Facebook vs Instagram Ads: What Works Better for Sales in 2024?

Facebook and Instagram Ads both run on Meta’s advertising platform. Same backend. Same dashboard. But if you think they work the same way, you’re burning budget.

We’ve reviewed hundreds of Meta ad accounts across Aussie eCommerce brands, local service businesses, and trades — and we’ve seen this mistake over and over again: one campaign, one creative, and a one-size-fits-all approach across both platforms.

This blog breaks down the real differences between Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads, and how to structure your campaigns to actually get sales, not just clicks.

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Why Understanding the Difference Matters

You can’t treat Facebook and Instagram like interchangeable tools. They reach different audiences, behave differently, and reward different strategies.

Here’s why this matters:

• What works on Facebook might flop on Instagram
• Ad creative that looks clean on Facebook could be cropped or ignored on Instagram
• A landing page built for desktop traffic won’t convert on a mobile-first Instagram funnel

Understanding the intent, format, and user behaviour of each platform gives you the power to build smarter campaigns and make every dollar work harder.

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Who Uses Each Platform?

Facebook still has the broader reach, particularly with older demographics and desktop users. It’s more common for lead generation, long-form content, and high-ticket services.

Best for:

• Local tradies and service-based businesses
• Coaches, consultants, and professionals
• Any product or service where more explanation is needed before someone buys

Instagram skews younger and is fully mobile. It's visual, fast-moving, and better for impulse-driven actions and brand-led content.

Best for:

• Product-first eCommerce brands (beauty, fashion, fitness, homeware)
• Mobile bookings and promotions
• Visual transformations (before/after, demos, testimonials)

We recommend using both — but structuring your messaging, targeting, and creative differently.

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How We Build Campaigns Across Both

At An Agency, we don’t run a single Meta campaign and hope it performs on both placements. We create separate ad sets and creative tailored to each platform’s strengths.

Here’s how we break it down.

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Facebook Ads Strategy

Creative Format:

• Image or video with a strong headline and clear CTA
• Long-form copy works here if it’s punchy and benefit-driven
• Testimonials, stats, and credibility boosters perform well

Placement Focus:

• Facebook Feed
• Facebook Marketplace
• Facebook Right Column (for desktop-heavy audiences)

Conversion Path:

• Click to lead form or mobile-friendly landing page
• Often used with “Call Now” or “Book a Quote” conversions
• High conversion rates when paired with urgency offers

Best Practices We Use:

• A/B testing long vs short copy
• Building lookalike audiences based on lead data
• Weekly breakdowns by cost-per-lead and ROAS by ad set

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Instagram Ads Strategy

Creative Format:

• Short, punchy vertical videos or high-impact visuals
• Bold overlays, quick product demos, real-world usage clips
• Minimal text — let the image or video do the work

Placement Focus:

• Instagram Stories
• Instagram Reels
• Instagram Feed (especially mobile-focused CTAs)

Conversion Path:

• Direct to mobile-first landing page
• Or use Instagram-native lead forms with prefilled data
• Strong for top-of-funnel traffic or visual product education

Best Practices We Use:

• UGC-style content to build trust
• Retargeting profile engagers and video viewers
• Creative refresh every 2 to 3 weeks to avoid ad fatigue

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What Happens When You Don’t Separate Them?

If you're running the same ad across both platforms, here's what typically goes wrong:

• Facebook users get mobile-optimised creative that looks too casual or vague
• Instagram users get desktop-first landing pages that load slowly and bounce
• Retargeting gets blurry because you're not segmenting based on behaviour

We’ve audited ad accounts where campaigns were technically “running” but delivered weak results because the creative didn’t match the platform’s intent.

When we restructure those campaigns with platform-specific ads, we often cut cost-per-lead in half within 30 days.

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Full-Funnel Example: Facebook and Instagram Working Together

Here’s how we often structure campaigns to get the best of both worlds:

1. Top of Funnel (Awareness)

• Instagram Reels and Stories introducing the product or service
• Creative is high-impact, fast-paced, visual
• CTA focuses on curiosity or “Learn More”

2. Middle of Funnel (Consideration)

• Facebook Feed ads with more information and social proof
• Testimonials, video case studies, or feature breakdowns
• CTA focuses on quotes, trials, or saving a deal

3. Bottom of Funnel (Conversion)

• Retargeting on both platforms using engagement, video views, and landing page visits
• Creatives focus on urgency: discounts ending, spots filling, time-limited quotes
• CTA is hard: Buy Now, Book Now, Get My Quote

This layered approach mirrors how real people buy — especially in service-based industries and eCommerce with longer sales cycles.

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Tracking and Budget Allocation

We track platform performance separately using:

• Meta Ads Manager breakdowns by placement
• Google Analytics for attribution accuracy
• Call tracking and lead source tagging

Once we know what’s working better, we push more budget to the winning platform. Sometimes Facebook crushes it for leads. Sometimes Instagram pulls harder for eCommerce. Most of the time, it's a mix — but the ratio needs to be earned, not assumed.

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Final Thoughts

Facebook and Instagram Ads are powerful when they’re used properly. That doesn’t mean hitting “boost post.” It means building campaigns with:

• Platform-specific creative
• Clear funnel stages
• Accurate targeting
• Data-led decisions

We’ve helped Aussie businesses across trades, fashion, beauty, health, and home goods double their return by cleaning up Meta campaigns and actually respecting how each platform works.

If your ads feel like they’re running on autopilot with no real strategy — let’s change that.

→ [Book a Free Meta Ads Strategy Call]
→ [Get Your Campaign Reviewed by a Pro Team That Knows Facebook and Instagram Inside Out]