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Despite the rebranding of Facebook to Meta, nothing has changed for its two most popular social media platforms – Facebook and Instagram. They are still the best platforms to use for social media ad campaigns.

For marketers, the common approach is to implement their ads to any or both platforms, since both are proven to be productive channels. They even give an option to integrate your marketing campaigns on Facebook and Instagram.

But you should also examine whether your campaign needs to use both channels for your ads. When is the best time to advertise on both? When is the best time to produce with just one of them?

Here are six considerations that can help you decide.

1. Audience reach.

Around 75% of Facebook users are also on Instagram. That suggests that you can tap the remaining 25% of a probable audience reach through running your Facebook ads on Instagram.

But some of your audience here might have already seen your ads on Facebook, making it unnecessary to pay for ads on both platforms. Start by using their Audience Size Emulator Tool to determine the potential audience per platform.

A difference below 10% would mean you shouldn’t run your ads on both platforms.

2. Ad formats

Instagram ad formats are now supporting some eCommerce features. Meanwhile, Facebook ad formats don’t often run high-impact formats for its ads just like Instagram.

The takeaway here is you can run ads for either Instagram on Facebook depending on your purpose.

Instagram is effective on driving engagements particularly if your ad is focused on creating long lasting impact to viewers.

Meanwhile, Facebook ad formats are a better option for lower funnel engagements, especially for eCommerce or conversion-oriented campaigns where the other transaction parts will take place outside the platform, or lead you to a website.

3. Audience intent

Tapping into your audience’s intent is also one way to distinguish what platform you should use in implementing your ads.

Instagram, with its visuals-centred feed, encourages upper-funnel behaviour with high engagement, making it a great place to publish visual ads.

Facebook, on the other hand, is focused on lower-funnel engagement, which includes purchasing, signing up and other activities related to transactions.

So, for higher funnel audience strategies, consider using Instagram, and Facebook for lower funnel efforts.

You can also run on both platforms, but the messaging and creative assets must be tailored to your intent on these channels.

4. Text content

Instagram, as we’ve mentioned, is all about aesthetics. For your ads, it’s better if you limit the text within it so the ad will get more traction.

For Facebook, most people would like to read longer texts there, not only within the ad, but also in its descriptions. So, ads with longer texts can work here.

But if you are running ads with moderate text content, you can use both platforms.

5. Organic efforts within the platform

This applies to both Facebook and Instagram. Wherever you’re running your ads, people will take a look at your organic profile to learn more.

Beef up your organic profile with some organic activities so people can navigate and examine your profile and assess on whether it is worthy to look at the brand you are advertising.

6. Campaign resources allocation

Before jumping on one or both platforms, it is a must to understand the performance measures in each platform.

Know how one platform measures ad success, and from there, you can assess whether one is better than the other. That way, you avoid stretching yourself too much on two platforms and not being able to oversee both of them.

Knowing these considerations can assist you in deciding what’s the better channel for your ad campaigns, so your time, effort, and budget will not be put to waste.

Need some help on your ad campaigns? Team Elephant is ready to help. Contact us at (03) 7018 7620 or visit www.elephantintheboardroom.com.au and let’s make your ad campaign a productive one, wherever channel you’re going!