TikTok Vs. Instagram: The Ultimate Guide

It's safe to say that social networking isn’t going away. In fact, it is becoming an ever-present fixture in our daily lives. With an average of more than 1.3 million new users joining social media each day during 2020, this brings the global total to almost 4.2 billion by 2021. It's a minefield of social media, from Facebook and Twitter to Instagram and TikTok, and, more recently, Bebo and Clubhouse. It all depends on your business goals and the influencers you want to work with.

Instagram is now the most used social media platform when it comes to influencer marketing, but that doesn't make it the best.

Each business has different needs, so the platforms you choose to use will also change.

Because of its versatility, Instagram is so beloved. Instagram is a great tool for sharing professional-looking photos and videos. However, it all depends on who you are targeting.

Instagram content is carefully curated, at least on the main feeds. Instagram Stories are great for showing real-time content that is more 'off the cuff'. Features such as Reels or IGTV enable influencers to show their creativity and passion for content creation.

The largest portion of Instagram users was aged between 25 years old and 34 years of age, so to get the most out of your influencer campaign, it should resonate with your target audience.

Instagram has its own analytics tools that make it easy for influencers and brands to track metrics and monitor the results of campaigns. This allows you to see how successful a campaign was and what can be done better next time.

For businesses and influencers alike, maintaining a cohesive and visually appealing brand image on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram is crucial. One effective way to elevate your brand's aesthetic and capture attention is by learning to

which can serve as engaging backdrops for videos or eye-catching post visuals. Incorporating custom-designed posters not only enhances the look of your content but can also lead to higher engagement rates.

Instagram is not only a great tool for building community and relationships with your audience, but it's also a great platform to use for influencer marketing. Engagement and a loyal customer base are crucial.

It is well-respected for its ability to share short-form videos, which are primarily comedic.

TikTok began as an app that allowed users to share funny comedy sketches, lip-syncs, and get involved in viral dance movements. It has since grown to be a home for many famous social media influencers.

Charli, Dixie D'Amelio, and Addison Rae, as well as Holly H, rose to prominence on the app and have since become hugely influential influencers with an ever-growing career online.

TikTok is similar to Instagram in that it allows users to comment, like, and share content, but it does not stop there. The app doesn't allow users to save or repost content. However, it continues to attract an impressive 689,000,000 monthly active user base worldwide.

TikTok's popularity has risen since the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020. In some ways, it has dominated social media.

It's well-known for its virality, unique content, and influencer marketing.

There are many ways for brands to become involved with TikTok influencers. You can create challenges that go viral. This is a great way to get your brand and products noticed.

TikTok offers analytics tools that allow brands to track metrics like video views and profile views, as well as information about their followers. This is especially useful for brands looking to establish new partnerships or collaborate.

Both social media platforms offer a completely different experience. Both Instagram and TikTok offer completely different content and audiences, making them great platforms for influencer marketing campaigns.

TikTok and Instagram are not necessarily the same thing. It's about which one suits your brand best.

Consider your target audience, think about the content that you want to portray your brand's products and services, and you will find your answer.

Four years is the age of Instagram, which can seem like a century in social media years. Instagram revolutionised social media, online community, engagement, and influencer marketing many more times than before.

These platforms have the following main differences:

There are subtle differences between TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms when it comes to algorithms and audiences, engagement, and social commerce.

Instagram allows you to post all kinds of visuals, but it focuses on the "grid-style" aesthetic. This format can impact a user's profile and how posts appear on the Explore page.

Instagram's algorithm favours users' historical activity by showing them more than one post. If a user prefers images that have certain themes, hashtags, or other characteristics, Instagram will show them more of the same content on their Explore and Feed pages.

TikTok, on the other hand, recommends content it believes a person would enjoy one video at a time. You can switch between Following or For You. For you, pages show videos from both follower accounts and account not followed by the user. The following shows only videos from these accounts.

This app provides a completely different experience and users are more likely to give and get full views. One video per user encourages full views, rather than partial ones, which increases impressions.

TikTok's editing/filtering and audio library are more advanced than Instagram. TikTok is a great tool for non-professional videographers.

Instagram is a more diverse platform when it comes to demographics and age. It is preferred by most Millennials as well as older Gen Z-ers.

TikTok is still the most popular social platform for teens, young adults, and their friends. The app's demographics reflect its primary creator group, which is among the youngest creators online today.

TikTok and Instagram have one key difference in terms of demographics: Facebook is the owner and manager of Instagram. Cross-platform promotion between the two apps is seamless. This allows you to reach older Millennials as well as Baby Boomers via Facebook.

TikTok has made great strides in social commerce over the past year and a quarter, but it is still beta-testing most of its eCommerce features. TikTok has a vibrant influencer community with better link sharing, so shoppers can take action on sponsored posts.

Instagram is still the most popular social commerce platform. It offers many social commerce features, including in-app shopping and premium, pay-per-click advertising.

Instagram is the clear leader in the influencer market. This is due to its tenure and social commerce prowess.

TikTok, a rapidly-growing creator network, offers the best engagement options on social media. TikTok is different from most social media channels. It offers more than just likes, comments, and shares. Creators encourage a variety of sharing options, including but not limited to:

These engagement features allow influencers to easily get user-generated content (UGC), on sponsored posts. TikTok's UGC capabilities make it an excellent option for increasing brand awareness or nurturing audiences.

Instagram is a bigger platform with millions of users and 1,000 followers or more, so creators need to work harder to grow their followings. Instagram influencers are more likely to have professional videography and photography skills.

TikTok requires less experience, but it does require more creativity from its creators. Influencers who are successful practice and improve their skills using the app's editing and video shooting features. While it is possible to upload your own videos to TikTok's video-sharing platform, most creators are skilled at shooting directly from their smartphones.

Most creators upload pre-made videos and include their own audio selections. Unless you're recording your own audio, it may not be the best option to shoot IG Reels Stories and IGTVs with a smartphone.

TikTok, on the other hand, has its own audio library. It includes soundbites, comedy sketches, top songs, and original tracks. Creators can choose their audio and publish their final videos within minutes from their smartphone.

It is nearly impossible to succeed on TikTok if you don't know how to locate and deploy audio.

2 - TikTok's influencers are rawer and post primarily homemade content.

Instagram is the best platform for those who want to edit vertically formatted videos using professional software. Polished content is more effective and fits the overall tone of Instagram.

TikTok works well for creators who prefer a more "homemade" style of video. The app has many video editing and filter features that enhance the raw style. However, there are many TikTokers who produce high-quality videos with no edits.

TikTok's top engagement options work best with the most recent videos. Influencers are more at ease with new challenges, duets, and stitches.

According to the most recent user trends, Instagram engagements are less volatile. This gives brand-creator collaborations greater opportunities to be "timeless," but it can feel less exciting for younger consumers.

TikTok influencers don't tend to be professional videographers. They almost always have intimate knowledge about the app's features. It doesn't take long to get comfortable using TikTok. For serious creators, TikTok allows them to create professional-looking content.

Instagram has some filtering and editing options, but not nearly enough. If creators want to have a variety of editing and filtering options, they will need their own video editing software.

It is currently easier to get high following counts on TikTok than on Instagram. There are millions of micro and nano influencers on Instagram. This huge selection allows brands to choose the creators that they work with and narrow their audience based on certain values and interests.

TikTok, however, has a remarkably low number of macro-influencers. These numbers are rapidly changing each year due to TikTok's rapid growth.

Brands can get more attention from their audiences when they have a smaller number of TikTok influencers. However, some industries are unable to target specific niche audiences.

Both platforms offer incredible opportunities for promotion and other actions. You can choose either one or both based on the mentioned variables.