It must be admitted that these two social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram, are the most active social media network all over the world (with the notable exception of China – of course).
As if they were acting like the king and queen holding each other’s hands, leading the social media network market, especially in Indonesia. Fact is, the more they tightly grasping each other, the more they grow together as well – of course still in stand-alone with their unique service and capability.
As we know, Instagram is more focus on visual – arts. Meanwhile, Facebook is more about connecting with people and sharing content. Somehow, the reality is the leap of featuring day to day happenings are almost the same. For example, Facebook could send a message, so do Instagram. Facebook is able to do Video Call, Instagram is now able to as well. Instagram great with its stories features, Facebook just launch that feature. Instagram has a live feature, so do Facebook. And many more. The question is will they last long with these conditions? And if they act similar, will people choose one of them? Or both? What is their purpose of holding so tightly?
Let’s Find Out!
Since Indonesia is one of the most active using both of them, let’s use it as a case study.
The above data shows the percentage of social media users to the population in Indonesia, which is mostly age 18 – 34.
Well, as we know Instagram acts as a social media with the flexibility to access photo without a complicated caption (description) needed and sharing personal photos to your own circle. While Facebook is more about connecting with people you like and sharing original content such as article or video.
Opinion:
If you take a deeper look, they actually have different objectives, and of course with a different target audience as well. Instagram is more about showing and sharing your own creation to your own circle. Which mean the one using Instagram has a unique behaviour which is eager to share their personal creation – personal branding – personal arts to their circle only, and.. and.. they only want to see creation-arts from people they know or the content they choose. So Instagram user actually is more selfish? or self-love? Since they only love to see what they love. In other words, Instagram is actually more suitable for youth or young Indonesians.
Facebook is more about sharing content like articles or videos. Facebook users are more eager to share what they know to people. Also, they want to know what people know before sharing. From this behaviour viewpoint, Facebook users care more about others and are more open-mind with real life happenings.
That’s why in statistics, in age demography, a Facebook active user is more mature, with an average age of above 25. While an Instagram user has an average age of teens to thirties.
So why is Instagram more popular in Indonesia?
Instagram understands more about the market, including Indonesia. They knows what age group has a larger influence to be leveraged as a trend. Instagram also understands closely the behaviour of people – whereby here is the young generation who love entertainment, who love to exist, who love to create.
While Facebook is offering more on sharing original contents, representing “real life”, it is actually catered for mature or older aged users that does not really have much impact to influence each other in society, to use this social media platform.
The conclusion is since the most productive age in Indonesia ranges from 18 – 34 (young generation), it portrays as if Instagram is better than Facebook. That’s not necessarily true. It is exactly because the big number of population is the young generation, and that they prefer Instagram than Facebook. They feel being understood more of what they want for them at this age.
Then again, what if the population number is at an older age group, and that they are more familiar with technology as well. What do you think?