A few years from now, Twitter was considered the king of social media holding a dominant position. Even though Twitter is still a powerful and popular platform, other platforms have entered the competition and marked their permanent place in the social media industry. As per claims, Instagram has now become the go-to platform as it’s easier to get popular on Instagram because of the wider reach on Instagram. If you are someone planning to prepare your social media marketing strategy, here are some aspects that can help you make the correct choice between Twitter vs Instagram for social media supremacy.
- FUNCTIONALITY
When it comes to the functionality aspect of Twitter vs Instagram, both platforms have a very user-friendly interface with many features. Both platforms come with their limitations and advantages, depending on the requirement of the users. The different approaches of the platforms are reflected in their functionality. The functioning of Instagram remains within the app, it functions in a way that feels like a world of its own. Twitter functions more like a content distribution platform and comes off as consisting of the world within a noisy space. Moreover, Twitter also serves as a more viable platform for customer interaction. There are various brands and customers who have gotten into a feedback system on Twitter, making it easier to receive feedback and address complaints. Instagram’s functionality serves as a visual medium, whereas Twitter’s functionality serves as a conversational medium.
- ENGAGEMENT
Engagements are one of the primary concerns and priorities of users, especially those aiming to build their community on platforms. Instagram is the clear winner amongst all platforms because of the wider reach on Instagram. The user interface and functionality of Instagram are such that it has the ability to keep its users glued and active. There may not be any clickable links in Instagram captions or any external ads, but it provides its users with a plethora of ways to stay engaged. From impressions to likes to story reactions and more, millions of people engage with one another’s content on a regular basis. The fact that there are no unnecessary features on Instagram related to anything else might be the reason behind its high engagements.
Twitter, on the other hand, has a very noisy platform, consisting of various links, clickables, pop-ups, images, news articles, etc. which redirect users to other sites. Even though retweeting is one of the most engaging features of Twitter that is again used by a majority of users but there is a lack of engaging options.
- CONTENT AND AUDIENCE
When it comes to content, Instagram can be categorized as a more creative platform and Twitter can be considered as a swifter platform. To elaborate on this further, Instagram’s active audience consists of a much younger audience as compared to Twitter. Hence, the content that is rolled out on Instagram has more variety and creativity, making it easier to get popular on Instagram amongst the millennials and Gen-Z. This may be a result of all the in-built features like Instagram filters, music, formats like reels, and more; enabling wider reach on Instagram. When it comes to Twitter, the content is more fact-based and is gathered from multiple platforms. Since Twitter gives users the option to insert links, you must use Twitter for your company blog. If most of your content is static without any blog, Instagram is your buddy. Your priority platform should depend on your brand’s agenda. If you want your content to be seen, Instagram should be a more suitable option. If you want your content to be heard, you should start working on making a killer Twitter marketing strategy.
- ADVERTISING
Both Twitter and Instagram are active platforms for advertising through sponsored posts and ads. However, while choosing the most suitable platform for advertising, one needs to consider a number of aspects like target audience, engagement, etc. For instance, if one wants high engagement on their posts, Instagram might be a more suitable option. It’s easier to get popular on Instagram and to spread brand awareness amongst a younger generation. If one has a target audience of middle-aged people, Twitter might be a more suitable option. Instagram also allows its users to shop directly through its platform through the addition of the ‘Shop Now’ option.
- LIVE FEATURES
Instagram is the king when it comes to real-time interaction through live features, leading to wider reach on Instagram. Instagram users can go live any time within the app itself and interact with their audience. Instagram also offers users to record live videos and post later so those who have missed it can check out later on. Instagram also notifies your followers if you are going live. You can also go live with other accounts, making it more conversational.
When it comes to sharing live news and updates, Twitter should probably be everyone’s go-to option for this purpose. With no built-in feature, one can still make use of Twitter sister platform Periscope to broadcast live streams.
CONCLUSION
While it may look like it’s easier to get popular on Instagram, owing to a wider reach on the Instagram platform, Twitter cannot be ignored to accelerate your business growth. You may prioritize one over the other, but you need to be active on both platforms for more brand awareness. We hope that these points gave you a clearer picture regarding what should be your priority platforms.
