With only 30 million users at the time, Instagram’s 2012 price tag of $1 billion looked excessive.
However, Facebook’s mobile presence was lacking before its initial public offering, and the company was able to immediately strengthen this area after purchasing Instagram.
Mark Zuckerberg was praised for his decision to preserve Instagram as a separate entity rather than just incorporating its technology into Facebook itself. Six years on, his words hold even more intrigue:
For a long time, we’ve been working to improve the process of sharing images with loved ones. This partnership will allow us to collaborate more closely with the Instagram team to bring you the best experiences for connecting with like-minded people through the sharing of beautiful mobile photos.
Comparing Instagram with Facebook, What Sets Each Apart
Instagram and Facebook are fundamentally different in terms of the kinds of material they can host. Users of Instagram may only share media in the form of photographs, videos, Stories, or Reels, along with a few words of commentary.
However, Facebook is more flexible in the types of content it can display. Facebook users may share more than just images and videos with one another; they can also share links, long-form videos, articles, Stories, and quizzes. The main distinction lies in the fact that Facebook captions have clickable links.
Then what?
Instagram, like Facebook, is also available as a website and a mobile app. Users enjoy using both the Facebook app and the website. Instagram, on the other hand, is mostly used through its mobile app since it is more convenient for consumers.
Statistics on our Viewers
Instagram and Facebook both have their own set of users for different reasons. People under the age of 30 are Instagram’s target audience.
In April of 2022, the percentage of Instagram users in the 18-24 age range was 30.2%. Seventy-eight percent of its users throughout the world are under the age of 34.
Instagram’s aesthetic focus attracts users in search of fresh inspiration in the arts and fashion.
It’s also interesting to those who aspire to brand influencer status and utilise their own networks to spread the word about products they believe in.
Marketing your items with the aid of Instagram influencers is a terrific option if you’re trying to reach a younger, more visually-oriented demographic.
Engagement
Due to their immense popularity, both Instagram and Facebook boast exceptionally high engagement rates. The primary distinction between these mediums for user interaction is on their intended purpose.
People use Instagram to find out about cool new products, locations, and events. People utilise it to obtain new ideas and be inspired by visuals.
In contrast, Facebook is all about maintaining meaningful relationships with others. Its primary function is to facilitate user engagement with material posted by friends and relatives.
Funding for Promotions
Instagram and Facebook also differ in how much emphasis is placed on advertising for promotional purposes.
Facebook’s ad platform is preferable since it targets people with material that is of interest to them, and it can also be used to promote Instagram accounts.
Users have faith in Facebook’s ability to provide them with appropriate advertisements because of how well it usually does. You may use this credibility to your advantage when promoting your brand on the site. If you want to advertise your sales presentations on Facebook, for instance, you may utilise the smart links that come with the sales navigator.
Algorithm
Algorithms on social media platforms decide which posts a person will see and in what sequence. In the past, social media feeds presented posts in the order in which they were published.
This form of news feed ensured that users didn’t miss a post, but it became disorganised when a user followed multiple accounts. This is because when postings are sorted based on when they were made, users may find that some of their favourite accounts have been buried.
To solve this issue, social media sites implemented algorithms that prioritise user-requested content in the news feed.
The Instagram algorithm focuses on
Value added to the reader: how pertinent is your post?
The feed is up-to-date and prioritises recently published content.
The number of likes and comments a post receives affects its engagement score.
The length of time a user has spent looking at a particular post determines how prominent it will be in their feed.
Do they have a close relationship with the Instagram account that posted?
Users who have a lot of searches on their profile page will appear higher in the timeline.
Accounts with a high number of shares from the user are prioritised.
The Facebook algorithm places a premium on:
- In a user’s timeline, friend and family posts are prioritised.
- Posts that generate a lot of interaction (a lot of likes, comments, and shares) get rewarded.
- Downvoted postings include those that encourage readers to make a purchase.
- The ranking of posts that are clearly intended to attract attention in the form of likes, comments, and shares is decreased.
- Posts that include photos and videos perform better in search engine rankings. Disregard posts that just include text.
- When you know how the algorithms on Instagram and Facebook function, you can decide which posts are most suited for each site.
Facebook may seem like a no-brainer for marketers looking to expand their reach, but the social media platform’s algorithm isn’t exactly kind to promoted content. More people use Instagram there.