Although Facebook and Instagram are both part of the meta ecosystem and have many similarities, advertising on these two platforms still has different characteristics that advertisers should consider before running. Many areas of advertising on Facebook are ineffective but sometimes extremely effective when advertising on Instagram. This is due to the differences between the two platforms related to target audiences, advertising types, etc.

Understanding the characteristics of advertising on each platform before planning is extremely necessary for advertisers.

In this article, we will specifically analyze the differences between the two types of Facebook Ads And Instagram Ads, in addition, we will also point out which areas, businesses, and types of businesses will be able to effectively deploy Instagram ads Facebook ads.

What is Instagram ads

After being acquired by Facebook, Instagram has reached 1 billion users and achieved its first $ 1 billion in revenue since the first ads were launched on this platform.

Instagram ads are posts that can be images, videos, links to websites, stores posted on Instagram's newsfeed, stories for the purpose of selling, promoting brands, etc. Instagram ads are often displayed with the word Sponsored below the account name.

Including 5 types of ads, including image ads, video ads, stories ads, carousel ads and Marque Ads Instagram.

Image Ads

Features: Simple and effective, this ad uses a single image to convey the message.

Objective: Suitable for product introduction campaigns, increasing brand awareness or encouraging shopping actions.

Format: Supports different sizes such as square (1:1) or vertical (4:5).

Video Ads

Features: Create more vivid and engaging content through videos.

Objective: Great for telling a brand story, showcasing product features, or driving engagement.

Format: Short-form video (Reels Ads) or longer (Instagram Feed).

Carousel Ads

Features: Allows users to scroll through multiple images or videos in the same ad.

Objective: Best for showcasing multiple products, process steps, or different perspectives on a product/service.

Special Features: Each slide can have its own link.

Marquee Ads

Features: This is Instagram's premium ad format, helping brands stand out through a prioritized period of time on the platform.

Objective: Optimizes for short-term reach, often used for major events or product launches.

Benefits: Guaranteed high impressions during peak hours.

Stories Ads

Features: Full-screen ads that appear in Instagram Stories, where users frequently interact.

Goal: Increase brand awareness, encourage users to take action (like swiping up to visit a website, shop, or download an app).

Format: Supports still images (9:16 ratio) or short videos (up to 15 seconds).

Special features: Integrate interactive tools like stickers, hashtags, and calls-to-action (CTA) like “Swipe Up” or “Learn More.”

Benefits:

Grabs instant attention with the full-screen format.

Integrates seamlessly into the Stories viewing experience, without causing disruption.

Highly effective for campaigns focused on quick engagement or conversions.

Key Differences Between Facebook Ads And Instagram Ads

Although acquired by Meta and connected to Facebook, Instagram still has its own characteristics and therefore their own user base. So there will be differences between Facebook advertising and Insta advertising in many points as follows:

Demographics & Audiences

The first difference between the two top social networking platforms in the world is their user base. While Facebook is the platform with the largest number of users with diverse ages, genders and areas of interest, almost all business fields consider Facebook advertising as a priority in their communication plan,

However, for Insta, they have a much younger user base and their main interests are mainly related to beauty such as cosmetics, clothes, skincare products or photo editing apps. The tastes of Instagram users are also somewhat different from Facebook, they like people with their own personality, expressing their own personal color, the same goes for businesses. Usually on Insta, businesses will also build their image with their own mark, modern identity, suitable for young people's tastes.

Ad Formats

Facebook has up to 12 types of ads including

Photo Ads, Video Ads, Stories Ads, Reels Ads, Carousel Ads, Slideshow Ads, Collection Ads, Messenger Ads, Lead Ads, Dynamic Ads, Poll Ads, Playable Ads.

With a variety of advertising types, Facebook offers more options for advertisers. This is also consistent with the current state of advertising on Facebook, with a large user base and diverse needs, so many advertising fields can easily deploy campaigns.

You can learn more about the types of Facebook ads in our previous article.

Meanwhile, Instagram only has 5 types of ads: image ads, video ads, stories ads, carousel ads and Marque Ads.

Buyer Intent

The demographic differences also lead to differences in the purchasing trends of users on the two social networking platforms Facebook and Insta.

As we mentioned above, Insta users are mainly young people, belonging to Gen Y and Millennials. According to a survey, users in this group spend more time surfing social networks, 70% of shoppers turn to this platform for their next purchase. This means that this is where people go to find shopping inspiration and discover new products.

• 62.7% of Instagram users follow or research brands and products on the app.

• For Facebook, there are also figures showing the effectiveness of brands' sales efforts,

• 58% of Facebook internet users browse a brand's website for more info after seeing a product or service in a Facebook Story. (And 31% reported going to a store to check out a business in person!)

• 37% of Facebook users will make a purchase on the platform in 2023

• 19% of U.S. consumers start their shopping search on Facebook

The demographic differences also lead to differences in the purchasing trends of users on the two social networking platforms Facebook and Insta.

As we mentioned above, Insta users are mainly young people, Gen Y and Millennials. According to a survey, users in this group spend more time surfing social networks, 70% of shoppers turn to this platform for their next purchase. This means that this is where people come to find shopping inspiration and discover new products.

For Facebook, there are also figures showing the effectiveness of brands' sales efforts 

• 58% of Facebook internet users browse a brand’s website for more info after seeing a product or service in a Facebook Story. (And 31% report going to a store to check out a business in person!)

• 37% of Facebook users will make a purchase on the platform in 2023

• 19% of U.S. consumers start their shopping search on Facebook (Statistics)

Engagement: Audience Behavior and Interaction

The way users engage with ads on Facebook versus Instagram is noticeably different due to audience demographics and platform behavior. Facebook tends to have a more diverse user base, including older demographics who are likely to click, comment, and share posts. Engagement on Facebook often revolves around community interactions, such as joining groups, participating in discussions, and sharing long-form content like videos and articles. Ads on Facebook tend to drive more clicks and conversions for longer decision-making processes, such as service inquiries or purchases requiring research.

In contrast, Instagram Ads thrive on visual storytelling and quick interactions. Instagram’s audience skews younger, with a focus on high-quality visuals, short videos, and Stories. Engagement on Instagram is often faster but more passive—users are more likely to double-tap (like) or view a video rather than leave comments or click links. Ads that feature eye-catching images, Reels, or dynamic Stories generally perform better on Instagram, especially for lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and aspirational brands.

Facebook ads work well for driving deeper engagements like clicks and shares, while Instagram ads are ideal for capturing attention quickly and boosting brand visibility through visuals.

Campaign Objectives: Aligning Goals With Platform Strengths

When choosing between Facebook and Instagram, aligning campaign objectives with platform strengths is critical. Facebook Ads support a broader range of campaign objectives and are particularly effective for goals like lead generation, website traffic, and conversions. Facebook’s News Feed, Groups, and Marketplace provide opportunities to target users at every stage of the funnel, making it a versatile platform for driving awareness, consideration, and conversion.

On the other hand, Instagram Ads excel at objectives related to brand awareness, engagement, and discovery. Instagram’s visual-centric nature, combined with placements like Stories and Reels, makes it highly effective for campaigns that focus on showcasing products or inspiring creativity. Campaign objectives such as “Brand Awareness,” “Engagement,” and “Reach” often see the best results on Instagram, where strong visuals quickly grab users’ attention.

For example, if I’m running a campaign to drive sales for a high-ticket service, I focus on Facebook placements using objectives like Conversions or Lead Generation. However, for a brand looking to build awareness through lifestyle imagery, I leverage Instagram Ads with a “Reach” objective and prioritize Stories placements.

Campaign Features: Tools and Placements

While Facebook and Instagram share the same ad management tools, their features and placements offer distinct opportunities for marketers. On Facebook, you have access to a wider variety of placements, including the News Feed, In-Stream Video, Marketplace, Right-Hand Column, and Messenger. This makes Facebook more flexible for businesses targeting users in multiple ways, from video content to conversational Messenger ads. For example, I often use Facebook’s In-Stream Video Ads to engage users during long-form video content, something Instagram doesn’t yet offer.

In comparison, Instagram Ads focus on fewer but highly visual placements—Feed, Stories, Explore, and Reels. These placements are tailored to Instagram’s visual nature and user behavior, which favors short, high-quality content. Instagram also provides features like Shopping Ads and interactive tools such as polls, stickers, and swipe-up links within Stories, which make it ideal for e-commerce brands.

I find that Facebook Ads give me the flexibility to run multi-objective campaigns across various placements, while Instagram Ads force me to focus on creating impactful visuals that tell a story quickly. Both platforms have their strengths—Facebook is a utility powerhouse, while Instagram is a visual engagement leader.

ROI (Return on Investment)

Facebook Ads:

Suitable for large budget campaigns with a wide reach due to a diverse audience of ages, interests, and locations.

Higher ROI for industries that require deep engagement such as education, finance, or B2B.

Powerful retargeting features help optimize ROI over long-term campaigns.

Instagram Ads:

More effective in highly visual industries such as fashion, beauty, travel, and consumer products.

High ROI for campaigns targeting younger audiences (Gen Z and Millennials).

Creative formats such as Reels Ads and Stories Ads drive faster conversions, especially through in-person shopping experiences.

Cost Comparison

Facebook Ads:

Average cost per click (CPC) is typically lower than Instagram.

Suitable for businesses looking to optimize their advertising budget, especially for campaigns focused on web traffic or lead generation.

Instagram Ads:

Typically higher CPCs but superior engagement rates due to visual content and personalization.

Higher ad costs for specialty formats like Stories Ads or Reels Ads, but high conversion value in specific industries.

Ease of Use

Facebook Ads:

Features a more granular management interface, suitable for large campaigns that require frequent monitoring and adjustment.

Requires a deep understanding of tools like Ads Manager and Pixel to maximize potential.

Instagram Ads:

Simpler and more intuitive, especially suitable for beginners or small campaigns.

Easily integrated with creative editing tools, helping brands create outstanding content right in the app.

Which Platform Is Right For My Brand?

The differences in many aspects of the two platforms lead to the formation of two advertising options that can be said to be separate for some platforms. Obviously, many businesses can find success when implementing campaigns on both Facebook and Instagram. But what about small businesses or those with little experience, which field should they choose to test advertising for their products/services?

Instagram Is Generally Better At

Compared to Facebook, Instagram has a smaller number of users, the user base is also narrowed to the young, Gen Y, Millennials, their purchasing behavior and interests are also completely different from Facebook users.

Businesses related to beauty, fashion such as cosmetics, skin care products, hair, clothing, accessories will be suitable to implement advertising campaigns on this platform. In addition, products and services related to food and drink are also very suitable for promotion. Insta users tend to like neat, simple posts with a particularly youthful and luxurious style.

While Facebook Is Built For

Almost all types of legal products and services can launch promotional campaigns on Facebook, you can refer to the list of products and services allowed to advertise on Facebook. However, advertising on Facebook is quite diverse, besides, the Facebook advertising market is a lucrative bait that any business wants to participate in, which means you will have a lot of competitors. Before launching promotional campaigns, make sure you are fully equipped with experience and skills in advertising on Facebook.

Conclusion

Both Facebook ads and Instagram ads will be potential tools if businesses choose the right type for themselves. If Instagram focuses on young users, the main concerns are related to beauty, health such as cosmetics, clothing, skin care and other beauty services, then the Facebook advertising market is somewhat more bustling, Facebook users are popular in many ages as well as interests, so most products and services can be promoted.

Luca agency with more than 8 years of experience and a dedicated support team will assist you with any problems you may encounter with Facebook Ads. Contact us now for advice and support 24/7.