When local business owners in Columbia ask me about ads, the first question is almost always the same: "Should I be on Google or Facebook?"
The honest answer is that they do two different jobs. Once you see the difference, the choice for your business usually gets obvious.
Google Is Where People Raise Their Hand
Someone types "AC repair Columbia MO" into Google. They have a problem right now, and they're looking for someone to fix it. That's intent.
Google search ads put you at the top of that search, in front of a person who already decided they need what you sell. Clicks cost more than on Facebook, but the people clicking are much closer to picking up the phone.
Google tends to be the right first move when:
- People search for your service when they need it (repairs, emergencies, quotes).
- You have a website page that clearly matches what they searched.
- Your competitors aren't already dominating the paid results.
Facebook and Instagram Reach People Before They Search
Nobody opens Facebook looking for a tree service. They're scrolling. Facebook and Instagram ads interrupt, and that's not a bad thing. They let you show your work to homeowners in your area before they ever need you, so you're the name they remember when they do.
Leads usually cost less on Facebook, but they only show up when three things are strong: an offer worth stopping for, photos or video that look like your real work, and fast follow-up.
Facebook tends to fit when:
- Your work is visual: before-and-afters, finished projects, food, spaces.
- Customers plan ahead instead of searching in a panic.
- You have a real offer: a seasonal special, a free estimate, a limited deal.
The Platform Isn't the Real Variable
Here's what most people miss. Two businesses can run the same platform in the same town and get completely different results. The difference is almost never the platform. It's how the campaign is run:
Tracking before spending. If you don't track which ads produce calls and form fills, you're paying for clicks you can't measure. Every ad account should count calls from the website, calls straight from the ad, and form submissions before a single dollar goes out.
Tight targeting. On Google, that means the specific words customers type, not broad terms that pull in job seekers and do-it-yourselfers. On both platforms, it means showing ads only in the towns you actually serve.
Speed to lead. A lead that waits hours for a callback is usually gone. The businesses that win answer in minutes. If you miss calls on the job, an AI receptionist can answer every one.
Weekly tuning. Ads aren't set and forget. Someone needs to look at what people actually searched, cut the waste, and shift budget toward what's producing customers, every week.
The Only Number That Matters
Cost per click and cost per lead are easy to look at, but they don't pay your bills. The number that matters is what it costs to get a paying customer: total ad spend divided by the jobs you actually closed.
A Google lead that costs more but closes on the first call can beat a cheap Facebook lead that never answers the phone. Judge your ads by customers, not clicks.
So Which One First?
If people search for what you do when they need it, start with Google. If your work sells itself in a photo and customers plan ahead, start with Facebook and Instagram. Many service businesses end up running both: Google to catch the people searching today, Facebook to build the name people remember next month.
Just don't start either one without tracking in place, a page that matches the ad, and a plan to answer leads fast.
Want Help Running Them?
Corestack runs Google search ads and Facebook and Instagram ads for local businesses across Mid-Missouri. You send us your photos and videos, or we make them. Every call and form is tracked, the ads are tuned weekly, and your ad spend goes straight to Google and Meta on your own card. Month to month, no contract.
Tell us about your business and we'll come back with a plan and a price, or start with a free audit of your website first.