It may sound like I’m stereotyping here, but when it comes to social media marketing, Facebook leads the list among different social media platforms. When it comes to the user base, it is surely the king as it holds an average of 1.4 billion monthly active users. It is also the most stable platform. Facebook was successful in redefining the way people look at social media networks, and it also created numerous ways for advertisers.
Facebook vs. Instagram in Marketing
Then here’s a new platform rising: Instagram. It’s undeniable that Instagram is new in the social media world. However, it arrived in perfect timing. It launched in the time where mobile phones dominated the whole world. It was also the time where strategists were hungry in developing a solid social media strategy plan.
It came when consumers prefer browsing using their smartphones and tablets than turning the desktop computer on and using it. With that in mind, Instagram was able to take advantage of this massive shift in the way people spend time online by creating an app that is solely for mobile users.
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Just as how Facebook surprised the social media peeps with their approach (which is data-driven), Instagram also shook us with their “strictly for mobile” app.
Either of the two platforms, both are powerful and is extremely influential when it comes to branding. With that in mind, it’s undisputable how huge the chance they’re offering for article writers, SEO specialists, and most importantly, those who are building a social media strategy.
Because Facebook owns Instagram, these two are most of the time linked closely with each other.
However, in spite of the close bond between these two, every social media marketer should know that these are still two distinct platforms that need different approaches. A person who wants a working social media strategic plan should be aware that what he or she does on Facebook is not always applicable in Instagram.
Here are some of their differences to aid you in deciding what to post in your next social media content:
Instagram and Facebook when it comes to numbers
Since we all know that Facebook started way earlier than Instagram did, it’s unsurprising how huge Facebook’s user base is. Nevertheless, seeing how Instagram grow will surely convince you that it’s heading in the same direction Facebook did. Here are the numbers:
Statistics:
|
|
1.4 billion active users every month | 300 million people are using the app on a monthly basis |
655 million active mobile users every month | 75 million users are online on a daily basis |
Mobile users are the ones playing 65% of the video | More or less twenty percent (20%) are using Instagram |
40 million people who have or supervise small businesses have pages on Facebook | Twenty-seven percent (27%) of the total population of America uses Instagram |
Forty-seven percent (47%) of the users use the app on their mobile phones while fifty-three percent (53%) are using their tablets or their iPads |
As you can see, Facebook may have larger numbers compared to Instagram, but no one can deny how impressive its numbers are considering how new they are in the world of social media (especially when it comes to engagement). Instagram did a great job establishing itself as one of the rising platforms when it comes to visual content.
However, the numbers do not tell the whole story.
Audience: Facebook vs. Instagram
When it comes to audience, one of the major differences between the two platforms is Instagram’s user base is composed of youngsters. The majority of the users in Instagram are those who are below the age thirty (30), and the majority of them are in their teenage years.
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For companies who are trying to target the millennials, advertising in Instagram is surely ideal.
On the other hand, a study conducted by The Washington Post says that Facebook has been losing their teen users. According to it, from Fall to Spring of the year 2014, Facebook teen users dropped from seventy-two percent (72%) to forty-five percent (45%).
Also, the same study found out that thirty-eight percent (38%) said that comparing the platforms, Instagram is beneficial when it comes to marketing. Only twenty-one percent (21%) of the users is in favor with Facebook as the best marketing channel.
Takeaway
Facebook is not an alternative for Instagram and Instagram can never replace Facebook. For you to make sure what content to create and publish, make sure you identify your audience, and you look for the best medium.
Above anything else, the question is not which social media site is best for marketing your services and products online. You have to ask yourself this question instead: How can I use these different social media channels to grow my social media presence and increase my audience?
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