With over 2 billion monthly active users on Facebook and over 1 billion monthly active users on Instagram, both platforms offer huge audiences for businesses looking to build an online presence. But which one is better for your business – Facebook or Instagram? Here are some key factors to consider when deciding where to focus your social media efforts.
Reach And Demographics
Facebook still has a much larger total audience than Instagram, making it appealing if you want to get your content and ads in front of as many people as possible. Facebook’s audience skews a bit older, with the largest demographic being 25-34 year olds. However, all age groups are well-represented on the platform. Facebook is strong across gender lines as well, with a nearly 50/50 male/female split.
Instagram has a younger audience compared to Facebook. Over 50% of Instagram’s users are 34 years old and younger. The 18-24 and 25-34 age groups are particularly well-represented. Instagram also has slightly more female than male users, with a 60/40 female/male split. So if your target demographic aligns with these groups, Instagram may be the better choice.
Summary
| Platform | Monthly Active Users | Age Demographic | Gender Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2+ billion | All ages well-represented, skews 25-34 | Nearly 50/50 male/female | |
| 1+ billion | Majority under 35, strongest in 18-24 and 25-34 | 60% female, 40% male |
In summary, Facebook offers the largest total reach while Instagram is better for targeting younger audiences. Consider which demographic you want to focus on.
Content Format
On Facebook you can share a variety of content formats, including:
– Text posts with images/videos
– Live videos
– Photo albums
– Stories
– Events
– Product catalogs
– News articles
Long-form text posts tend to work well for driving engagement and traffic. Video content also performs very well on Facebook.
The focus on Instagram is visually-driven content in these main formats:
– Photo posts
– Stories
– Live videos
– IGTV long-form vertical videos
– Reels short-form edited videos
Instagram places heavy emphasis on high-quality, eye-catching imagery and video content. The ability to share Stories that disappear after 24 hours also makes it great for sharing time-sensitive and “in the moment” style content.
Summary
| Platform | Popular Content Formats |
|---|---|
| Text posts with images/videos, live videos, photo albums, stories, events, product catalogs, news articles | |
| Photo posts, stories, live videos, IGTV, Reels |
Facebook supports a wider variety of formats while Instagram is highly visual and video-focused. Align your content approach accordingly.
Ad Options
Facebook offers extensive advertising options, including:
– Photo ads
– Video ads
– Carousel ads
– Collection ads
– Lead ad forms
– Dynamic ads
– Catalog sales ads
Ads can be highly targeted based on location, demographics, interests, behaviors, and more. Facebook offers robust analytics for optimizing and tracking ad performance.
Instagram ad options include:
– Photo ads
– Video ads
– Carousel ads
– Story ads
– Shoppable posts
Instagram ad targeting includes interests, behaviors, demographics, and location. Instragram provides analytics on impressions, reach, engagement and more.
Summary
Both platforms offer a variety of visual ad formats. Facebook offers more advanced behavioral and demographic targeting options while Instagram emphasizes visual storytelling. Instagram Shoppable posts feature is great for product-based businesses.
Organic Reach
Over time, Facebook has reduced the organic reach of Page posts, meaning that only a small percentage of your followers will see your posts in their main feed without paid promotion. Paid advertising is almost essential for reaching a substantial portion of your audience.
Instagram also provides limited organic reach for businesses. However, engagement rates on Instagram remain high compared to other networks. Creating content tailored to Instagram’s focus on visual storytelling can help maximize your organic reach.
Summary
Expect a low percentage of organic reach on both platforms. Engagement remains relatively high on Instagram, but paid promotion is key for reach.
Shopping and Commerce Options
Facebook provides a ton of ecommerce features, including:
– Shop sections on Pages
– Product tags and catalogs
– Shoppable posts
– Live shopping
– Product launches
– Dynamic ads for ecommerce
– Abandoned cart ads
– Store locator
Facebook Pixel and business manager provide analytics on store traffic and purchases.
Instagram also offers robust shopping opportunities:
– Shop sections on profiles
– Shoppable posts
– Product tagging
– Drops for product launches
– Dynamic ads
– Live shopping
– Ads with special offers
The Instagram API allows tracking in-app purchases and traffic to your website.
Summary
Both Facebook and Instagram provide excellent ecommerce features for showcasing products and driving sales. Facebook may have a slight edge in terms of purchase-focused ads and analytics. But Instagram is fantastic for aspirational, visually-focused brand-building through shoppable lifestyle content.
Messaging and Customer Service
Facebook Pages allow people to message you publicly via comments or privately through Messenger. You can manage messages directly from your Page. Facebook also offers “Click to Messenger” ads to encourage messaging.
Similarly, Instagram users can message your business publicly or privately. Instagram ads and shoppable posts can include a “Send Message” CTA. Businesses can manage Instagram messages through a unified inbox.
Summary
Both platforms make it easy for users to contact your business via messaging. This allows you to provide customer service and engage in conversations to build relationships.
Analytics and Insights
Facebook Pages provide detailed analytics and insights about your followers and content performance, including:
– Page views
– Post reach/engagement
– Follower demographics
– Traffic sources
– Ad performance
Data can be segmented by time period, content type, demographics and more. Exporting data to Excel or CSV is also an option.
Instagram Insights shows you metrics like:
– Impressions
– Reach
– Engagement
– Saved posts
– Exits and replies
– Audience demographics
– Traffic sources
Data is shown in easy-to-read charts and graphs. You can toggle between periods for comparison.
Summary
Both platforms provide excellent analytics to inform your strategy. Facebook may offer more extensive metrics especially for ads. But the presentation in Instagram Insights is very user-friendly.
Promoting Other Channels
Facebook makes it easy to drive traffic to your other channels. You can include links to your website, videos, and other profiles in your posts, ads, and Page bios. Links posted on Facebook also get indexed faster by Google.
Instagram also allows you to link out to external sites. Put links in your bio, posts (one per post), Stories (swipe up), IGTV show pages, and stickers on photos. Add an external link in Ads too. This helps direct traffic to your website from Instagram.
Summary
It’s very straightforward to leverage both platforms to promote your website and other social profiles. Taking advantage of opportunities to link out is key to driving traffic and growing your overall online presence.
Appeal to Influencers
Influencers large and small are active on Facebook. Brands can partner with them or run influencer marketing campaigns. Facebook provides analytics on influencer content performance. And you can share influencer content through branded content ads.
Instagram is hugely popular among influencers with its focus on visual media. There are extensive opportunities for influencer marketing campaigns and partnerships on Instagram. Measure engagement and reach, and simplify compensation with Instagram’s branded content tools.
Summary
Both platforms work very well for influencer marketing. Instagram has become the go-to hub for visual influencer content. But don’t count Facebook out as many established influencers have strong presences there.
Groups and Communities
Facebook Groups related to your business and niche provide valuable communities. Groups let you connect with your audience, generate engagement and feedback, and grow your presence. You can create official brand groups or join existing relevant communities.
While Instagram doesn’t have a Group feature, brands can foster communities through:
– Hashtags – Monitor hashtags related to your offerings for opportunities to engage. You can also encourage user-generated content featuring your branded hashtag.
– Mentions – Respond to handle mentions to connect with customers. Ask questions to spark conversations.
– Comments – Reply to comments and ask follow-up questions to keep dialogues going.
Summary
Facebook Groups provide more built-in community features. But with a thoughtful strategy, you can also develop great communities through engagement on Instagram posts and Stories.
Automation
Facebook offers some automation features natively, like scheduled publishing. Third-party social media management tools like Hootsuite and Sprout Social allow for more automation like auto-replying to Messenger. Use caution not to automate too much to avoid appearing robotic.
Instagram limits automation more than Facebook. Post scheduling via third-parties is allowed, but auto-commenting and sending automated DMs will get you banned. Rely more heavily on manual interaction.
Summary
There is more room for automation with Facebook, but be careful not to overdo it. Instagram is more restrictive, emphasizing authentic human-to-human engagement.
Appeal to Local Customers
Facebook lets you fully optimize your presence for local marketing:
– Location-based page categorization
– Local business profile verification
– Detailed location info in ad targeting
– Local awareness and map view ads
– Local event listings
– Messenger call to action for directions
Instagram also offers ways to engage local customers:
– Location tags on posts
– Location stickers in Stories
– Local business profile categories
– Local awareness ads
– Promoted local events
– Share store location and hours
Summary
Both platforms make it easy to attract nearby customers. Location-based targeting for ads and content is especially effective. Having a complete local business profile on both is best.
Cost
Facebook offers these free features:
– Create a Business Page
– Post content
– Send private messages
– Comment and engage with audiences
– Join Groups
– Basic analytics and insights
They charge for:
– Paid ads and promotions to reach more people
– Additional analytics like audience demographics
– Blue verification badge
Instagram’s free options include:
– Business profile
– Posting content
– Commenting and messaging
– Basic analytics
Paid features are:
– Advertising
– Advanced metrics and reporting
– Promotions within IGTV
Summary
The core features on both platforms are free. You can post, engage, and analyze performance at no cost. Budget for paid promotions to boost reach.
User Experience
Facebook offers a desktop and mobile website as well as iOS and Android apps. The experience differs slightly across platforms, but core functionality remains consistent. As primarily a mobile platform, Instagram may have a slight edge in mobile UX.
Instagram was designed as a mobile-first experience focusing on simplicity. There is only an iOS and Android app (no web interface). The app makes it easy to quickly consume content and create visually appealing Stories and posts on the go.
Summary
Both deliver strong mobile experiences. Instagram was designed specifically for intuitive mobile use, while Facebook also has desktop interfaces. Consider your audience’s preferred platform.
Simplicity
Facebook has more options and features for businesses. The interface can seem overwhelming at first. But with a bit of familiarity, it offers flexibility tailored to your needs.
Instagram streamlines options into an intuitive, image-focused interface. It may be quicker to master, especially if you have a highly visual brand. But less complexity means fewer possibilities.
Evaluate your needs for ease of use vs. customization to determine the better fit. Instagram tends to be more beginner-friendly.
Conclusion
So which platform is better for businesses overall? The answer depends on your specific brand, target audience, content approach, and marketing goals.
Here are some quick takeaways based on common scenarios:
| If this describes you… | Choose… |
|---|---|
| Youthful, image-focused brand | |
| Location-based business needing local marketing | |
| Product-based business with ecommerce | Facebook or Instagram (can’t go wrong with either) |
| Information and content-heavy business | |
| B2B company targeting other businesses | |
| Strong video content strategy | |
| Influencer marketing plans |
The best approach for most businesses is having an active presence on both Facebook and Instagram to cover all your bases. Use Facebook to share long-form content, run helpful ads, and analyze performance. Post visually engaging lifestyle imagery on Instagram and leverage influencer partnerships.
Matching the strengths of each platform to your specific goals and audience is key. With some trial and error, you can develop an effective omnichannel strategy.