Social Media Ads vs. Paid Search Ads: Which is better for your B2B paid advertising strategy?

Written By Diana Dundukova

Choosing the right B2B paid advertising strategy is like picking the right tool for the job. Would you use a screwdriver to hammer a nail? Hopefully not. The same goes for deciding between social media ads (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) and Google Search Ads. Each has its own strengths, and choosing the right one depends on your business goals, audience behavior, budget and whether your customers even know they need you yet.

 

Difference Between Paid Search and Social Ads

Social Media Ads are like the street corner musician — you weren’t planning to stop, but now you're watching, engaged, and maybe even throwing a dollar in to the guitar case. 

They operate on a push marketing model. Businesses proactively target audiences based on interests, behaviors, and demographics. These ads are effective in increasing brand awareness and generating demand among users who may not be actively searching for a solution. The lower cost is also a perk for small business owners who can’t shell out thousands to beat out their competitors in search.

Paid Search Ads are like the trusty librarian. You ask a question, and they got the answer.

Search Ads operate on a pull marketing model. They capture demand by targeting users who are actively searching for specific products or services. This makes them highly effective for bottom-of-funnel conversions where intent is high. It costs more, but in return you are reaching an audience more ready to buy.

 

When to Choose Social Media Ads

Social media advertising is ideal for brand awareness, lead generation, and retargeting. It works well for B2B businesses that require a longer nurturing process due to high-ticket sales or complex solutions. A necessary disclaimer that must be made, this does not mean run a single ad campaign without carefully crafting your long-game strategy.

Here’s when social media ads thrive for B2B:

  • Launching innovative or disruptive products that no one is searching for (yet!).

  • Building brand awareness with engaging content (videos, memes, infographics—yes, even B2B can be fun).

  • Generating leads with slick lead form ads (LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms, Facebook Lead Ads).

  • Retargeting prospects who visited your site but didn’t convert (because they got distracted by cat videos).

  • Highly specific audience targeting (like reaching only CFOs of mid-sized SaaS companies who love golf—because LinkedIn knows everything about them).

In B2B space, an example of a great product to advertise on social media is a software solution that people don’t know exist. On the B2C side, this could be a weigh-loss solution that people didn’t think possible.

Two visual examples of ads on phones. One showcases a software company for haulers and the other is a weigh-loss supplement.

When to Choose Google Search Ads

Google Search Ads are highly effective for demand capture, bottom-of-funnel conversions, and high-intent queries. If potential customers are already searching for solutions in your industry, this platform allows you to capture leads when they are ready to engage.

Best Use Cases:

  • Capturing high-intent traffic from people who are already looking for your services (e.g., "best IT security software for banks").

  • Driving immediate conversions by showing up at the exact moment they need you.

  • Bidding on competitor search terms (yes, it’s sneaky, but it works).

  • Targeting niche industries with ultra-specific search queries.

If your service and product is established, search ads can bring the traffic to you and not your competitors. Think how much more business you could close if you brought in more people who already had the intent to purchase or inquire about your product or service.

Cost & ROI Considerations

Both platforms have their pros and cons when it comes to cost and return on investment:

Social Media Ads: Typically lower cost per click (CPC), but you have to nurture leads over time because people aren’t actively searching.

Google Search Ads: Higher CPC but often leads to faster conversions because you’re catching people at the moment of intent.

Good B2B marketers track their cost-per-acquisition (CPA) and customer lifetime value (LTV) to see which platform delivers the best long-term return. (LTV) to determine the most profitable platform for their B2B paid advertising strategy.

 

The Best Paid Ads Strategy?

The obvious answer is to do both, but realistically that’s not feasible for most small business owners or companies without a paid ads specialist. You might have a limited budget, no time, and not enough technical expertise. 

Our advice is to really consider your goal and how you can make the most impact for what you are working with. The choice between social media ads and Google Search Ads depends on your business goals, sales cycle, and audience behavior. While social media ads are great for creating demand and nurturing leads, search ads are powerful for capturing high-intent traffic. 

An expert might just be what you need to see the success from your digital advertising campaign. Send us a note to see what approach would be best for your B2B business needs.

Diana Dundukova