--- title: "Instagram ads or Google ads?" description: "Instagram ads vs Google ads for a small business: who each one reaches, what they cost, and a simple way to choose where your first ad money goes." url: https://dumbcmo.com/blog/instagram-ads-or-google-ads category: "Paying to be seen" tags: ["paid ads", "google ads", "instagram ads", "meta ads"] published: 2026-10-25 updated: 2026-10-25 reading_time: 4 min author: "The DumbCMO" --- # Instagram ads or Google ads? > **TL;DR:** Google ads catch people who are already searching for what you sell. Instagram ads show your stuff to people who weren’t looking but might want it. If people search for your thing, start with Google. If they need to see it first, start with Instagram. [Notebook](https://dumbcmo.com) › [Blog](https://dumbcmo.com/blog) › Paying to be seen › Instagram ads or Google ads? Two friends open businesses on the same street. Arjun fixes ACs. Meera sells hand-painted mugs. Arjun runs Instagram ads. Lovely video of a clean AC. Nobody calls, because nobody thinks about ACs until theirs breaks. Meera runs Google ads for “hand painted mugs”. Hardly anyone searches for that, so hardly anyone sees her ad. Then they swap. Arjun’s Google ad shows up the moment someone searches “AC repair near me” in May, and his phone rings. Meera’s Instagram ad shows her mugs to people who like pottery and coffee, and she sells out a batch. Same money. Different channel. Completely different results. ## In normal-people words **Google ads answer demand. Instagram ads create it.** - **Google search ads** show up when someone types what you sell. They’re already looking. You’re catching them. - **Instagram and Facebook ads** (both run by Meta) show up while someone scrolls. They weren’t looking. You’re showing them something they might want. ## The chai stall version Google is the person who walks up to your stall and asks, “Do you have ginger chai?” You just have to say yes. Instagram is the smell of ginger chai drifting across the road. People weren’t thinking about chai. **Now they are.** ## Side by side **Google ads vs Instagram ads** | What | Google search ads | Instagram ads | | --- | --- | --- | | Reaches | People searching right now | People who might like it | | Best for | Needs and emergencies (repairs, clinics, tutors) | Things people discover (food, fashion, gifts, decor) | | You need | Good keywords and a clear page | Good photos or short videos | | You pay per | Click, mostly | Thousand views or click | | Biggest risk | Paying for the wrong searches | Paying for views from people who’ll never buy | ## How to choose in one minute **Where should your first ad money go?** - **Do people search Google for what you sell?** - Yes, often: - **Do they need it soon (repair, appointment, delivery)?** - Yes → Google search ads. Catch them while they’re looking. - No → Try Google first, then test Instagram to stay in their head. - Rarely: - **Does it look good in a photo or a 15-second video?** - Yes → Instagram ads. Show it to people who’d love it. - No → Hold off on ads. Work on word of mouth and your [Google Business Profile](/blog/google-business-profile) first. > **The DumbCMO:** Selling AC repair on Instagram is like advertising umbrellas in a drought. Wait for the rain. Or the search. ## What’s changing on Meta right now Meta’s ads are getting more automated, and some of the automation is switched on for you. From 28 October 2026 Meta plans to turn on product browsing in existing ads unless advertisers opt out, and from 30 October its terms make advertisers responsible for what its AI tools change in their ads ([PPC Land](https://ppc.land/meta-will-turn-on-product-browsing-in-existing-ads-on-october-28/), [PPC Land](https://ppc.land/meta-makes-advertisers-solely-responsible-for-its-ai-ad-edits-from-oct-30)). Read the full story: [Meta’s AI can now edit your ads](/blog/meta-ai-ad-edits-your-responsibility). ## Do this today - [ ] Type what you sell into Google, the way a customer would. Are there ads already? That means people search for it. - [ ] Take three photos or one 15-second video of your product. If none of them make you want it, Instagram isn’t ready yet. - [ ] Run the [should I run ads? tool](/tools/should-i-run-ads) before spending anything. - [ ] Pick one channel for your first month. Not both. ## Not-so-frequently asked questions ### Isn’t Facebook dead? For teenagers, maybe. Facebook and Instagram ads run from the same Meta account, and Facebook still reaches plenty of older customers. ### What about YouTube ads? Same family as Google, but more like Instagram: people are watching, not searching. Good once you have decent video. ### Can I run both at once? You can, but on a small budget you’ll learn nothing from either. Start with one, learn, then add the other. ### Which is cheaper? Instagram often looks cheaper per view. Google often looks cheaper per customer, because searchers are closer to buying. Compare cost per sale, never cost per view. ## Things your agency won’t say - The right channel depends on how people buy what you sell, not on which platform is trendy. - Cheap reach on Instagram means nothing if the people reached will never buy. - Most service businesses (repairs, clinics, tutors) should start on Google. ## Jargon Jail **Locked up: “Intent”** Marketers say “search has high intent”. **Intent just means how ready someone is to buy.** Someone searching “AC repair near me now” has high intent. Someone scrolling past a cat video has none, yet. ## Where to go next - Start at the start: [What are paid ads?](/blog/what-are-paid-ads) - Going with Google? [Your first Google search ad](/blog/google-ads-for-beginners) - Know your numbers: [CAC and LTV, explained](/blog/cac-and-ltv-explained) - Building an audience for free: [What is social media marketing?](/blog/what-is-social-media-marketing) ## Sources 1. PPC Land, [“Meta will turn on product browsing in existing ads on October 28”](https://ppc.land/meta-will-turn-on-product-browsing-in-existing-ads-on-october-28/). 2. PPC Land, [“Meta makes advertisers solely responsible for its AI ad edits from Oct 30”](https://ppc.land/meta-makes-advertisers-solely-responsible-for-its-ai-ad-edits-from-oct-30). 3. Arjun and Meera are illustrations, not real businesses. ## Related notes - [Meta’s brand formats: Super Burst, First Impression, Reels Trending](https://dumbcmo.com/blog/meta-ads-october-2026-updates): Meta’s Brand Summit (15 Oct) pushed Ads Super Burst, First Impression Ads (US test), and broader Reels Trending Ads. Today (28 Oct) product browsing turns on in existing ads unless you opted out. Here’s the plain-words tour with a doodle for each format. - [ChatGPT ads: how they pick who shows, in plain English](https://dumbcmo.com/blog/chatgpt-ads-how-they-work): ChatGPT ads are chosen by matching your ad to the conversation, then auctioned. 100,000+ advertisers are already in. For most small businesses, watch for now, and don’t move your budget yet. - [Google Ads: new spending controls and a 1-click AI Max test](https://dumbcmo.com/blog/google-ads-channel-priority-and-ai-max): Google Ads is rolling out controls to say which channels get your budget first, plus a one-click test of AI Max. Both are useful, but all channels default to high priority, so nothing changes unless you change it. --- From [DumbCMO](https://dumbcmo.com): The marketing notes you were too embarrassed to take.