Advertising in Cyprus can seem like a minefield whether you are new to PPC advertising (pay-per-click) or an expert. Even if you are a complete newbie to the digital advertising world it is more than likely that you are aware of Facebook and Google ads. However, before dedicating yourself and your business to one of these advertising platforms, you need to determine which one suits your business or your clients’ needs best.
Now, if you are indeed a newbie, do not be intimidated. The best experts in the world still need to research which platform suits their client best and this takes time. So, do not rush.
We will show you step by step which platform is best for advertising in Cyprus (it differs country to country) and show you some statistics for different markets.
Facebook vs Google
We are going to begin this post by explaining the key differences between the two giants. The information below is vital before you even step foot onto either platform and you will see why…
Okay, so Facebook is also known as a Paid Social meaning advertisers reach audiences based on their location, behavior, interests and demographics. On the other side, Google is a Paid Search form of advertising. This means that advertisers target an audience based on their target keywords in search.
Facebook has a 1.45 billion daily active users but Google surpasses that with a 3.5 billion searches per day.
You might now be thinking Google ads is better but let’s look at the cost and ROI. The average CPA (cost per action) for Facebook ads is $18.68 whereas the average cost across industries on Google is $48.96.
Now, let’s look at the average CPC (cost per click) for different industries.
In general, the rule is that Facebook is used for the purpose of building brand awareness and growing an audience. Whereas, Google is used for immediate sales and leads as well as for advertising products and services with high purchase intent during search.
Define Your Objective for Advertising in Cyprus
Defining your objective when it comes to advertising in Cyprus is a must! As we’ve said before, it depends on your market and intentions.
For example, if your goal is to increase brand awareness Facebook ads are ideal. Whereas, if you are looking to generate sales then Google ads could work better.
However, many people assume that they want to generate sales because they want to sell their product when in reality, they actually need to gain social exposure first.
An example of this is luxury real estate businesses in Cyprus that aim to sell property to foreign buyers. Of course, if you are in this business your end goal is the sell the property. Therefore, from the data above you would think Google ads is for you. However, in reality, you need to expose your brand first and to the right audience.
Firstly, if you are targeting foreign buyers it is unlikely, they know of your brand. Therefore, you need to raise awareness, which as you have seen, is what Facebook ads is there for. Secondly, by using Facebook ads you can target the ‘perfect’ potential buyer by selecting the right demographics, locations and interests on Facebook ads. Whereas on Google ads you have to be certain you are using the correct keyword for a foreign buyer, which is much harder than you would think.
Some More Statistics
In the example above we mentioned a situation where a company is targeting abroad. But, what about advertising in Cyprus for people who live here? Well, again it comes down to your intentions and goals but you cannot ignore statistics.
So, 94% of Facebook’s advertising revenue comes from the mobile, which is an extraordinary amount and with the average Facebook user clicking on 11 ads per month (1 every 3 days) you can understand why Facebook is so successful. Of course, not every click will be effective and lead to a user purchasing a product but it creates awareness and engagement.
Now, there is 1 million social media users in Cyprus (an increase of 55 thousand or 5.8% between April 2019 and January 2020). This is a very high population majority and the potential reach is high. Therefore, advertising in Cyprus for residents here via Facebook is a highly possible win.
Conclusion
Advertising in Cyprus all depends on your business, what you want to gain and of course your budget has a significant impact as well.
Overall, it is cheaper to advertise on Facebook (if you know what you are doing) and it provides much better brand awareness than Google. However, if an audience is already aware of your brand and you have the keyword research as well as the budget to advertise on Google then this platform could be right for you.
Related article: Digital Agencies in Cyprus: What to Ask Before Signing With Them
