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Originally Posted On: https://popularposting.com/instagram-vs-facebook-for-marketing-which-is-better-for-your-brand/
Did you know that more than half of the world uses social media nowadays? This means that over 4 billion people are active on one of the many social media channels available. As a business owner, you are missing out if your brand is not on one of these digital platforms.
If you are ready to jump on the social media bandwagon but are overwhelmed and even confused as to which social media channel to choose, we are here to help. We have put together this guide to share the main differences between two of the older social media giants – Instagram vs Facebook.
Read on to learn more.
Algorithms
The key when choosing platforms for your social media marketing strategy is to be visible to the right audience. This is why the algorithm matters. Algorithm, in the lamest terms, refers to the code that each platform uses to decide which posts are seen by which users and the order they are shown in.
This was created to give users a more fulfilling experience where they see what they are interested in seeing. If you opt for Instagram marketing, then the main factors that will determine your business posts to be shown will include the engagement, relationships, relevancy, timeliness, profile searches, shares, and the time people spend on the post.
For those that opt for Facebook marketing then the algorithm takes these factors into consideration: friends and family, engagement, encouraging engagement (posts that might start a conversation), videos, and images. Keep in mind that Facebook now demotes posts that are baiting for likes and comments, and it’s also demoting any posts that try to push people to buy something.
This means that from a business standpoint, getting seen on Instagram’s algorithm might be a bit easier. We highly recommend speaking with a well versed company that specializes in this type of marketing, such as Silverback Strategies. They can give you the best advice on where your business will do best as far as the algorithm goes.
Functionality
Another main difference between Facebook vs Instagram, is how each social network is used. Facebook is more informational, where people can find things out about a company through their Facebook Page. Information such as upcoming events, address, and business hours can all be located on a Business Facebook Page.
Facebook has always been more focused on text because the media platform is more detail driven. For this reason, when you create a business profile on Facebook, it will take a lot longer than creating a business profile on Instagram.
Instagram is more about capturing moments, it is not the first place that people go to, to find out a business’s hours and address. More people use Instagram to engage. This is why when you are building a brand or trying to spread the word that your company exists, Instagram is very effective.
In all honesty, when it comes to functionality, having both platforms can be a great idea for any brand as long as they can handle being present on both channels.
Which Platform Is Best?
You might want to test out your content on both channels to see which one performs best for your business. A big mistake is treating both platforms the same and posting the same content on both channels.
Here are some examples of content and our analysis on where they tend to do best. Read over these to evaluate what type of content you plan on posting to help you narrow down which platform you feel would be best for you, if you don’t want to dabble in both platforms.
Company News
For those businesses that are planning on publishing any company news, then Facebook should be the first choice for this. Because Facebook is more text-based, then the chances of users reading an entire update are a bit higher than on Instagram.
An example of this is if you have to temporarily close down due to construction, you can make a Facebook post sharing this news, whereas on Instagram you would post videos, and pictures of the construction in progress.
Curated Content
Instagram is more about original videos and photos vs curated content. Facebook is typically more about the curated news, content, and blog posts being shared.
If you plan on curating more content, then Facebook is the best option for this.
Image Contests
When a business posts an image contest, this is for more engagement and to help spread the word. These types of posts tend to do best on Instagram because these are the kinds of posts that the Instagram algorithm prefers.
Using a hashtag for your contest will help you keep track of everyone that enters. Facebook is best for promoting the contest that you posted on Instagram. You can use the Facebook platform to help push traffic to your business Instagram account.
Events
If your business hosts a lot of charity events or conferences then, Instagram is a perfect place to share pictures, reels, and stories in real time. People love to feel like they are part of something, so “behind the scenes” content on Instagram is great for company events.
Feeling Like an Instagram vs Facebook Pro?
Now that we have shared the main differences between Instagram vs Facebook, you can make an informed decision on which platform you want to focus on. Make sure you make a list of your business needs and goals when you are weighing out your options.
If this blog post came in handy, please continue browsing our business section for our latest tips and tricks.
