Social media is becoming a more permanent fixture in society. Two of the most popular platforms are TikTok and Instagram. TikTok has over 1 Billion users each month, but Instagram surpasses the platform with over 1.386 billion users. There are always comparisons between TikTok vs Instagram.

Yet, there are many factors you should consider when choosing a platform to promote your brand. TikTok may have specific features that work well for more visual effects, but Instagram may work better for live posts.

So which one is best for your brand? Keep reading to find out what TikTok and Instagram have to offer, as well as pros, cons, and a full comparison.

TikTok vs Instagram

Before you choose one platform over the other, look at important information about TikTok and Instagram. Both platforms have the potential to boost your brand, but it depends on your preferences and the purpose of your business.

In this section, we’ll compare TikTok and Instagram, so you can decide which platform will work best for your brand.

TikTok vs Instagram: Differences and Similarities

Instagram has been in the social media industry for 11 years now and is four years older than TikTok. Since Instagram’s establishment, they’ve reinvented social posting, influencer marketing, and engagements.

TikTok has become an extremely popular platform since its launch in 2016. The platform was downloaded 2.6 billion times in January 2021.

There are distinct differences between the two platforms:

TikTok: This allows you to create short music clips, lip-sync videos, and clever transitions with interesting visual effects. You can also create live videos to engage with audiences. It also has a duet function, so others can react or respond to your videos using their visual content.

Instagram: This platform has more video and photo features such as short Stories, Reels, and direct posts. Or create multi-clip videos using effects and other creative options.

TikTok and Instagram have some similarities. You can upload content directly from your device. Or, you can create and edit videos before posting them on both platforms. Simply make sure that the duration of your videos doesn’t exceed that platform’s video times.

TikTok has a specific style that audiences seem to love. Videos are short and visually aesthetic, and you can add background music to them. The reason people love TikTok is that you can create clever transitions, and there are over 15 filters you can add to your videos.

You can also create slideshows with images, but people prefer video content. Instagram offers several ways to show your content. You can post a photo or video on your main profile or add fun visuals to your stories.

Additionally, you can add GIFs, music, and filters to your Instagram Stories, but keep in mind that these posts disappear within 24 hours. The short 24-hour stories are perfect for limited promotions or enticing an audience to take action quickly.

Recently, Instagram also introduced another content type — Reels. Reels are like Stories, but they can be up to 60 minutes long, and you can add them to your profile as a permanent video.
Algorithms

Instagram uses a network layer and specific signals from users with their algorithms, especially when posting content on Reels. The platform calculates how likely someone is to engage with a post, which is called a score of interest.

Users must comment, like, share, and follow brands like yours to see more content related to your niche. TikTok’s algorithms rely on advanced AI (Artificial Intelligence) to provide videos that are of interest to its users without needing specific signals.

This helps determine the user’s interests. Then, the platform’s algorithms make users stick around and come back for more.

Audience Demographic

When it comes to audience or demographics, Instagram appeals to a wider audience. This is because Instagram is the preferred social media platform for older Generation Z and Millennials.

Note that Meta owns both Instagram and Facebook, so cross-platform promotion is easier. In addition, this makes it easier to reach an older demographic, such as Boomers.

TikTok is the preferred social media platform for people between the ages of 13 and 24. In this case, TikTok may be ideal for promoting brands that appeal to this demographic such as games, fashion, movies, or music.

Influencer Marketing

Instagram is the preferred platform for influencer marketing because of its social commerce capabilities. The report says 59% of influencers prefer to use Instagram because it’s the most effective network to engage with their audience.

But, TikTok is a fast-growing social media platform for influencers because it has the most engagement options. TikTok offers more than standard shares and likes. Influencers can allow a host of sharing options, such as:

• Challenges
• Duets
• Stitches
• Creating and saving original audio

These types of engagements make it easier for brands to get user-generated content on their TikTok posts. This allows influencers to nurture their audience and boost brand awareness.
Length of Videos

With TikTok, you can shoot a video within the app or upload a video onto the platform. The duration of videos ranges between 15 seconds and 3 minutes. Some influencers say short 7-second videos get more views, but this will depend on the cleverness of your content.

Instagram has Stories with a 15-second video time. But you can lengthen this by adding clips to show a full-length video. On your main page, you can only upload videos that are 30 seconds long. For Reels, you can add videos to Instagram that are 60 seconds in length.

Editing Process

TikTok has plenty of editing features on the platform. You can shorten clips by trimming them or adding transitions between clips. You can also adjust the speed of your videos and add aesthetically pleasing visual effects.

The app also has a music library so that you can add sound to your content. What’s more, you can add voice-overs, text, and stickers to your videos.

Instagram doesn’t have as much editing power as TikTok, so you may need to edit your content before uploading it. With Instagram, you can add text, GIFs, filters, and music to your video. In addition, when shooting videos within the app, you can add visual effects to your content.

Captions

You’ll want to add captions to any video you upload to TikTok or Instagram for SEO purposes.
TikTok allows you to add captions that are no more than 150 characters. In the caption, you can add:

• Emojis
• Hashtags
• Or tag someone

Instagram’s captions have no limit, especially on Reels. So you can write a long story under your posts, add hashtags, emojis, or tag friends or followers.

Drafts

With TikTok, you can save your content to your drafts folder to post it at a later stage. If you’ve recorded your video in clips, you can edit them before you post. But if it’s a full video, you won’t be able to edit it, but you can add music and filters to the content.

Instagram also allows you to save videos to a draft folder. Find videos in your Reels gallery to edit or add more footage to your posts.

TikTok vs Instagram: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Multiple ways for people to share videos
• Excellent editing features
• Ideal for younger audiences
• The ability to create hashtag challenges

Cons

• Not ideal for older audiences
• Has a censorship risk

Photo by Jeremy Bezanger on Unsplash

Instagram Pros

• Instagram Stories boosts brand awareness
• Has a larger audience compared to TikTok
• Best for influencer marketing
• Instagram Advertising offers more options

Instagram Cons

• It can be difficult for your brand to have a breakthrough
• Limited editing features

Final Thoughts

So which platform should you pick for your brand? Both TikTok and Instagram are great platforms for advertising. With the right content, you can reach a large audience and engage with them in a fun and creative way.

When choosing which platform to use, consider the type of content you want to create and the audience you want to reach. If you’re looking to reach a younger demographic, TikTok is a great option.

If you’re looking for a more diverse audience, Instagram is a better choice. However, keep in mind that both platforms are constantly changing, so stay up-to-date on the latest features. Use this article to help you decide between TikTok and Instagram to boost your brand’s growth.