More than 100 million Americans use TikTok regularly, and about 170 million Americans routinely use Instagram. These statistics alone are enough to suggest that your company should consider signing up for an Instagram account instead of a TikTok account for social media marketing purposes.
But why not dig a little deeper than that to get to the bottom of the TikTok vs. Instagram debate? Just because one of these social media platforms has more users in the U.S. than the other doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the obvious choice for your business, especially when there are many factors to consider.
Rather than rely on user count to choose between TikTok vs. Instagram, it helps to look more deeply into these two popular social media platforms before picking the one that offers the most bang for your buck. This can help you make an educated decision on which social media platform should ultimately win out and provide the most engagement with your potential customers.
See below what separates TikTok vs. Instagram from a social media marketing perspective.
Why companies should focus on using just one social media platform
Let’s start our TikTok vs. Instagram discussion by addressing the elephant in the room. TikTok and Instagram have 100-plus million American-based users right now, so shouldn’t your company sign up for accounts with both social media platforms instead of spending time weighing the pros and cons of each?
Great question!
If you have an entire social media marketing department that can focus on creating high-quality content for more than just one social media platform, then by all means, go for it. You’re more than welcome to sign up for TikTok and Instagram accounts — and while you’re at it, look into securing accounts on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Snapchat, and others.
Americans have an average of about seven social media accounts each. If you have the resources, you can take full advantage by posting on as many social media platforms as possible. This can help expand your company’s reach by building up brand recognition.
If, however, you’re already swamped with so much other work that adding “Social Media Marketer” to your job description is going to put a strain on your productivity as it is, you’re better off sticking to just one social media platform. Here are the benefits of doing so:
- Makes it easier to manage your social media marketing campaigns
- Enables you to save time and possibly money on social media marketing
- Allows you to focus on putting up the best possible social media marketing posts
You’ll also get to know your target audience better (more on the importance of this later!) when you utilize TikTok instead of Instagram or vice versa. Additionally, you won’t have to worry about trying to scramble to respond to people on different social media platforms all the time, which could increase the chances of you missing important messages from new and existing customers.
Is TikTok or Instagram the better social media platform for your specific niche?
One reliable way to decide whether to use TikTok or Instagram for social media marketing is to simply consider which option serves as the superior choice for companies within your specific niche. TikTok will come in as the top option for businesses in certain industries, while Instagram will provide better results for those in other industries.
Check out where businesses in the following niches should stand when it comes to TikTok vs. Instagram and social media marketing.
Clothing brands
The U.S. is home to almost 200,000 clothing boutiques, including many specializing in selling their own clothing brands. If you own a brand that sells clothing, the type of clothing you sell might help determine whether you should choose TikTok or Instagram for social media marketing.
TikTok is often the better option for smaller and more affordable clothing brands that want to use TikTok’s short-form videos to showcase their fashionable outfits. Instagram, meanwhile, is better for higher-end clothing brands that can use Instagram’s photo-editing tools to their full potential.
Home repairs
In theory, Instagram might seem like the logical choice for home repair companies looking to increase their social media marketing efforts. They can post before-and-after photographs on Instagram to highlight the high-quality work they do while making home repairs.
But these types of photo-based posts often don’t get much traction unless the transformations made during home repairs are truly incredible. Home repair companies are typically better off posting “how-to” content on TikTok that can help people make minor repairs on their own or give them the option to reach out to a home repair specialist as necessary.
Food and beverage products
Remember when social media was seen primarily as a tool for posting pictures of the meals people were eating online? Those days are long gone, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still people on TikTok and Instagram who appreciate nice photos and videos of food.
However, since food routinely ranks near the top of Instagram’s list of key categories, Instagram is usually considered the better choice for companies trying to promote food and beverage products. If your company sells food and beverage products, this might give you a more realistic chance to appear on more people’s timelines on Instagram because the IG algorithm seems to favor this content type.
Attorneys
With the American Bar Association reporting that the U.S. has over 1.3 million lawyers working throughout the country, marketing — and, more specifically, social media marketing — has become a much bigger deal than it once was for attorneys. Posting on either TikTok or Instagram can help your law firm stand out in the crowd, albeit in two different ways.
If you plan to take a more lighthearted approach to social media marketing, TikTok provides the opportunity for you to lighten things up and have fun. On the other hand, Instagram works well for attorneys who want to keep things strictly business on social media.
Doctors and healthcare services
A 2021 study found that TikTok posts featuring the hashtags #medicine and #doctor receive billions of views each year. A subsequent study also revealed that about one-third of those people who are a part of Generation Z admit to turning to TikTok for advice on health and wellness.
These types of statistics have led to a spike in the number of doctors and other healthcare workers signing up for TikTok accounts. Some have even become so popular on TikTok that they’re now considered influencers and sometimes participate in influencer marketing. This gives TikTok a leg up on Instagram for doctors and their colleagues in the social media marketing department.
Restaurants
Take everything we said while discussing whether companies that sell food and beverage products should market on TikTok or Instagram and apply it here. While some restaurants have enjoyed success in social media marketing on TikTok vs. Instagram, IG is still the go-to for those looking to portray their meals in the best light.
Restaurants have also come to appreciate Instagram because it enables them to post photos of their menus and specials online. In addition to this, they like that restaurants can connect their Instagram and Facebook pages to make it simpler for customers to get in touch with them to order meals or make reservations.
Schools and training facilities
When you need to decide between TikTok vs. Instagram for marketing a school or training facility online, ask yourself which audience you will try to target with your social media posts. In terms of audience demographics, TikTok has more younger users than Instagram, which means you should:
- Use TikTok to market your school or training facility on social media if you plan to create content that caters to students
- Use Instagram to market your school or training facility on social media if you plan to create content that caters to parents
Photography and art studios
Those who own photography or art businesses will probably want to constantly showcase their work to potential customers. The most effective way to do this is by signing up for an Instagram account instead of a TikTok account. It can serve as a living portfolio or gallery that you can consistently update as you create new work.
TikTok vs. Instagram: A head-to-head comparison
Another reliable way to make a smart decision when choosing between TikTok vs. Instagram for social media marketing purposes is to see how they stack up against each other when you consider a few key factors, like content style, audience demographics, and visibility. This can equip you with more information that will make it possible to choose the right option for your business.
Content style
What kind of content would you prefer to create for your company when you’re doing social media marketing? Your answer to this question could make it easy to decide between TikTok and Instagram.
While TikTok does allow users to post photographs, it’s primarily a video-based social media platform. To generate views, you’ll often have to post short-form videos up to 60 seconds long on TikTok. Once you earn 1,000 followers on TikTok, you can also “go live” on TikTok LIVE and broadcast live videos to your followers.
Instagram originally made a name for itself by allowing users to post high-quality photographs, and the social media platform continues to provide individuals and businesses with a chance to do this today. But it has also expanded and now allows people to post “Reels” videos as well. The platform strikes a slightly better balance than TikTok when it comes to pushing both photos and videos.
Demographics
The differences in audience demographics when you compare TikTok vs. Instagram aren’t that extreme. Studies have shown that both social media platforms attract more younger people than older people in the U.S. But it’s still worth noting the subtle differences in their demographics as far as age is concerned.
Here is what the numbers look like for TikTok:
- 0-18: 19.8%
- 19-25: 33.7%
- 26-32: 26.8%
- 33-39: 16.6%
- 40-46: 5.0%
- 46+: 3.3%
Here is what the numbers look like for Instagram:
- 18-24: 26.5%
- 25-34: 28.3%
- 35-44: 19.4%
- 45-54: 12.2%
- 55-64: 7.8%
- 65+: 5.8%
Consider the gender demographics for TikTok vs. Instagram, too. They look like this:
- TikTok: 53.4% female users vs. 46.6% male users
- Instagram: 48.2% female users vs. 51.8% male users
You can render a ruling on the TikTok vs. Instagram debate by considering who you plan to market your company’s products and/or services to and where you can find them online these days.
Visibility
TikTok and Instagram count on algorithms to push user-generated content to the right audiences. However, these algorithms appear to work in very different ways.
TikTok’s algorithm seems to prioritize trends and potential virality. Because of this, users must stay up on the latest trends and create related posts to land on people’s “For You” feeds.
Instagram’s algorithm seems to place a bigger emphasis on close connections and will often only show any photos or videos your company creates to your followers and not the general public. Because of this, you’ll have to work hard to build a faithful following before you reap the rewards of posting on the platform.
One thing that makes the TikTok and Instagram algorithms similar is that they both seem to rely on hashtags that individuals and businesses add to their captions when deciding which posts to push. You should stay up to date on the newest trending hashtags and consider using hashtags that have consistently provided positive results for other content creators, too.
How much it costs to advertise on TikTok vs. Instagram
Ideally, you’ll have the opportunity to market your company on TikTok or Instagram without having to pay for it. But if you want to invest a portion of your marketing budget into advertising on one or the other, it’ll help to know which one will cost more.
Both social media platforms are constantly changing their advertising policies and cost per thousand (CPM) pricing (the “M” stands for “Mille,” which is Latin for one thousand). However, as of August 2024, Instagram has come in at a slightly lower price than TikTok. Instagram’s CPM is around $8, while TikTok’s CPM stands at around $10.
Unique features of TikTok vs. Instagram
Still on the fence with regard to TikTok vs. Instagram? The final reliable way to decide whether TikTok or Instagram deserves your attention is by sneaking a peak at the unique features found on each social media platform. Let’s finish by taking a look at the key features that differentiate them.
TikTok
TikTok doesn’t just allow you to film and post videos on its social media platform. It also offers a bunch of great options for those who want to make their videos extra special. Here are a few of them:
- Duet and stitch features that enable you to connect with other content creators easily
- A gigantic selection of music and sound effects
- Robust video editing capabilities
TikTok has also invested a lot of time and money over the last couple of years in developing its TikTok Shop. If you desire to embrace social commerce and sell products on social media, the TikTok Shop can help make it happen.
One of the many things that made Instagram such a huge hit at the start was that it didn’t just let people post pictures like Facebook. It also allowed them to manipulate photos to make them look more visually appealing.
Instagram continues to do this with its innovative photo editing and filtering tool. It has also introduced new features into the mix over time. These include:
- Different media options, including videos
- IGTV for longer-form videos
- Interactive elements, such as quizzes and polls
Instagram has also tried to launch services like Instagram Shopping, which is similar to TikTok Shop, but they haven’t been quite as successful overall.
Understanding your company’s target audience and using it to choose TikTok or Instagram
At the end of the day, you really can’t go wrong with using TikTok or Instagram for social media marketing purposes. As long as you aim to create high-quality content for your followers, you should get at least some traction out of either platform.
But choosing between TikTok and Instagram should come down to identifying your company’s target audience and selecting the social media platform that includes the largest portion of this audience possible. This should get more eyeballs on your brand for now, and as your social media presence increases, you can consider signing up for the other platform.
Conclusion: TikTok vs. Instagram for social media marketing
Ultimately, the decision between TikTok and Instagram hinges on a deep understanding of your business’s unique needs and your audience’s preferences. Both platforms offer distinct advantages depending on the content style, target demographic, and the specific goals of your social media strategy.
Instead of focusing solely on user numbers or trending features, consider which platform aligns best with your brand’s message and which one resonates more with your audience. By matching your content to the strengths of either TikTok or Instagram, you can create more meaningful connections and achieve better results.
Making an informed choice will allow you to maximize your impact on social media and help your business grow in a way that is both strategic and sustainable.
