Social media is a game-changing tool for small businesses to showcase their brand, products, and services to a wider audience. In 2021, over 4.26 billion individuals were using social media worldwide, which is anticipated to increase to almost six billion in 2027 (Source: Statista)
Two of the most popular social media platforms for businesses are Instagram and Facebook. Both platforms offer various features for businesses to promote their offerings, engage with their audience, and increase their sales.
In this blog post, I will compare the features of Instagram and Facebook to help you decide which platform is best for your business. You might also enjoy reading: 14 Common Email Marketing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.
Instagram vs. Facebook: Target Audiences
With approximately three billion monthly active users in 2023, Facebook is crowned as the hottest online social network worldwide (Source: Statista). This means that businesses on Facebook can reach a large and diverse audience from different demographics and backgrounds.
On the other hand, in 2021, about 1.21 billion people used Instagram monthly, over 28 percent of the world’s internet users. By 2025, the number of Instagram users is predicted to be 1.44 billion monthly active social media users, accounting for 31.2 percent of global internet users. (Source: Statista)
Keep in mind that Instagram’s user base is generally younger, with a significant portion of its users falling between the ages of 18-34, including millennials, and Gen Z, whereas Facebook is popular with a wider demographic range, including baby boomers.
If your business targets younger audiences, Instagram might be the best platform for you. However, if your business targets a broader audience, Facebook might be the better option.
Instagram vs. Facebook: Content Format
One thing to remember is that the type of content you want to share is also an important consideration when choosing a social media platform.
Generally, Instagram is known for its visual content, with a focus on photos and videos. If your business is visually oriented, such as e-commerce, fashion, or food, Instagram would be the better platform for you to promote your brand and products.
Facebook, on the other hand, is ideal for sharing a mix of content types, including photos, videos, text, and links. Facebook also offers more variety in terms of the length of the content, making it a better choice for businesses that want to share longer-form content.
Instagram vs. Facebook: Engagement
The way users interact with your content on each platform is also an important factor to consider. One of the advantages of using Instagram over Facebook is engagement. A 2023 study by Rival IQ found that brands see a median engagement rate of 0.06% per Facebook post, compared to a 0.47% median engagement rate per post on Instagram.
According to the study, Instagram has a higher engagement rate than Facebook. Instagram’s engagement is driven by its culture of liking, commenting, and sharing posts, while Facebook’s engagement is generally lower due to its complex algorithm. In addition, Instagram users are more likely to follow and engage with brands than Facebook users.
Instagram is designed to be more interactive, where users engage with content by liking, commenting, and sharing. Facebook is more suited to informative posts and long-form content and often sees more engagement with posts that spark a conversation.
If your business is focused on creating visual content, Instagram would be the perfect platform, while Facebook would be suitable for businesses that want to produce informative and educational content.
Instagram vs. Facebook: Advertising
Both Instagram and Facebook offer robust advertising features that allow businesses to run targeted ads to reach their target audience. Facebook’s advertising platform offers detailed targeting options to identify specific demographics, geographic locations, interests, and behaviors.
I found Facebook’s advertising options to be more diverse, allowing businesses to create personalized campaigns for their audience. Facebook offers a range of ad formats, from images, videos, and carousel ads to lead ads, offers, and events.
Instagram’s advertising options are a bit simpler, and I believe that Instagram is great for businesses that want to focus on visual content. Instagram’s advertising options offer single image ads, video ads, carousel ads, and story ads. I also like that the ads on Instagram blend seamlessly with organic content, making them more appealing to users.
Depending on your type of business, both ad options are suitable, but the trick is to understand your target audience and which platform they’re most active on, and therefore which advertising approach they may prefer.
Instagram vs. Facebook: Branding
Facebook and Instagram have unique sets of features and tools for businesses to customize their brand and make them more appealing to their audience.
Generally, Instagram’s focus on visually-driven content means you will need to spend extra time curating your feed so it stands out on visuals alone. Facebook has a broader set of branding tools with the ability to create custom tabs and options to add videos and in-depth articles.
If your business relies on visual branding or may prefer a broader set of branding tools, which goes beyond just images, the choice of platform depends on your business needs.
Instagram vs. Facebook: Analytics
Both platforms provide in-depth analytics that gives businesses a wealth of information about their page insights and follower data. Facebook offers page insights, ad insights, and customized audience data so businesses can optimize their marketing strategies.
Instagram’s analytics helps businesses understand their audience demographics, best-performing hashtags, and engagement rate.
Depending on your business marketing objectives, you can leverage these analytics to create a more effective content marketing strategy on either platform.
So, Instagram vs. Facebook: Which Social Media Platform is Best for Your Business?
Each platform offers a unique set of benefits, features, and tools to enhance your social media marketing strategy.
- If your business caters primarily to a younger audience and relies heavily on visual content, then Instagram would be the perfect option.
- If you’re offering more educational or informative content and trying to reach a more mature audience, Facebook would be more suitable.
By understanding your target audience and aligning your strategy to the right platform, you can create a social media presence on the right platform that promotes your brand, engages your audience, and drives sales.
The table displays Instagram and Facebook benefits.
| Social Platform | Benefits |
| – Visuals – Direct customer engagement – Audience Insights – Brand awareness | |
| – Informational Platform – Popularity – Personal connections with your customers – Ad revenue |
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Wrapping Up
Choosing between Instagram and Facebook comes down to your brand’s goals, target audience, and content strategy. I believe that both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses.
Facebook has a larger user base and more diverse advertising options, while Instagram offers higher engagement and is well-suited for visually-oriented businesses.
I believe that the best approach is to explore both platforms and see which one resonates best with your audience and your business. Remember, social media marketing isn’t just about sharing content; it’s about building relationships with your audience; I also encourage you to focus on providing valuable content that your followers will appreciate.