Choosing the best social media platform for your business is crucial for effective online marketing. A strong social media presence is vital to promoting your brand online. In this guide, we’ll compare Instagram vs. Facebook for business, highlighting their unique advantages to help you decide which platform will maximize your ROI and brand presence.
In this article, we’ll focus on two of the most popular social media platforms: Instagram and Facebook – helping you decide which platform to focus on moving forward.
There are many reasons why you should use Instagram to promote your brand.
Visual Story Telling
With over 2 billion monthly users, Instagram is the best social media platform for visual story-telling. After all, you can begin to tell your brand’s story through a range of grid posts, reels, stories, and lives – all of which can help you build a distinct brand identity. This will enable you to differentiate your brand from your competitors, winning over more customers while doing so.
A Profitable Digital Storefront
While initially designed to be an image-sharing forum, in recent years, Instagram has become a digital storefront in its own right. Customers can now buy products directly through the app or click on a specific tag to be directed to your sales page.
Furthermore, these kinds of posts receive high levels of engagement, with “over 130 million users tapping on shopping posts monthly,” making Instagram an excellent choice for e-commerce brands looking to expand their reach. For example, clothing and beauty brands fare particularly well on Instagram.
Influencer Marketing
Instagram is also the “home” platform for the majority of influencers – and collaborations with these individuals can yield a rapid increase in web traffic, followers, customers, and, ultimately, sales. While this may be a “newer” method of marketing, studies have found that “influencer marketing has a higher ROI than SEO.”
To target a specific demographic
When setting up social media profiles for your brand, you should also consider which platforms your target demographic spends the most time on. After all, this greatly increases the chances of them coming across (and engaging with) your content. A recent study states, “25–34-year-olds make up the age group with the most Instagram users at 31.7%.”
What are the pros and cons of using Instagram for my business?
Pros
- Visual storytelling opportunities.
- Influencer marketing opportunities.
- The chance to connect with a global user base.
- The chance to sell products directly through the platform.
Cons
- Frequent changes to the algorithm can make it hard to curate posts that perform well.
- High competition from other brands.
- Limited opportunities to share links to your website.
There are many reasons why you should use Facebook to promote your brand.
Targeted Advertising
Approximately 2.085 billion individuals use Facebook every day. While initially designed as a networking tool, it is now the ideal platform for targeted advertising. This is because business owners can send advertisements or sponsored posts directly to the feeds of their target demographic. As such, it can be a great way to ensure your brand receives the exposure it deserves.
Community Building
If you run a brick-and-mortar business and are trying to become entrenched within the local community, then Facebook is another great place to start. This is because Facebook can send ads directly to those within “close proximity” to your business, helping to put your brand on the map.
Customer Interaction
Facebook also provides businesses with ample opportunity to interact with their customers, whether this be through reviews, community groups, or their businesses’ Facebook page. This can help business owners foster a sense of community that encourages loyalty and repeat custom among consumers while making it clear that they are leaders within their chosen industry.
To target a specific demographic
According to a recent study, nearly one in three active Facebook users are aged between 25-34. Typically, E-commerce brands perform well on the platform alongside non-profit organizations or local businesses.
What are the pros and cons of using Facebook for my business?
Pros
- Targeted advertisement opportunities, allowing brands to connect with billions of monthly users.
- The opportunity to build an engaged online community.
- The opportunity to create diverse content.
Cons
- Paid advertising is often necessary, as algorithm changes mean that the algorithm prioritizes friends’ and family’s posts, making it harder for businesses to gain traction.
- Many studies have found that Facebook is declining in popularity.
The Verdict: Instagram vs. Facebook for Business
Both Instagram and Facebook provide businesses with ample opportunity to promote their brand to a wider audience. This, in turn, can increase both the amount of web traffic and sales they receive.
However, it is also important to note that this is not an either/or situation. The majority of brands will set up profiles across multiple different channels, employing a distinct social media strategy for each platform. This will allow you to increase the ROI you receive through your marketing campaigns while also casting your net as wide as possible.
