Every business needs to figure out how to market themselves. And it’s no different in the party rental industry.

The real question is, which strategy is right for you?

At Inflatable Academy, we’re asked quite a bit which marketing strategy will provide the best bang for the buck (ROI). And many times, even though AdWords and Facebook Ads are among the most widely known options, sometimes people aren’t clear about how they’re different and when to use each.

That’s exactly what this article will address.

Which one is better? AdWords or Facebook Ads?

If you spend any time in forums and groups in the party rental industry, you’ll notice that there’s very little agreement about which one works better. It’s a never-ending debate, with many successful party rental business owners on both sides.

So how do you know which side is right?

The problem is… that’s the wrong question. It’s a question that supposes that the correct answer is one or the other. But it’s not.

We’re often asked by clients which strategy is “better”, and the answer always comes down to the client’s unique business maturity and goals.

Here’s the deal…

Both AdWords and Facebook can produce strong ROI, when managed well.

There are many successful party rental businesses that base their marketing on AdWords and swear by it, some spending upwards of $10,000 per month or more because they see significant return on that investment!

At the same time, there are many successful party rental businesses that swear by Facebook Ads, saying that they just “boost” their posts and the bookings roll in.

Many times in the online forums, people will talk about their chosen strategy as the “end all, be all”, when the truth of it is that both strategies work, but choosing between them is more about your unique business situation.

It’s helpful to be clear about the key difference between AdWords and Facebook Ads.

The key difference between AdWords and Facebook Ads

The difference between these strategies is pretty simple…

AdWords presents your business in response to a prospect’s intent and action. The prospect has an immediate need (intent) and is searching for a solution (action). In marketing, you’d call them “primed” for (receptive to) your marketing message.

So you’re paying for traffic of people that are actively looking for what you offer, right now. Sounds pretty great, right?

The question of whether to invest in AdWords then, is whether you want your brand in front of these “primed” prospects. Your competitors will be there… will you?

Facebook Ads, on the other hand, is a form of disruptive advertising, in a way it’s similar to a TV advertisement. You’re showing your ad to people who aren’t asking for it. This form of advertising is strong for keeping your brand top-of-mind. Email marketing is also similar, except that email marketing is limited to your email list, but is free indefinitely.

So Facebook Ads allows you to introduce your brand and remind people of your brand, whether or not they’re looking for what you offer… so that WHEN they need what you offer, you’re the first one they think of.

So, as you can see, both strategies have very different strengths. You use each of them for different reasons. So, ideally, they would BOTH be part of your marketing strategy.

But that’s not always feasible, is it? So the real question is, which strategy is right for you and your business?

Which one is right for your business?

As a marketer, there’s very little that I like more than the opportunity to put my service in front of someone in the moment that they have the need for it. I want my ad dollars focused on people who have a need for my services right now. Brand awareness is great, but I’d rather focus my time and money on “primed” prospects rather than advertising to people who will mostly scroll right by it without a second thought.

But that doesn’t mean that I recommend AdWords for everyone.

The key distinction comes down to your site’s search rankings. Your AdWords ROI is inversely related to your SEO strength. In other words, if your SEO is strong, and you rank well on the search results pages for all the most important keywords , and your organic traffic is strong, AdWords ROI goes down, and I would recommend more of a brand awareness strategy.

The bottom line is that the top of the Google search results page is very valuable real estate. It’s where the vast majority of the clicks happen, from the people who are researching what you offer (“primed” prospects). So if you already have that nailed down through SEO, then Facebook is likely going to give you better bang for your buck than AdWords.

But if your website isn’t in at least the top five search results of the most important keywords in your area, AdWords should be very high on your marketing budget priorities, if not the top of the list.

Best case scenario

The best case scenario is that you have a marketing mix… a strategy that leverages the strengths of each tactic to allow you to build a solid marketing foundation for your business.

It’s a simple analogy, but you wouldn’t build a table with just one leg, right?

Well, I wouldn’t advise anyone to go all in on any one strategy. That’s accepting a ton of risk for your business.

Just like personal investments, your marketing should be a mix of strategies, with each strategy being leveraged based on a specific goal.

For example, if your website isn’t at least in the top five results on the search pages, you need to invest time and/or money into SEO. It’s non-negotiable for any serious business today. The beauty of SEO is that it’s an asset… unlike AdWords or Facebook Ads, the benefits of investing in SEO don’t end abruptly when you stop focusing on it.

Inflatable Academy offers SEO packages for any budget… from expert guidance through our proprietary party rental SEO software so you can DIY, to a consultation service with monthly one-on-one calls, to a full service done-for-you package, our SEO Hero service is a great option for any party rental businesses.

If your website isn’t already at least in the top five search results for the most important keywords, but you need more traffic, leads and customers right now, the Inflatable Academy AdWords Formula service is a great option. Built upon the success of the campaign of a business doing multiple seven figures per year, and honed through the learning from managing dozens of accounts of other party rental businesses, there’s no better option for maximizing ROI with AdWords in the party rental industry.

If you’re already getting the search traffic you need, you can get strategies, ad graphics and more for your Facebook ads in the Inflatable Academy Partners Program. This one of a kind program is built to be the foundation of your party rental business, and offers training, tools, and community to support your success.

Your turn: Which marketing strategy is right for you?