Facebook vs Instagram: Which Platform Is Better For Your Next Marketing Campaign?

There is no doubt that social media is an essential part of your digital marketing strategy, but it can be challenging to narrow down with so many to choose from, which is best for your business. Your marketing budget isn’t big enough to hit them all.

Two of the biggest social media sites are Facebook and Instagram. We’ll examine the differences and similarities between these two sites so you can decide when choosing between Facebook vs. Instagram.

Don’t let another day go by without your ads and posts on one or both influential social media sites.

Facebook Vs. Instagram: A Quick Look

Facebook is the oldest of the two media platforms, with billions of subscribers.

People post everything from their moods, videos, pictures, and more thoughts of the day. Facebook has different protocols for personal pages and business pages. People can use Facebook Messenger to talk to each other, and it has a total Pay-per-click and boosted post-paid advertising system.

Instagram is incredibly popular with millennials and has many of the same abilities as Facebook. People can communicate and post pictures and videos, which is significant in influencer marketing. It doesn’t have a gaming platform like Facebook and is more suited for mobile devices.

When people share pictures on Facebook, they tend to be haphazard and not professional. Instagram photos are often photoshopped and designed to look professionally taken.

Which Is Better for Engagement?

Facebook is often used for longer-form content and discussions. It’s suitable for engaging with your audience through comments, shares, and longer posts.

Instagram is known for its high engagement rates and is more conducive to quick interactions through likes, comments, and direct messages. It’s a platform where visual aesthetics and concise messaging are crucial.

Instagram is the leader if you’re looking to reach the most people organically, i.e., without paying. It is known to have a much higher reach than non-boosted Facebook posts. The social media giant created Instagram shopping, which increases engagement, but this costs money.

Facebook has a shallow organic reach because of changes to the algorithm in recent years. Businesses can post, and hardly any followers will see it unless boosted. A boosted post requires money to increase the reach of your existing followers and beyond.

Regarding ads, Facebook’s ability to laser target audiences, thanks to its data collection, makes it the leader of Instagram. If you’re looking to attract a more significant subset of people, Facebook is the choice.

If you’re a brand that focuses on the younger generation and your products or services lend themselves well to photos and videos, Instagram is a better choice. It’s the social media platform of choice for millennials and Gen Z.

A paid media strategist could provide the best information on these two sites.

Cost of Running Ads

Generally, Facebook has a broader user demographic with a diverse age range. If your target audience spans various age groups, Facebook might be a better choice.

Instagram tends to attract a younger audience, particularly those aged 18-34. Instagram could be more effective if your product or service aligns better with this demographic.

The cost of pay-per-click advertising is a significant factor for many businesses. Regarding the average cost per click, Facebook is the overall leader as it has a more extensive subject matter and a higher rate of subscribers.  The average cost per click is $0.51 and $8.77 per thousand impressions.

Instagram rates can be meager, but specific niches can see cost-per-click rates exceeding the Facebook average. Still, given the younger generation’s love of the platform, and with CPC of around $0.25 and $4.00 per thousand impressions it’s worth adverting on it if your audience is aged 16 – 34.

Smaller budgets might do better on Facebook because of targeting, but higher budgets can pay the higher cost-per-click rates of Instagram.

Brand Power

Facebook is better suited for businesses looking to establish a comprehensive online presence, share detailed information, and build a community around their brand.

Instagram is ideal for brands that want to showcase a more visually oriented lifestyle-focused image. It’s trendy among fashion, beauty, travel, and lifestyle brands.

Choose the Social Media Platform for Your Business

The choice between Facebook and Instagram for marketing depends on your target audience, business goals, and the type of content you want to share. Both platforms are owned by Meta (formerly Facebook, Inc.) and offer robust advertising options.

In many cases, a combination of both Facebook and Instagram might be the most effective strategy to reach a broader audience. The key is to understand your target audience, tailor your content to each platform, and regularly analyze the performance of your marketing efforts to refine your strategy.