Instagram vs TikTok: how young people use the platforms
We’re already familiar with a multitude of content platforms – from YouTube to Facebook to Twitch to Instagram to TikTok. We consume content in a variety of formats on a daily basis. What can we learn if we focus only on the young segment – GenZ? Are any differences in preferences, behaviour, expectations?
The short answer would be “yes, absolutely”. Compared to Millennials or GenX, there are some clear differences in behaviour, and they start directly with the platforms they spend the most time on. Facebook is dropping exponentially, with only 7% of younger users citing that they spend the most time there, according to the August 2022 Fanbytes by Brainlabs study. Nearly half of 16-17 year olds admit they haven’t even made a Facebook account, indicating a clear downward trend in the platform’s usage.
Facebook’s downfall is mainly due to the meteoric rise of short video content in the preferences of young people (and beyond).
“TikTok didn’t invent the short video format, but they reinvented it,” said Cristina Longo, Associate Director Paid Social at Good Apple. “We see other platforms trying hard to replicate the success TikTok has had with entertaining and engaging UGC content. The copycat effect has led to the rise of [Meta] Reels, [YouTube] Shorts and [Snapchat] Spotlight, but all of these forms of video content are still far behind TikTok.”
TikTok stands out as the platform of choice for young people, with 69% of those surveyed in the Fanbytes study saying they already have an account. Of those, 34% use it as their primary platform. In terms of frequency of use, Instagram and TikTok are in a relative tie. Insta is predominantly used by girls (33%), while TikTok is used overall (34%) and by boys (37%).
Motivations for use differ radically between Instagram and TikTok. On Instagram young people are more interested in staying in touch with friends and family or interacting with their favourite influencers and celebrities. In addition, they also use Insta content as inspiration for their own lifestyle. TikTok is overwhelmingly used for entertainment (76%). Although it is mainly used for entertainment, young TikTok users also use it to keep up to date with what’s happening around the world or to learn new things.
When it comes to brand presence on the two platforms, the message from young people is clear: no faking.
39% of GenZ survey participants reported that ads on the platform were fake or inauthentic. They thus indicated the need for a less altered, more natural interaction with brands. The observation is complemented by the fact that ads on both platforms are not enthralling or fun enough to be taken notice of.
Their scepticism about advertising on the two platforms does not, however, exclude branded content. Generation Z wants to see their favourite brands on TikTok or Insta, but the content they generate should be to their liking.
- 32% of those surveyed by Fanbytes admitted that they had made at least one purchase as a result of viewing content on the platform. The main condition being that “the ad resonated with me”.
- 22% of them said they were driven to buy on the recommendation of an influencer.
- 28% said the determining factor was “seeing it [the product] trending in other people’s videos”, indicating the importance of word-of-mouth in the content generated on the two platforms.
