The fastest means to reach the right audience is through social media ads. Businesses need to show up on digital platforms because that is where clients and potential customers are. We have social media platforms but which one will be better for you? This we will see in this blog.
Let us start with the basics. You can run ads majorly on two platforms, Facebook and Instagram. Both platforms offer different advantages. Running ads on Insta and Facebook will not give you the same result. Just understand that every niche is different, caters to different audiences, therefore the result will also vary.
Here, we are talking about paid ads and not about the organic or personal content.
Ease of Use – Which Ad is Easy to Create?
Both Facebook and Instagram use the same advertising manager, i.e., the Facebook Ads Manager. It means if you are able to go out and create an ad campaign for FB, you will also be able to do that for Instagram as well. Just because there is a single location, it becomes extremely easy for the marketer to create campaigns with different goals. Also, it allows the marketer to manage and analyze the insights easily on Facebook Ads Manager.
Reach – Gives Access to More People
This is quite simple and straightforward. Facebook has over two billion users and Instagram has over 800 million users. As per Facebook’s demographics, the widest audience is present there so it becomes a favorable and most preferred platform for most businesses to carry out their operations.
If you are only looking at the people in general, obviously you would have an edge over others in the market. Facebook stands ahead in terms of maximum reach. In comparison, the demographics of Instagram are not that large. So, it definitely depends what type of audience you are seeking to reach.
If you have just started as a social media marketer, the easiest way would be to use Instagram ads as they are simple and easy to use.
At the same time, it is also important that you take a good hard look at your ideal customer avatar. Who are the customers you are trying to reach and serve? Who’s that client? If you are targeting clients who are 35 years or above, focus on Facebook ads because it is seen that today the audience from 18-25 or plus have now shifted to Instagram.
To be able to run ads on social media platforms, make sure you create content that looks like it belongs to the right audience.
Engagement – Method of Interaction
If we talk about Instagram, more people are likely to interact with the content you post. So, in this regard, Instagram stands ahead. On the other hand, if you are advertising something that has more visual elements in it, like in the case of the food industry or apparel, you will get more time being Instagram-focused. The conversion cost is almost equal nowadays – whether the ads are on Instagram or ads are on Facebook.  Â
Video Ads

In this regard, both Facebook and Instagram have robust video advertising options. Especially on Instagram, there is an option of IGTV, and reels. People are more likely to watch videos than see photos. However, now even Facebook offers this feature. So, you can run video advertisements on any platform you would like to run. With the videos, you will be able to attract different audiences. Â
The ad column also gives you an option of custom audience which means you can alter the age, demographics, and other criteria. So, it is completely in your control to manage who sees your ad. There are different types of ads that you can create such as Â
- Image ads
- Video ads
- Carousel ads
- Lead ads
- Dynamic ads
- Story ads
If you have no idea which ad will work the best, make sure you conduct an A/B test both on the videos and pictures. You can use the same caption or the description for ads on Instagram as well as on Facebook. The A/B testing will let you know which ad works well, and which ad affects the potential customers the most.  Â
This test will help you understand which ads lead most people to your business website store and which ads would lead to becoming your customers.  Â
This will assist you in getting a higher conversion rate than just having a bunch of visitors to the online store with nobody making a purchase.  Â
A lot of people talk about videos being the best way to go because they captivate their attention. Also, you are able to spend time with the customer, which also helps in continuing that relationship.  Â
Image Ads
This one is easy on Instagram because this platform was specifically designed for the pictures. If you have a brand or a business that is visually appealing or the benefits can be portrayed through efficient pictures, then what better than Instagram? It will obviously be a very easy choice. You must know some Instagram-friendly creative options.
Suppose, if your product does not have any appealing function, you do not necessarily have to use anything with images. There are so many other features that you must explore when it comes to running ads. On the other hand, if your product or a brand has an appealing function, videos would so better in such a case. After all, the main idea is to convey the right message to the customers.
Boosted Post Vs Facebook Ads
A boosted post is not the correct answer 99 percent of the time. The reason is this ad is limited, restricted, and not as efficient and effective so to speak. In layman’s language, a boosted post is selecting a post that is already there on Instagram or Facebook for which you pay money for people to see it.
Facebook as an Advertising Tool
The audience on Facebook has now changed with time. Youth has moved to Instagram and parents are on Facebook.
There have been quite a lot of studies on this and the conclusion has been drawn that youngsters do not join social media platforms whose parents are present on them.
It seems the demographic will get older with time so based on your target audience and the product; you must choose the digital platform that supports your immediate requirements.
Social media is a quick medium. Not just online platforms but also the audiences are growing fast. They look for variety and new things daily. So, keeping up with the pace through digital platforms is the key. To be able to do so, contact The Big Unit, the best digital marketing agency in Melbourne.
To conclude, we can say that in the present scenario, advertising on Instagram as well as Facebook is important. Both ads work well. To know how each ad works, click here. A Guide to advertising on Instagram