Facebook Ads vs Instagram Ads: where to spend first
Instagram performs better for visually driven products and younger audiences; Facebook holds broader reach and older demographics, particularly for local services and B2B. Launch across both with automatic placements, then shift budget toward whichever returns a lower cost per result after one to two weeks.
L. Haddad
Principal Consultant, Middle East
Instagram performs better for visually driven products and younger audiences; Facebook holds broader reach and older demographics, particularly for local services and B2B. Launch across both with automatic placements, then shift budget toward whichever returns a lower cost per result after one to two weeks.
Instagram favours visual, younger audiences
Instagram tends to perform better for visually driven products — fashion, food, design, lifestyle — and skews toward a younger demographic that engages heavily with Reels and Stories.
Facebook still wins for broader reach and older demographics
Facebook's user base skews older and remains strong for local services, B2B, and community-driven marketing, particularly through Groups and longer-form posts.
Let the data decide the budget split
Rather than committing upfront to a single platform, launch across both through automatic placements. After one to two weeks of performance data, shift budget toward whichever platform shows a lower cost per result.
Creative needs to match the platform
A polished, static image ad can underperform on Instagram Reels placements, where native-feeling video does better. Build creative variations for each format rather than reusing one asset everywhere.
Frequently asked
How do we apply this in our own business?
Start by documenting your current baseline before changing anything. Most of the value in this approach comes from being able to prove what changed and why.
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