Getting started on social media: Facebook vs. Instagram

The first question you may ask when diving into the world of social media is, "Where do I start and what's best for me?" Getting started on social media can be tough. This is why it's so important to ask this question early on and make a strategic decision. To get started it is useful to take a look into two of the most popular social media platforms: Facebook and Instagram. Below I've given a brief look into Facebook and Intagram and what the goals of each one are.

Facebook

Facebook houses over 2 billion monthly active users. As one of the largest and most popular social media platforms, Facebook can be a great option for any business.

Why is Facebook so popular? It has become a popular, user friendly option for all demographics.

This means Facebook allows you to target all ages of customers, anywhere from teens to senior adults. You can also reach both men and women as 66% of men and 76% of women are on Facebook. All income and education levels can be found on the platform as well. With this wide variety of demographics it is almost certain that you will find your target audience.

Facebook allows you to accomplish all of the goals since it is so versatile. You can post a variety of different forms of content, unlike some other platforms. On Facebook you can post text, images, video and links. You also have the ability to like, comment and share on your own posts as well as others. This can allow for better communication with your customers. Here you can show a more personal side of your business and provide top quality customer service.

Another benefit is Facebook ads. This allows you to create ads directed towards your target market that are active online users. Creating Facebook ads can be a daunting task, but don't be afraid to seek out professional help. If you're seeking professional help checkout this list for some great reviews and recommendations to find the best agency for you.

In summary, let's look at some of the goals Facebook can help your business achieve:

1. Develop brand awareness

2. Drive traffic to your business and website

3. Allow you to provide higher quality customer service

4. Generate more leads

Instagram

Now let's take a look at a newer but also popular social media platform, Instagram. While Instagram may be a newer platform than Facebook, it's growth rate since introduction has been impressive. Now Instagram hosts over a billion monthly active users, with over half of them being daily users. While Instagram does not have as many overall active users, the percentage of their users that are active on the platform daily are higher. This means your business will have a higher potential to engage with your audience.

If your company thrives on a visual product or service Instagram may be the perfect choice. As a photo and video driven platform Instagram is best for businesses looking to attract customers visually.

Instagram also has tools such as Instagram Live and Instagram Stories. These tools allow you to show

an even more personal and human side to your business. You can offer more of a behind-the-scenes look and highlight yourself, the people working for you and the people who support your business.

In order to succeed on Instagram it will be important to post high quality images. These do not include Instagram stories. Stories can be raw and less scripted. Here I am referring to the lasting posts on your Instagram page. If you do not feel qualified to do this yourself it can be helpful to have someone on your team who has photography skills or at least a creative edge that can create high quality content.

These images shouldn't just be continuous posts of your products. You'll also need to tell your business story and relate to the lifestyle your audience is interested in.

As a platform with high amounts of engagement it is important to ensure you are actively engaging with your customers. This does not just include posting frequently, but also commenting and responding to your audience. You'll also want to switch up your posts and try new methods to keep up and increase engagement with your audience. A good way to do this is by using hashtags that expand your reach and getting brand promoters or influencers to create their own posts about your product. Using influencers can help drive in new possible customers since they are getting personal recommendations from people they already trust.

Lastly, since Instagram is owned by Facebook, all of the benefits of Facebook ads apply to Instagram as well. Even better Instagram ads appear in the users normal feed so it does not disrupt their experience. Again here is a list of some useful Instagram advertising agencies that can help you accomplish this task.

To summarize here are some goals that Instagram can help your business accomplish:

1. Increasing brand awareness

2. Telling a visual story

3. Driving in traffic

4. Increased customer engagement

5. Establishing relationships with influencers

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Now that you've seen a quick look into Facebook and Instagram you are a step closer to answering the question, "Where do I start and what's best me?" While answering this question will require some more investigation it can help you begin to determine which channel is best for you. The next question to ask yourself is, "Which of these platforms does my target audience use most frequently and what platform offers the greatest benefits to my business?" The key is to discovering where your audience is, where they are active and what type of content they want to see.

It is not necessary to pick only one channel to invest in, but it is important to realize you can't be everywhere at once. It's okay to have multiple social media platforms, but it is best to specialize in one. If neither of these platforms are exactly what you are looking for, keep look out for future posts where I discuss other options as well.