IG vs. TikTok: Which One is Better?

Now, here’s a topic that’s hot and ready to discuss. Instagram versus TikTok. Two platforms bursting with active users and engagement, surrounding so many different topics, interests and niches. But is it worth using them both? What are they all about?

These two platforms each have so many pros and yet offer very differing but also simultaneously similar uses. But how are they different? How are they similar? What can we do to maximise our engagement of both? And which one is better to use?

Never fear! We’ve saved you some precious time by doing a comparative investigation of them both. Here we have compiled some important info and our favourite tricks and tips to maximise your use and knowledge of the two!

Even if you’re not on TikTok (you should be!) you have most likely still heard of it or know what it’s about. With its huge success, other social media platforms are trying to adapt similar features to initiate similar success, including Instagram (where do you think they got the idea for Instagram Reels? 🤔)

But that’s why it’s important to know the differences (and similarities!) of both platforms, to get the most out of your content and engagement. Enough of us talking, let’s get straight into it.

First off, let’s dive into the world of Instagram.

Instagram

Features

Instagram has a multitude of different features; stories, reels, highlights, direct messages, just to name a few. It’s an extremely expansive platform, having grown from its original post function. But it does demand a more formal, official presence than other platforms (like Tiktok), providing an opportunity to display your best, most aesthetic work.

💥 Tip 🡪 Use these functions! Ask polls on your story. Repost another user’s work. Use Instagram’s breadth of options!

TikTok also is yet to have such advanced and engaging story features, so Instagram is definitely a more effective option in terms of posting stories with many features of music, GIF overlays, locations, tagging other users, asking audiences questions and polls, and reposting others posts.

Algorithm 

Who can figure out Instagram’s algorithm? It’s a mystery! But it is quite centred on popularity and active users - so be active! Post regularly on Instagram and through other accounts too. Connect with people, tag them, and reach users across accounts. Instagram themselves also publish blog posts all about their platform frequently, which have useful info about what’s changed in their updates and how you can get more engagement out of your content.

Audience

Instagram has been around much longer than TikTok. So naturally it has gained an older audience, offering for more complex and advanced content to be well received. 

Instagram posts have no caption length unlike TikTok, which is limited to 150 characters, so you can develop and explore your product/service more in depth!

💥 Tip🡪  Tiktok is a fast paced, short-form video social channel, which is great for attention grabbing and casual viewing. But Instagram provides a high quality, visual distinction that you can use to sell excellence. Build your aesthetic!

Did you know that according to a 2021 American study, 32.5% of 45-52 year old’s use Instagram, in comparison to only 7.9% on TikTok. Moreover, with Facebook’s ownership of Instagram, there is a huge platform crossover, reaching the older demographic on Facebook. Look at your audience analytics and shape your content to that demographic! It’s likely your Instagram has a much broader audience than your TikTok.

It is also worth looking at what other successful accounts in a similar niche to you are doing. Give them a stalk, look at their earlier posts, look at what posts have more engagement compared to others and think why might this be? What are they doing well? 

We’re not saying to copy what they’re doing, but incorporating and experimenting different things into your own content (e.g. types or trends of videos/photos, layout and style of caption, different hashtags) you may find also works for you, and increases your awareness around what engages people and how you can tailor this to your content.

All up, Instagram is super effective as a ‘main’ platform to showcase visually appealing aspects and photography of a service and business in a more formal manner. It can really help people gain a feel of your business/service vibe and values from colours, feed, captions and activeness.

Tiktok

Now, we explore the deep ventures of TikTok. Although much newer than competitor Instagram, TikTok has taken the Internet by a storm in its shorter lifespan and is engrossing over a billion users around the globe. 

Features

Although you may have heard of TikTok as that ‘dancing’ app for teenagers, it has advanced drastically since its early days. Unlike Instagram, TikTok does not have the feature of photos and multiple slide posts. TikTok’s famed feature is the use of video. Anywhere from 3 seconds to three minutes, video is the only feature TikTok needs to entice audiences. You may be thinking, how does this work? Isn’t it similar to YouTube then? In a way, yes. But also, no. The motion of swiping through endless videos ready sitting there waiting for you, hours upon hours, is highly addictive. We’re going to tell you why.

Algorithm 

The algorithm is highly personalised. After scrolling through the “For You Page” (FYP), TikTok will already have a general idea of the content you like to engage with. After spending more time on the app, TikTok pays close attention to the posts you interact with through sounds, hashtags, text and how you like, comment, share and watch videos. It is more personalised than Instagram, and users are more likely to have more niche content they relate to and enjoy in one easily accessible place. 

More people are jumping on the TikTok bandwagon because of its virality. TikTok is also well-known for random videos blowing up, causing more people to try out posting their own videos to attempt to go viral. With the FYP, it is easier than ever for anyone’s random videos to pop up in anyone’s feed, creating an authentic and wide variety of varying content across the platform. Normal everyday people are creating videos about anything, from vlogging their outfits, food and days out, curated comedy content and skits, highly niche advice, tips or therapy, artists promoting their art/music/books. There is a niche, or rather multiple niches for everyone out there.

With this highly personal feature and set-up of scrolling, it is very easy for users to lose themselves into this app for hours. It’s a fast-scrolling app too, so if you’re bored by a video you can scroll to the next one and it’ll start instantaneously. This is unlike Instagram, which has captions and comments and white space in between content to space it out. TikTok is a quick fix of content where users easily can distract themselves or pass the time in the endless stream of videos tailored to their interests, humour and personality. 

Audience

Considering 60% of TikTokers are Gen Z, it is obvious who the target audience is here. Don’t get us wrong, there are users and content for all ages out there with even accounts ran and dedicated to seniors and young children, but TikTok definitely is well-known for its spike in growth amongst Gen Zers. They have been found to spend just under an hour on average daily, which when you think about it, is a considerable chunk out of their day dedicated to this app. With this amount of engagement, it’s no wonder businesses are running (not walking) to use TikTok as a tool to sweep up customers and sell their products or services in creative and entertaining ways.

All up, if you’re looking for a place to reach a younger audience on a platform that they’re highly engaged in through video content, TikTok is certainly an exceptional option to explore. With similarities to Instagram, such as hashtags, and engagement tools, DM, comments, saved posts, you may be wondering, so which one is better to use? 

💥 So who wins?

Whilst the two platforms have both similar and differing benefits, we can’t choose between the two. We say, why can’t we have both? When it comes to reaching larger audiences and potential customers, you’ll want to reach as many people as you can. Being open to different platforms will broaden your horizons in terms of reaching wider audiences and for your own experience with content creation and knowledge of different platforms.

But now you know the distinctions, tailor some content for each platform, and in other ways, finding what works on both platforms too can also save time. Video content can work across both platforms, in terms of TikTok video and Instagram Reels, which is commonly doubled up across both platforms to maximise engagement with differing audiences.

Find out which one is your favourite, which one increases more engagement to your particular niche, and grow your presence on both! We can’t wait to see what you come up with!