Quick answer: Choose Google Ads to capture people already searching for what you sell, Facebook and Instagram ads to build awareness and reach local consumers, and LinkedIn ads to target professionals and B2B decision-makers. Most small businesses get the best results by starting with one platform and expanding once campaigns are profitable.

Paid advertising can fill your pipeline quickly, but only if you put your budget in the right place. Spread too thin across every platform, and nothing gets enough data to work. Pick the wrong platform, and you pay for clicks that never convert.

At Three Zero Digital, our social media marketing and paid ads team manages Facebook, Google and LinkedIn campaigns for Toronto and GTA businesses. Here is how we help clients decide.

The Core Difference: Intent vs. Interruption

• Google Ads reaches people with intent. They type “roof repair Toronto” and you appear.
• Facebook and Instagram ads reach people through interest and demographics. They were scrolling, and your ad caught their attention.
• LinkedIn ads reach people through professional identity, such as job title, industry and company size.

Neither approach is better. They serve different stages of the buying journey.

Google Ads: Best for High-Intent Demand

Best for: Local services, e-commerce, urgent needs, and any business where customers actively search.

Strengths

• Captures demand at the moment of need
• Strong for local and “near me” searches
• Measurable calls, forms and purchases
• Works well alongside organic SEO

Limitations

• Competitive keywords can be expensive
• Requires ongoing keyword and negative keyword management
• Limited reach if few people search for your offer

Tip: Send traffic to focused landing pages, not your homepage. Message match between ad and page can dramatically improve conversion rates.

Facebook and Instagram Ads: Best for Awareness and Local Consumers

Best for: Retail, restaurants, real estate, home services, events, health and wellness, and offers with visual appeal.

Strengths

• Precise audience targeting by location, age, interests and behaviours
• Strong creative formats: video, carousels, Reels and lead forms
• Effective retargeting of website visitors
• Lower cost per click than many search campaigns

Limitations

• People are not actively looking to buy, so creative must earn attention
• Creative fatigue sets in quickly and needs regular refreshes
• Tracking changes and privacy rules can complicate measurement

Tip: Invest in strong visuals. Professional graphic design and short, authentic video usually outperform stock imagery.

LinkedIn Ads: Best for B2B and High-Value Services

Best for: Professional services, software, recruitment, finance, consulting and anyone selling to businesses.

Strengths

• Target by job title, seniority, industry and company size
• Reaches decision-makers in a professional mindset
• Lead gen forms prefill contact details for higher completion

Limitations

• Higher cost per click than other platforms
• Smaller audiences, so budgets can be spent quickly
• Works best when the lifetime value of a client is high

Tip: Lead with useful content such as a guide, webinar or benchmark report, rather than a hard sales pitch.

Quick Comparison

Costs vary by industry, competition and season, so treat any benchmark as a starting point.

How to Choose: Four Questions

1. Who is your customer? Consumers, local homeowners or business decision-makers?
2. Are they already searching? If yes, start with Google. If not, social can create demand.
3. What is a customer worth? High lifetime value supports LinkedIn’s higher costs.
4. What can you spend? Aim for enough budget to gather meaningful data. Many agencies suggest planning for at least a few months of testing.

A Simple Full-Funnel Approach

When budgets allow, platforms work best together:

• Top of funnel: Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn introduce your brand.
• Middle of funnel: Retargeting reminds visitors and shares proof.
• Bottom of funnel: Google captures branded and high-intent searches.

Your organic presence supports all three. Consistent content and reviews help paid traffic convert, and clear information helps AI tools describe you accurately, as we explain in our guide to AI discovery optimization.

Fix Your Landing Page Before Increasing Spend

Ads only send traffic. Your website has to convert it. Before scaling, check:

• Does the page match the ad’s promise?
• Is the call to action obvious?
• Does it load quickly on mobile?
• Is there proof, such as reviews and case studies?

Our article on website UX principles that convert covers these fixes in detail.

Measure What Matters

Set up conversion tracking before launch. Watch:

• Cost per lead or cost per acquisition
• Conversion rate by campaign and landing page
• Return on ad spend (ROAS) for sales-driven businesses
• Lead quality, not just quantity. Ask sales whether leads are qualified.

Review weekly, optimize monthly and avoid making big changes too early. Platforms need time to learn.

Common Paid Ads Mistakes

• Launching without conversion tracking
• Targeting audiences that are too broad or too narrow
• Changing budgets and creative every few days
• Sending all traffic to the homepage
• Judging results by clicks instead of revenue

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for small business: Facebook ads or Google Ads?

It depends on your customer. Google Ads suits businesses whose customers actively search. Facebook ads suit those who need to generate awareness or promote visual offers.

How much should a small business spend on ads?

There is no universal number. Start with a budget that allows enough clicks and conversions to learn from, then scale what works.

Are LinkedIn ads worth the cost?

They can be, if your clients are high-value professionals and your offer is strong. For low-ticket consumer services, they are usually not the best fit.

Can I run ads and SEO together?

Yes. Paid ads deliver faster results, while SEO builds long-term traffic. Together, they cover more of the search results.

Let’s Build a Campaign That Pays for Itself

The right platform mix depends on your goals, audience and margins. Book a free call with Three Zero Digital or email contact@threezerodigital.com, and we will recommend where to invest first.