Todd Sumamno
Instagram before it was bought by Facebook, in the year of 2012, was and still is one of the leading most popular social media platforms. While definitely, it did seem like it was a bold move and a bit of a gamble then, especially considering the fact that the app has not gained as much popularity as it did now, and also it was run by just the mere number of thirteen employees. It was a smart move, because now the app is worth more than a hundred billion dollars. But in all honesty, on the basis of the number of users that is found on Facebook, Instagram does not stand a chance. While Instagram does have more than eight hundred million monthly users, and is one of the most popular social media apps, it still has a lot to catch up on when it comes on Facebook. But another factor and very important point to consider would be the fact that the demographics of the audiences that are on both of these social media platforms also vary. So, if you are looking for a target audience with a specific age group or demographic, it would be wise to do your research as well.
So, between Instagram vs Facebook, which one is the best to gain popularity?
Since we have been talking about demographics, let us compare the Instagram vs Facebook over demographics.
Now, one of the major differences when it comes to the demographics is that Instagram definitely without doubt, has a younger audience as compared to when it comes to Facebook, and there are researches that even show that the older age audiences that are on Instagram, are not as active and social as the younger audience base. Furthermore, a lot of the users on Instagram are younger in age and in their early thirties, late teens, even early teens as a matter of fact. Mainly this is because of the fact that users under this age group often have the need or even the desire to hop on the next trend as soon as it comes especially with the shiny object syndrome coming into existence. Companies who are looking for the younger aged audience or if you belong to that group, Instagram is your best bet. When it comes to Facebook, it definitely has a larger and older audience, but another factor to keep in mind is that if your audience belongs to the older audience, one of the primary advantages would be that these are users who have higher incomes, and are more stable in life, so if you are someone or even a company looking for promoting and advertising products, Facebook is the place you would want to gain popularity.
Instagram vs Facebook, when it comes to algorithms.
All of us know the importance of cracking the algorithm because in return, we end up becoming viral or just plain famous on either of the social media platforms. In short, according to the new algorithms for both the social media platforms, it is all about the visibility of your posts in the feeds of the people who will actually interact and the relevant Instagram users. When it comes to the algorithm Instagram has, engagement, the time you decide to post your post, the shares, the amount of time spent on your post, whether your post is actually relevant enough, all of that matters. These factors play a huge role in gaining popularity because these actually improve your chances in gaining more Instagram followers provided your content is relevant enough. Coming to Facebook and the algorithm of Facebook, the posts you post and if your friends and family react to it, you definitely are ranked higher. Moreover, the higher number of hours spent on your post, and the more likes, shares and comments your posts receives in a certain amount of time, the more chances are you would be able to gain and feed the algorithm. Promotional posts, especially aggressive promotions, are always and usually demoted.
In terms of marketing, Instagram vs Facebook.
One of the major reasons why most want to gain popularity is so that we can market our products or services in a much easier manner, or just to promote another brand’s. Either way, one of the major reasons would be marketing. When it comes to Instagram, Instagram is a much better option when it comes to direct marketing like creating brand awareness, engaging with your Instagram followers, and a lot of influencer marketing. When it comes to Facebook, Facebook allows the users to use a third part website as an online store, something that Instagram does not allow. Moreover, because of the fact that Facebook has an older age demographic, it also helps.
These were the major points and one of the most important points and factors that you would look for or look into when you would check the validity of any social media platform. When it comes to Instagram, if you were someone who is aiming to gain popularity among the younger generation, Instagram is definitely your cue to start with. But if you are someone who is actually looking and targeting the older audience, Facebook is the social media platform you would be looking at, but again, that does not mean that you should let Instagram go or vice versa, it would be definitely wise to start with one and then proceed to another.
