Search vs. social: how to think about budget allocation

Search and social advertising solve different problems. A look at how to split budget between them without defaulting to a 50/50 guess.

Search captures existing demand

Search advertising tends to work best when there's already a meaningful volume of people actively searching for what you offer — it captures intent that already exists.

Social builds demand that doesn't exist yet

Social advertising is generally better suited to creating awareness and interest among people who weren't already looking, which usually means a longer path to conversion.

A starting split, not a rule

Businesses with high existing search volume for their category often lean toward search first; those introducing a newer product or category often need social to build awareness before search volume exists at all.