them in the door. He said Facebook was like a party where everyone shows up once, Google was like planting a garden that keeps giving.

nguyen.morgan5d ago

You must have a green thumb for marketing then, huh? Guess Facebook is the fast food of ads - quick and empty.

the_brian4d ago

Right, but nobody's talking about what happens after that Facebook hit. That "party where everyone shows up once" thing your buddy said? Might be true for the platform itself, but what's he doing to turn those one-time lookie-loos into regulars? You can't just run ads and expect people to magically come back. That part is on him, not Facebook. Seems like people want to blame the tool instead of looking at how they're using it. Isn't that always the way with marketing though?