Facebook Ads vs Instagram Ads 2025: ROI, CTR, and Figures
In 2025, paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram remains a crucial factor for businesses seeking to boost visibility and conversions. Although both platforms belong to the same parent company and use similar ad tools, they perform differently regarding audience behavior, costs, and creative formats.
Deciding between Facebook and Instagram is less about which one is better and more about aligning your campaign goals, target audience, and creative style. Understanding important metrics like return on investment (ROI) and click-through rate (CTR) can help you choose the right platform for your needs.
How do Facebook and Instagram Ads Work?
Facebook and Instagram ads operate through Meta’s powerful advertising platform. You can target users by age, location, and interests. You can also choose goals like increasing website visits or boosting sales. The platform then shows your ads to people who are most likely to respond, helping you make the best use of your budget.
For example. If you sell clothes online, you can create an ad for people aged 18 to 35 who love fashion. Your ad can appear in their feed, stories, or reels with images of your new collection. When they click the ad, they go to your website and can buy your products directly.
Best Practices for Facebook & Instagram Ads
Running effective Facebook and Instagram ads requires a balance of strategy, creativity, and improvement. The following best practices will help you create high-performing campaigns that gain attention, engage audiences, and deliver measurable results.
- Campaign Strategy & Structure
- Audience Targeting
- Creative Best Practices
- Copywriting & Messaging
- Optimization & Measurement
- Platform-Specific Tips
How does the click-through rate (CTR) compare between Facebook and Instagram?
Facebook usually has a higher click-through rate (CTR) than Instagram, though the numbers can vary widely based on industry, ad format, and placement. For example, one study showed that Facebook’s average CTR is 3.06% compared to Instagram’s 0.68%. This difference may be due to Facebook users being more likely to click links, while Instagram users tend to interact more with content native to the app, like Stories and Reels.
Factors influencing CTR
- Audience and intent: Facebook users are more likely to click on links that direct them to websites. In contrast, Instagram users generally focus on viewing photos and videos and engaging within the app.
- Ad placement: CTR can vary based on where the ad is displayed. On Facebook, in-stream video ads typically receive more clicks than feed ads. On Instagram, ads in Reels or Stories might perform differently from those in the main feed.
- Content and targeting: he creativity of the ad, its relevance, and the audience targeting play a key role on both platforms. Even on a lower-CTR platform like Instagram, a well-targeted campaign with attractive, native-looking content can deliver strong results.
Return on Investment (ROI) Performance in 2025
In 2025, both Facebook and Instagram are expected to continue delivering strong returns on investment (ROI) for businesses utilizing paid ads. ROI measures how much profit or value you get compared to what you spend on advertising. The better you target your audience and create engaging ads, the higher your ROI will be.
Facebook ads usually deliver a strong ROI for website clicks, leads, and sales, especially with older or broader audiences. Instagram works better for brand awareness and visual engagement with younger users, and can still give good ROI if the ads are creative and relevant.
The key to maximizing ROI on both platforms is testing different ad formats, targeting the right audience, and regularly updating ad creatives. Even a platform with a lower average CTR can produce high ROI if your campaign is well-planned and matches your audience’s interests.
Advertising Costs: CPC, CPM, and Budget Efficiency
A simple table showing advertising costs, CPC, CPM, and budget efficiency for Facebook and Instagram ads in 2025:
| Platform |
Average CPC (Cost Per Click) |
Average CPM (Cost Per 1,000 Impressions) |
Budget Efficiency Notes |
| Facebook |
$0.69 |
$12.58 |
Generally cost-effective for website clicks and conversions. |
| Instagram |
$0.70 |
$8.16 |
Slightly higher costs, but effective for visual engagement and younger audiences. |
Audience Demographics and Targeting Capabilities
Understanding the audience and targeting options on each platform is key to running effective ads.
Facebook
- Number of monthly active users: 3.065 billion
- Largest age group: 25-34 (31.1%)
- Gender distribution: 43.2% female, 56.8% male (no data on other genders)
- Time spent per day: 32 minutes
Instagram
Conclusion
In 2025, Facebook and Instagram are still strong advertising platforms, each with its own strengths. Facebook works well for driving traffic, generating leads, and reaching a wider audience. Instagram shines in visual storytelling and connecting with younger users.
Facebook ads are a bit cheaper, with a cost-per-click of about $0.69 compared to Instagram’s $0.70. Facebook usually has a higher click-through rate, but Instagram can still provide good returns on investment with creative and targeted campaigns.
Choose Facebook for sales and traffic. Use Instagram for brand awareness and engagement. Using both increases reach and improves results. Visit Next Level Skills to explore expert-led courses that help you master Facebook and Instagram advertising.
FAQs
