Media Buying
Meta, TikTok or Google ads: which fits your business?
How Meta, TikTok and Google ads differ, which kind of business each one suits in Egypt and the Gulf, how to split a first budget, and how to test the platforms fairly.
Abdelrahman Afifi Founder & CEO, Ad Holic
The difference in one table
| Google Ads | Meta (Facebook and Instagram) | TikTok | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How people meet your ad | They search for it | It appears in their feed, stories and reels | It appears in their For You feed |
| What it does best | Captures demand that already exists | Creates demand, collects leads and messages | Wins attention and awareness at low cost |
| Typical formats | Search text ads, Maps, YouTube, Shopping | Images, carousels, reels, lead forms, click-to-WhatsApp | Short vertical video, Spark Ads, lead forms |
| Targeting | The words people search | Interests, behaviour, lookalikes, your own customer lists | Interests, behaviour, and what people watch |
| Creative it needs | Clear text and a strong landing page | Good images and video, regularly refreshed | Native-feeling video, refreshed often |
| Weak spot | Little demand means little to buy | Creative fatigue; needs a steady flow of new ads | Ads that look like ads get skipped |
When Google Ads fits best
Google is the right first platform when people already search for what you offer:
- urgent services — repairs, clinics, legal help, delivery;
- businesses customers look for by location — "near me" searches and Google Maps;
- B2B services and high-value purchases people research before they buy.
If almost nobody searches for your product yet, Google has little to sell you, however good the campaign.
When Meta fits best
Meta is the default for most businesses in Egypt and the Gulf because it reaches nearly everyone and is strong at turning attention into a conversation:
- lead forms for real estate, education, clinics and services;
- click-to-WhatsApp and Messenger campaigns for customers who want to ask before they buy;
- retargeting people who visited your site or watched your videos;
- lookalike audiences built from your existing customers.
When TikTok fits best
TikTok suits brands that can make video people actually want to watch:
- younger audiences and impulse purchases — fashion, beauty, food, gadgets;
- launches that need awareness fast;
- businesses with a founder, staff or customers who are comfortable on camera.
The rule on TikTok is simple: an ad that looks like a TV advert is scrolled past. An ad that looks like a TikTok gets watched.
Egypt and the Gulf are different markets
- Cost. Reaching people in Saudi Arabia and the UAE usually costs more per thousand impressions than in Egypt. Budget plans should be made per country, not copied across.
- Language. Egyptian and Gulf Arabic need separate copy and, ideally, separate creative.
- Snapchat. In Saudi Arabia in particular, Snapchat is widely used and is worth testing alongside the three platforms here.
- Messaging. In both markets, a fast reply on WhatsApp often decides the sale more than the ad does.
How to split a first budget
Do not spread a small budget across every platform: each one needs enough spend to learn. A sensible order:
- Start with one platform — the one closest to the buying moment for your customer.
- Give it a fair test — three to four weeks of steady spend, with tracking set up from the first day.
- Add a second platform once the first one is producing results at a cost you can live with.
- Keep a small test budget — around a tenth — for new audiences, formats or platforms.
Our guide to what media buying is explains how to work out the minimum budget a campaign needs to learn.
How to compare the platforms fairly
- Use the same offer and the same landing page or form on each platform.
- Compare the cost per qualified lead or per sale, never the cost per click.
- Track every lead back to its source, with UTM links and the platforms' pixels, and check lead quality with your sales team.
- Judge each platform on several weeks, not a few days: the first days of any campaign are the most expensive.
Common questions
Which platform is cheapest in Egypt?
TikTok and Meta often show the lowest cost per thousand impressions, but cheap reach is not cheap customers. The platform with the lowest cost per qualified lead for your business is the cheapest one, and that can only be found by testing.
Can I run all three at once?
Yes, if the budget lets each one learn properly. With a small budget, two platforms done well beat three done badly.
If you would rather have someone run this for you, see how we work on our media buying page.