Weighing X ads vs Facebook ads and wondering if X (Twitter) is still worth it? Here's the blunt answer for a local or small business: for most of you, Facebook is the safer, better-performing bet, and X only makes sense in specific cases. Let's go through why without the platform loyalty.
What changed with X
Since the rebrand and ownership shakeup, a lot of large advertisers pulled back, ad prices softened, and the audience got noisier. That's a mixed bag. Cheaper impressions can be a bargain — or a sign nobody valuable is bidding. Targeting and reporting tools also lag well behind Facebook's.
Facebook, meanwhile, kept refining an ad system that's genuinely good at finding buyers, with mature targeting, retargeting, and reporting. It's boring, and boring wins.
Targeting: not close
Facebook's targeting and its optimization algorithm are the reason it dominates small-business advertising. You can pin ads to your service area, target by behavior and interest, and let the system hunt for people likely to convert.
X's targeting is thinner. It's strongest around interests, real-time conversation, and following specific accounts. For reaching "homeowners within 15 miles who need gutter cleaning," Facebook wins easily.
Cost
- Facebook: CPMs commonly $8-$18; reliable conversion tracking; easy to start small and scale what works.
- X: Often lower CPMs right now, but weaker conversion tools mean cheap reach doesn't reliably become cheap customers.
Low cost per impression means nothing if those impressions don't turn into calls, bookings, or sales.
Where X still earns its spot
X isn't dead. It works when:
- Your audience is B2B, tech, finance, politics, media, or crypto — crowds that live there.
- You're building thought leadership or riding real-time news and events.
- You want to reach a specific professional community that's active on the platform.
If that's you, a test budget is reasonable. If you run a plumbing company, it almost certainly isn't.
Where Facebook wins for local business
Restaurants, salons, contractors, gyms, detailers, clinics — your customers are on Facebook and Instagram, and the geo-targeting plus retargeting fit local service perfectly. It's the default first paid-social channel for a reason.
So, is X worth it?
- Local service business: Skip X, start with Facebook. Maybe test X later if you have budget to spare.
- B2B or a niche that lives on X: Worth a small, measured test.
- Tight budget either way: Put every dollar where you can measure results — that's Facebook today.
The bigger point
Chasing the "cheap" platform is how businesses waste money. The right question isn't which ad is cheapest — it's which channel reliably produces customers you can measure. For most small local businesses, that's search first and Facebook second. We lay out that whole ladder in our simple breakdown of Google Ads vs SEO vs social ads.
If you'd rather have someone pick the right channels and run them properly instead of guessing, that's exactly what Arbor does when we manage your ads. Start with a look at where you stand using the free SEO and AI score.