Is Social The ‘New’ Search?

Let’s Get Ready To Rumble!

In the Red Corner, with 4.4 billion daily searches is Google.

In the Blue Corner, with 1.3 billion daily users, checking in 14 times a day, that’s 18.2 billion daily sessions, is Facebook. Let’s get ready to rumble!

Facebook Vs Google – The Big Fight?

So, why am I putting Google and Facebook together in the ring?

Google is all about intent.

We go there to search, there’s ‘purpose’.

Facebook is all about entertainment.

We go there to catch up with our friends and family, and to update them on what we’re up to.

What I put to you, ladies and gentlemen, is, “Is Social The ‘New’ Search?”.

A quick bit of background info

I often talk about the Facebook Algorithm: This sits behind Facebook and decides what you’re going see in your newsfeed.

Back in the early days, when Facebook first started, the newsfeed would be filled chronologically (in date order).

But, as Facebook got busier and busier, it soon realised a couple of things.

1. It was getting really noisy out there! The newsfeed was getting far too busy.
2. As it got noisier, the quality of content and posts was deteriorating.

Over time, Facebook introduced the Algorithm (originally called Edgerank) which filtered through all of the stories you could have seen in your newsfeed and only presented you with the ones you should see.

(Apparently the Algorithm has over 100,000 data points it uses to decide what you do get to see!)

Through its highly sophisticated Algorithm, Facebook is able to put the stories you’re most interested in, onto your Newsfeed.

Facebook Predicts What You Want to See

Facebook has become very clever and incredibly sophisticated at putting in front of you what you want to see and what you’re interested in.

Ultimately, Facebook wants your experience to be the best because the better Facebook is, the more you come back.

And, this isn’t just for the organic posts (things you’re posting on Facebook without paying for them to be seen), it also applies to Paid Advertising.

Facebook has an advertising algorithm that will show people adverts that are relevant to them. And it’s very good at it.

Big Brother or Effective Advertising?

Facebook knows which Adverts you’re more likely to respond to based on you interested, your demographics, and your past behaviour. It’s been watching you!

Now, it might feel a little bit Big Brother-ish and a little bit scary, but ask yourself, what would you rather have?

Would you rather have a relevant advert to you or one that isn’t (Facebook is funded by advertising, so you’re going to see ads whether you like it or not!).

Send me advertising about golf and it’s completely wasted. You’ve wasted your money on me.

But show me adverts that are relevant to me and you stand a good chance of selling your product to me (I’m a Marketer’s dream!).

So, Facebook is finding product that I’m already interested in, and, actually, even in some cases, products I don’t even know that I want yet. It’s so intuitive. It’s letting me be really, really lazy. I don’t have to look, they’ll find me.

Back to the Google Vs Facebook

Here’s the Million Dollar Question: How many people are NOT searching because those products have just arrived on their timeline anyway?

Is Google Knocked Out?

Do I think Google is knocked out and out for count?

No, I don’t.

Google is still growing and there’s still a place for it.

But, if you’re an advertiser that is using Google ads, it might just be time to have a serious think about Facebook ads too.

Take our FREE, Quick and Easy Test to find out whether Facebook Advertising will give you a return on investment. Put your wallet away, and use our tool first!