Article by Katina Beveridge, Digital Advisor, Western Sydney Business Centre
Facebook vs Instagram: Which Platform Is Best for Your Business?
When it comes to social media marketing, choosing the right platform for your business plays a crucial role in the success of your marketing campaign. There are many platforms to choose from — each with their own pros and cons.
But with all other marketing strategies, you need to have a plan to guide you when making decisions such as this. You need to go back to what you want as a business, how you are going to achieve them, and what channels you need to use to get to your goals. When you have a clear plan, choosing which social media platform to use will be a breeze.
In this article, we’ll discuss the two most popular social media platforms — Facebook and Instagram. Even though Facebook owns Instagram, the two platforms are clearly two separate entities with their own features and perks. Let’s look at these two social media channels and figure out which one fits your business the most.
Facebook by the Numbers
• Facebook has 2.38 billion monthly active users as of the first quarter of 2019 (Statista).
• Of the 2.38 billion, 15,000,000 are Australian (Social Media News).
• Facebook has 80 million small- and medium-sized business Pages (Hootsuite).
• 88% of Facebook users are using mobile device (Hootsuite).
Instagram by the Numbers
• Instagram has one billion monthly active users, and half of them use the platform everyday (Instagram Press).
• Of the one billion users of Instagram, 9,000,000 are from Australia (Statista).
• 71% of Instagram users around the globe are below 35 (Statista).
• There are 95 million photos and videos being shared on Instagram every day (WordStream).
When you look at the numbers, you might think that Facebook is better because it has more users. Well, you’re right and wrong at the same time. Although more users translate to a bigger audience, there is more to marketing than just reaching more people. Let’s look at the strengths and weaknesses of each platform before you decide which one to use.
Engagement
Instagram is the social media platform with the most highly engaged users, studies revealed. With 95 million posts every day, there’s a total of 4.2 billion likes per day. The average engagement rate in Instagram is 4.7% while the average engagement rate per post on Facebook is 0.17%. So if you want more engagement for your posts, Instagram wins hands down.
Reach
When it comes to visibility, Facebook obviously has the advantage over Instagram. Aside from its huge user base, it has also a diverse range of age groups. You will have a higher chance if increasing your brand’s visibility using Facebook, especially if you don’t have a specific age group in mind.
Demographics
Facebook has a diverse selection of age groups you can choose from. It has also different kinds of people from different industries and different walks of life. But if you’re looking to appeal to a younger audience, you’ll have better results with Instagram. It is the perfect platform to engage with a younger customer base.
Post Options
One of the biggest advantage Facebook has over Instagram, and other social media platforms for that matter, is that you can share just anything you can think of. Photos, videos, links, articles, polls, emojis, and other ideas we’ve probably never thought of before. With Instagram, posts are limited to text, photos, and videos.
Bottom Line
Each platform is different from the others, even if they have the same owner. When choosing between Instagram and Facebook, you have to consider your target audience, marketing goals, and available post materials. But, why choose when you can use both?