Instagram vs Facebook: Let’s End This Social Network Battle

How many social media platforms are there now? If you’re coming from the age of the AOL social network, you may have seen it all. You’ve sat through Myspace, Facebook, and Vine, and you may be mentally exhausted. Some social media networks you’ve never even heard of have thousands of active users. You don’t need to be on every one of them. You just want to know if the type of content you post works best on Instagram vs Facebook. We all have a lot going on. Social media management may not be your only day job. You may not have the time to have a social media presence on both. That’s perfectly understandable.

Your social media marketing skills are still in development, and you don’t want to stretch yourself too thin. You’ve heard that Instagram has introduced business accounts and want to know if it helps to reach potential customers. Which algorithm will work best in your favor? Hopefully, you can find the key differences in this article. Your social media experts at Plixi won’t lead you astray!

Facebook Reels vs Instagram Reels: Are They the Same Thing?

It may come as a surprise that Facebook also offers Reel capabilities. But then you remember that it’s a Meta social media site. It’s slowly growing to look more like Instagram, which you definitely know has Reels. So, are they the same? We’ll discuss both.

Facebook Reels

Facebook may have come to the short-form party late, but they came swinging. After all, they had several predecessors to take notes from. To make reels, you can edit photos and video clips together to make one short-form video. You can set this video to audio that Facebook has on its platform. This could be actual songs or other audio. It only goes up to 60 seconds. Feel free to speed the audio up or down, depending on your vibe. You can even choose a background from your camera roll using the green screen effect.

On Instagram, you share a reel to your page, and the people that follow you see your content. On Facebook, your Reel gets in front of lots of fresh eyes as well. It would seem that Facebook wants you to get famous. Users can discover new things, and that new thing could be your reel. It’s still in the early days of this feature, so that it may evolve with time.

Instagram Reels

We know all about these full-screen vertical videos. They are everywhere, whether you’re tired of them or not. You can set these short videos to some compelling audio and show off editing skills with all the effects available. 

Instagram loves its reels. They love sharing them with other people and keeping users on the app longer. They offer great opportunities for page growth. Getting on the Explore Page can explain your reach further than your immediate followers. Facebook Reels may boast that they share more than just the following. However, Instagram reels are a proven way for small pages to find new followers. Facebook Reels vs Instagram Reels. What’s the real difference? The truth is that the distinction may not be that huge.

Instagram Ads vs Facebook Ads: Who Deserves Your Money? 

Whether on Instagram or Facebook, Meta is going to get that ad revenue. All you can control is how much they get from you and which platform to pay it to. Are you still going back and forth between both? Well, let us help you make that decision!

Where Is Your Industry the Strongest?

It may not matter which platform has more users. It makes sense to go to the platform more likely to have your customer base. The ads process is quite intuitive on both platforms. You could curate your ads to reach who you want. You just have to make sure the potential followers are already there.

For example, are you trying to reach women in their mid-twenties? Maybe you want to advertise your online boutique for millennial women. The fact is that younger people occupy Instagram. There is a reason millennials coined the term “Instagram Baddie” and not “Facebook Baddie.” You’d be better off spending your money on Instagram, not Facebook, if your products are that specific.

Choose the Platform With the Ads That Suit You 

It will be easier to navigate creating ads on Instagram than on Facebook. Facebook will ask more questions and has fewer steps to maneuver. Are you new to the social media marketing arena? Instagram may be the avenue for you. It’s simpler and seems to be coaching you through the process. Even though the user face is easier to navigate, it doesn’t sacrifice efficiency. You still get to pinpoint your exact target audience in a budget that works for you.

Keep Your Budget in Mind

Of course, the cost of advertising is a huge factor in the Instagram Ads vs Facebook Ads debate. Who comes out on top? Well, according to Social Pilot.co, Facebook costs $0.50 per click on average. In contrast, Instagram charges $1.10 per click.

Remember that Instagram may have the demographic you have in mind. Considering that, the $1.10 may be money well spent. We hope we don’t overcomplicate things, but you must also consider the click-through rate (CTR) on each platform. It seems that Facebook has a higher rate for this.

If the two options are neck and neck, you may have to try out both. Then, you can decide which yielded the best results for your brand.

What To Post on Facebook vs Instagram: Adapting to Each Platform

Even though platforms share so many similar features, the content you share on each will differ. How you communicate with supporters will differ. Knowing what to post on Facebook vs Instagram could determine how much time you spend on each. Let’s break it down into a few points.

The Demographic on Each Site Matters

Some creators have platforms on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube platforms. They will tell you that content performs differently on each site. You may even go to their TikTok account and see videos they would never post on Instagram. The age range is simply different for each. Think of some viral challenges you want to participate in to grow your brand. The older demographic on Facebook may not respond to the way you’d like. You may have a better chance on Instagram.

Instagram Insights can provide you with a breakdown of the age range of followers on Instagram. You can see for yourself what kind of risks you could take. 

Business vs Community

Instagram has made it so easy to run a business using their platform. You can change your profile from a regular one to a Business Account and access a myriad of features. While Instagram has started a Broadcast channel feature, the correspondence is still one-sided. It doesn’t facilitate community that well. Creators simply use it to promote their new content. This is the kind of content you can post, too. A little extra promotion for your content wouldn’t hurt!

Facebook Groups are still going strong. Members of groups can share their views and recommendations. If you were to promote your brand on that site, you would have access to direct customer feedback. The content that you post here would adapt in light of this culture.

Direct Contact and Communication

There is an incentive to communicate with your DMs. You can boost your brand’s engagement rate and drive some sales. You can even react with emojis when you feel overwhelmed by all the messages. Facebook also offers quick responses to messages. Because of this, you don’t have to worry about posting too frequently on each site. Responding shouldn’t be too hard.

Facebook vs Instagram Stories

Of course, content that disappears after 24 hours is important to discuss as well. Stories are great for behind-the-scenes or unfiltered content. The content you post there can be light-hearted in comparison to your feed posts. Both platforms give you the freedom to do this.

Facebook vs Instagram: Which Is Better for Sharing Content

It would be difficult to answer this without knowing the kind of content you share on social media. While both sites facilitate sharing photos, they are very different. We’ll discuss what we mean below:

They Draw a Different Type of User

Instagram has been around for roughly two decades. Twenty years ago, your parents were still somewhat able to use social media. They flocked to the app in droves. They were constantly amazed that they could meet old classmates from high school. They valued the app as the tool that pulled them closer to old friends. Somehow, they have maintained this loyalty. 

When Instagram came out years later, their children were likely teens and gravitated to this app. For the most part, the generation above was content with Facebook. As a result, the demographic breakdown on each platform is clear. It would appear that younger people prefer Instagram. If the content you share resonates with an older audience, you may want to lean into a particular app. Now, there are outliers. Some younger people have a Facebook presence, and some older people dabble on Instagram. If you want to cover all your bases, consider having a presence on both.

They Attract Different Types of Content

Instagram plopped on the scene as an app people mainly use for photos. Captions weren’t always important to users on that app. The platform didn’t always offer the story feature, which allowed for long-form text. Over time, Instagram became a platform to share more deeply.

The Facebook post limit is 63,206 characters, according to Influencer Marketing Hub. In contrast, the Instagram caption character limit is 2,200. If you want to share detailed text that stays on your feed, the choice is clear. People on Facebook may be more attuned to reading long texts than on Instagram. This says nothing about the type of user’s intelligence. The same user may go on Facebook and read a testimonial. They may come on Instagram hoping to see a reel with the voiceover and all the details.

Both platforms fall under the Meta umbrella, but they are very different. So, Facebook vs Instagram. Which is better?

Instead of Asking, “Instagram vs Facebook?” Aim for Overall Growth

Imagine seeking refuge from the wiles of Facebook, only to find that your parents reside there, too. After all, both fall under the Meta label and are strikingly similar. It makes deciding between Facebook vs Instagram all the more difficult. Do you use Facebook? That’s the giant that walked so Instagram could run. Or do you choose Instagram? Is the app based on visual appeal but strong on brand identity building? We wish we could answer for you. What we can do, though, is offer excellent growth services that you won’t find anywhere else.

Do you want to reach more of your target audience on social media? Plixi can help you get that done. Do you want to attain steady, organic growth instead of one viral moment? Plixi will help you with that. We can say this confidently because we have the tools in our arsenal. We have an AI-targeting algorithm for one. To supplement that, we have an in-house influencers team. There is so much more your brand could be doing. We can help you get there. Instead of debating between Instagram vs Facebook, how about we strive for visibility overall? Let’s start growing and gaining Instagram followers right now!