Meta vs. Google vs. TikTok: Choosing the Right Platform for Your Growth Stag
One of the most common questions I get from clients is: "Which platform should we focus on?"
The answer is never simple because it's the wrong question. The right question is: "Which platform aligns with our current growth stage, customer journey, and business model?"
I've managed campaigns across Meta, Google, TikTok, and LinkedIn that have collectively generated eight figures in revenue. What I've learned is that each platform has a sweet spot—a type of business and growth stage where it dramatically outperforms alternatives.
Let me break down exactly when and how to use each major platform, based on where your business actually is, not where you wish it was.
Understanding Platform DNA
Before we dive into strategy, you need to understand what each platform is fundamentally designed to do:
Meta (Facebook & Instagram): Meta is the interruption platform. People aren't there looking for your product, they're scrolling for entertainment and connection. Your job is to interrupt that scroll with something compelling enough to capture attention and drive action. Meta excels at discovery, building awareness, and converting people who didn't know they needed your product.
Google: Google is the intent platform. People are actively searching for solutions to problems. They have purchase intent already; your job is to be the solution they find. Google excels at capturing existing demand, not creating it. If someone is searching "best anti-aging serum," they're ready to buy—you're just competing to be their choice.
TikTok: TikTok is the entertainment platform masquerading as social media. The algorithm is frighteningly good at understanding what content will keep each user engaged. People are there to be entertained, and the content that works is content that entertains first, sells second. TikTok excels at viral growth, brand building for younger audiences, and impulse purchases through TikTok Shop.
This foundational difference—interruption vs. intent vs. entertainment—is why a strategy that works on one platform often fails on another.
Platform Selection by Growth Stage
Stage 1: Pre-Product Market Fit ($0-$500K Annual Revenue)
Best Platform: Meta (specifically Facebook)
At this stage, you're still figuring out product-market fit, messaging, and who your customers actually are. You need fast feedback loops and the ability to test multiple audiences and messages quickly.
Why Meta wins here:
Granular audience targeting lets you test different customer segments
Fast creative testing with real-time feedback
Lower minimum ad spends (can test with $20-50/day)
Visual platform allows you to show product and benefits quickly
Detailed analytics for understanding what resonates
Strategy for this stage:
Run small-budget tests ($30-50/day per ad set) across 3-5 different audience segments
Test 10-15 creative variations to find what resonates
Focus on learning, not immediate ROAS
Use engagement metrics (CTR, video completion) as early indicators before optimizing for conversions
Collect email addresses aggressively—build your owned audience
Don't Use Google Yet Because: You don't have enough search volume for your brand or products. People aren't searching for you. Google works when demand exists; at this stage, you're creating demand.
Don't Use TikTok Yet Because: TikTok requires volume (3-5+ posts daily) and consistent brand identity. You're still figuring out what works. Also, TikTok's audience skews younger, make sure that matches your target before investing.
Real Example: I worked with a sustainable home goods brand in their first year. We spent $12K on Meta testing over 3 months, tried 8 different audience segments, and ran 24 creative variations. Lost money initially (0.8x ROAS), but learned their actual customer was different from who they thought. Once we found the right audience/message combo, we scaled to $40K/month spend at 4.2x ROAS. That learning would have been impossible on Google or TikTok.
Stage 2: Product-Market Fit Established ($500K-$2M Annual Revenue)
Best Platform: Meta + Google (dual-platform approach)
You've figured out who your customers are and what messaging works. Now you need to scale both demand creation (Meta) and demand capture (Google).
Why add Google:
You now have search volume (people searching your brand name, product category)
Google Shopping and Search ads capture high-intent traffic
Cost per acquisition on Google is typically stable and predictable
Google complements Meta by capturing interest Meta generates
Meta Strategy at this stage:
Increase budget significantly (test up to $200-500/day)
Move from broad testing to scaling winners
Implement more sophisticated audience strategies (lookalikes, retargeting)
Develop creative systems for producing variations at scale
Test video content heavily (Reels, Stories, Feed video)
Google Strategy at this stage:
Start with branded search (protect your brand name)
Expand to category search terms (people searching your product category)
Implement Google Shopping if you're e-commerce
Use Dynamic Search Ads to automatically capture relevant searches
Begin building remarketing lists
Platform Budget Split:
60-70% Meta (still your growth engine)
30-40% Google (capturing intent Meta creates)
Don't Use TikTok Yet Unless: Your product naturally lends itself to video demonstration AND your target audience is Gen Z/younger Millennials. TikTok at scale requires different content creation infrastructure.
Real Example: A premium coffee brand was doing $800K annual revenue, all through Meta. We added Google at 30% of total budget. Google ROAS was 6.2x (vs. Meta's 3.8x) because we captured people actively searching for specialty coffee. But Google volume was limited—could only spend $8K/month profitably. Meta remained the growth driver, but Google added high-efficiency revenue on top.
Stage 3: Scaling Growth ($2M-$10M Annual Revenue)
Best Platform: Meta + Google + TikTok (omnichannel approach)
At this stage, you need multiple acquisition channels to continue growing. Relying on one platform creates risk and limits scale. Your operational infrastructure can now support multi-platform complexity.
Why add TikTok:
Meta costs are rising as you've saturated obvious audiences
Need new audiences and creative approaches
TikTok offers access to younger demographics
Can drive brand awareness that feeds other channels
TikTok Shop can become direct revenue channel
Meta Strategy at this stage:
Budget $500-2000+/day
Sophisticated audience segmentation and testing
Heavy investment in creative production (need 20-30+ new assets monthly)
Platform is mature, so focus on efficiency and incrementality
Test emerging formats (Reels, Stories, Threads)
Google Strategy at this stage:
Maximize branded search presence
Expand into competitive category terms
Test YouTube ads for brand building
Implement smart bidding and automation
Focus on attribution and incrementality
TikTok Strategy at this stage:
Commit to consistent organic content (3-5 posts daily)
Build TikTok Shop presence
Recruit affiliate creators systematically
Test TikTok ads to amplify winning organic content
Treat TikTok as brand-building that supports conversion elsewhere
Platform Budget Split:
40-50% Meta (efficient scaling)
30-35% Google (high-intent capture)
15-20% TikTok (new audience development)
Real Example: A skincare brand at $5M annual revenue was spending $80K/month on Meta, $45K on Google. Meta efficiency was declining (ROAS dropped from 4.5x to 3.2x as we scaled). We added TikTok at $20K/month. TikTok ROAS was only 2.1x directly, BUT we saw Meta ROAS stabilize and Google branded search increase 40%. TikTok was creating awareness that other platforms converted. Total ROAS across all platforms improved to 3.9x.
Stage 4: Market Leader ($10M+ Annual Revenue)
Best Platform: All channels + emerging platforms (diversified dominance)
At this scale, you're not just running ads—you're running integrated marketing campaigns across every relevant channel. Single-platform optimization is no longer sufficient.
Platform Strategy:
Meta: Mature channel, focus on efficiency and incrementality testing
Google: Dominant category presence, competitive defense
TikTok: Major brand building and cultural relevance
LinkedIn: If B2B component exists
YouTube: Long-form content and brand storytelling
Emerging platforms: Test early for competitive advantage
The shift at this stage: You move from channel-by-channel thinking to customer-journey thinking. Every channel plays a role in a sophisticated attribution model.
Platform Selection by Business Model
Growth stage matters, but so does business model. Here's how different business types should think about platforms:
E-Commerce (Physical Products)
Priority 1: Meta Visual platform, excellent for showcasing products, impulse purchases, and retargeting.
Priority 2: Google Shopping High-intent users searching for specific products. Excellent conversion rates.
Priority 3: TikTok Growing rapidly for e-commerce, especially beauty, fashion, and lifestyle products.
Budget Split: 50% Meta, 30% Google, 20% TikTok
SaaS (Software/Digital Products)
Priority 1: Google Search People searching for solutions to specific problems. Intent is high.
Priority 2: LinkedIn (if B2B) Professional audience, higher consideration purchases.
Priority 3: Meta Building awareness and retargeting free trial users.
Budget Split: 40% Google, 35% LinkedIn, 25% Meta
Services/Consulting
Priority 1: Google Search "Lawyer near me," "financial advisor," "marketing agency"—high-intent searches.
Priority 2: LinkedIn Especially for B2B services, thought leadership positioning.
Priority 3: Meta Local targeting, retargeting, building authority through content.
Budget Split: 50% Google, 30% LinkedIn, 20% Meta
High-Ticket Products ($1000+)
Priority 1: Google Search Higher consideration purchases start with research/search.
Priority 2: Meta Long nurture sequences, remarketing throughout decision journey.
Priority 3: LinkedIn (if B2B) Professional audience with purchasing power.
Budget Split: 45% Google, 40% Meta, 15% LinkedIn
The Real Cost Comparison
Let's talk actual dollars, because cost per click and cost per acquisition vary dramatically by platform:
Meta:
Average CPM: $10-$30 (varies by audience and creative quality)
Average CPC: $0.50-$2.00
Average CPA: $15-$80 (depends on product price and funnel)
Best for: Mid-ticket ($30-$300) impulse and considered purchases
Google Search:
Average CPC: $1.00-$5.00 (highly variable by industry)
Average CPA: $30-$150 (typically higher than Meta but better quality)
Best for: All price points, especially high consideration ($300+)
TikTok:
Average CPM: $8-$20 (currently lower than Meta in most categories)
Average CPC: $0.80-$2.50
Average CPA: $20-$100 (improving as platform matures)
Best for: Lower-ticket ($15-$75) impulse purchases, younger audiences
LinkedIn:
Average CPC: $5.00-$10.00 (most expensive platform)
Average CPA: $80-$300+ (B2B, longer sales cycles)
Best for: B2B, high-ticket, professional services
But remember: cheapest doesn't mean best. A $50 CPA on Google with 80% customer retention is better than a $25 CPA on Meta with 40% retention.
Creative Requirements by Platform
Different platforms require different creative approaches and production volumes:
Meta:
Needs: 15-30 new creative assets monthly for testing
Formats: Square (1:1), Vertical (4:5), Stories (9:16)
Length: 6-15 seconds for awareness, 30-60 seconds for conversion
Style: Attention-grabbing hook in first 3 seconds, native to platform
Production: Can mix professional and UGC-style content
Google:
Needs: 5-10 variations of text ads, responsive search ads
Formats: Text ads, responsive display ads, shopping product photos
Length: Headlines (30 characters), descriptions (90 characters)
Style: Clear, benefit-focused, includes keywords
Production: Primarily copywriting, some graphic design
TikTok:
Needs: 3-5 NEW pieces of content DAILY (more than any other platform)
Formats: Vertical video (9:16) exclusively
Length: 15-60 seconds (shorter often better)
Style: Entertaining first, authentic, trend-aware, NOT polished ads
Production: High volume, lower production value, iPhone-shot works
LinkedIn:
Needs: 5-10 creative variations monthly
Formats: Square (1:1), horizontal (16:9) for sponsored content
Length: 30-90 seconds for video, multiple sentences for text
Style: Professional but personable, thought leadership angle
Production: More polished than TikTok, less stylized than Meta
The Multi-Platform Attribution Challenge
Here's what nobody tells you: once you're on multiple platforms, attribution gets messy. Someone might:
See your TikTok video (awareness)
Search your brand on Google (research)
Click a Meta retargeting ad (consideration)
Return directly to your site and purchase (conversion)
Which platform gets credit? All of them? The last one? The first one?
This is why at scale, you need:
First-party attribution (your own tracking)
Holdout testing (turn platforms off and measure impact)
Marketing mix modeling (statistical attribution)
Customer surveys ("How did you hear about us?")
Don't obsess over platform-reported ROAS. Focus on total business growth and profit.
My Platform Recommendation Framework
Here's the decision tree I use with clients:
If you're doing less than $500K annually: Start Meta only. Master one platform before adding complexity.
If you're doing $500K-$2M annually: Add Google once Meta is profitable and you have search volume.
If you're doing $2M-$10M annually: Add TikTok if your audience and product fit. Otherwise, deepen Meta + Google.
If you're doing $10M+ annually: You should be on all platforms plus testing emerging channels.
But also consider:
What does your competition do? Be where they're not.
What's your team capacity? TikTok needs daily content.
What's your profit margin? Higher margins support more experimental platforms.
The Biggest Mistake I See
The biggest mistake brands make is platform promiscuity—being on every platform half-heartedly rather than dominating one platform completely.
I'd rather see you spend $50K/month on Meta and absolutely master it than spread $50K across Meta, Google, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and Snapchat doing mediocre work everywhere.
Master one platform. Scale it until you hit diminishing returns. Then—and only then—add the next platform.
The Bottom Line
Platform selection isn't about which platform is "best." It's about which platform aligns with your:
Current growth stage and revenue
Customer demographics and psychographics
Product type and price point
Business model and sales cycle
Team capacity and creative production capability
Risk tolerance and testing budget
Meta is your growth engine in early stages. Google is your high-intent conversion machine once you have demand. TikTok is your brand-building and new audience development platform at scale.
But the real secret? The platform doesn't make you successful. Your strategy, creative, and execution make you successful. The platform is just the distribution channel.
Choose the right channel for where you are now, master it completely, then expand strategically as you scale.
Need help determining the right platform mix for your growth stage? I've managed millions in ad spend across Meta, Google, TikTok, and LinkedIn—and I can help you build a platform strategy that actually matches your business reality. Let's talk about your multi-platform strategy.
