Facebook vs. Instagram: Which one is Better for Business?
Which platform has more influence? Facebook or Instagram? This is a question we get a lot here at Local Social Media. You probably won’t be surprised to hear that there’s no simple answer. Neither one is outright better than the other. Each comes with its own user base and marketing benefits, and each one can prove to be better than the other in different situations. Understanding the differences between the two platforms, will help you determine which is best for your business so you can invest your time and money wisely and get the best sales results.
It is part demographics, part pretty pictures, part targeting to who buys from you.
Let’s start by going over the marketing benefits of each one.
Overall, Facebook has more users than Instagram. It’s been around longer and is, therefore, more established. The social media giant was founded in 2004, making it 15 years old. Although Facebook users tend to be older than those on Instagram, Facebook covers a broad spectrum of ages. Of the online seniors who are older than 65 years, 62% of them are on Facebook and 72% of online users between ages 50-64 are on Facebook, too. Before you think Facebook is just for the older crowd, consider that 88% of online users between the ages of 18-29 are also on Facebook, as well as 84% of users between ages 30-49. The ratio of male to female users is almost equal with 53% female and 47% male.
1.5 billion+ people use Facebook every day
2.3 billion+ people use Facebook every month
7M+ active advertisers are on Facebook every month
Founded in 2010, Instagram is younger than Facebook but it’s gaining traction quickly. It has a smaller number of users than Facebook, however, Instagram users seem to be more engaged than those on Facebook. As far as gender demographics, Instagram is used more heavily by females than males. Consider that 35% of all US adults have Instagram accounts, including 500 million daily active users and 500 million accounts that use Instagram Stories every day. Of those users, 39% are female and 30% are male. The photo-intensive platform is also known to appeal more to teens and young adults. More than 90% of Instagram users are younger than 35 years old. Statistics show that 72% of 13-17 year-olds and 64% of 18-29 year-olds are on Instagram. Meanwhile 40% of 30-49 year-olds, 21% of 50-64 year-olds and 10% of 65+ have accounts.
1 billion+ Instagram accounts worldwide are active every single month.
500 million+ Instagram accounts worldwide are active every day.
80 percent of accounts follow a business on Instagram.
500 million+ accounts use Instagram Stories every day.
Demographics is a big part of any marketing campaign, but before you’re tempted to launch your campaign based on these numbers alone you need to know that there’s more to Facebook and Instagram. You’ll also want to consider what type of campaign you want to run. For example, Andrea Lopez – head of Socialyze, a social media analytics group – suggests Instagram for campaigns that appear attractive in pictures: food, clothing, fashion, etc. “If you don’t have the visual appeal that performs well on Instagram, then you need a strong call to action like a deal, loyalty program, an answer to a problem or something else that would prompt people to find out more by following a link,” she says. “Those types of campaigns do better on Facebook because Facebook allows you to post as many links as you want. On Instagram, you’re limited to only one link and it goes under your bio; you can’t add a link to an Instagram post.”
Local Social Media’s owner Birgitta Stone agrees. “We’ve seen a higher interest in Instagram,” she says. “and like, Twitter, it’s not right for every business. The demographics of your business is what drives the social media platforms."
Facebook is a better option for purchases that are generally done on desktop rather than mobile. One example is travel. While beautiful bed-and-breakfast pictures on Instagram are a great way to attract visitors, flights are usually researched and purchased via computer. Instagram is primarily mobile-based, which means if you want to close the deal, advertise with links on Facebook.
Facebook VS. Instagram - the stats
Facebook Instagram
Higher visibility Higher engagement
Desktop or mobile Mostly mobile only
Better for in-depth purchase Popular for instant purchase
Share unlimited links Add one link in bio
Optimization available Optimization available
Local Social Media, is an online digital content and marketing company designed to create consistent local branding for clients. Established in 2011, it was one of the first to use the influence of social media to give clients the edge over their competition.
Visit us on our website www.localsocialmedia.net, email us at info@localsocialmedia.net, or call 203-788-8252.
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