What’s the difference between Facebook / IG ads and programmatic advertising?

Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and programmatic advertising offer different advantages and targeting options for advertisers.

Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads are both social media advertising platforms owned by Facebook. While Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads offer similar features and targeting options, there are some key differences between the two.

Programmatic advertising, as mentioned earlier, is a way of buying and selling digital ad inventory using advanced AdTech and automation. Here are some of the main differences between Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and programmatic advertising:

Ad Placement

Facebook Ads allows you to display ads on Facebook’s News Feed, Stories, and various other placements, while Instagram Ads allow you to display ads on Instagram’s Feed, Stories, Reels, and Explore pages.

Programmatic advertising offers ad placement on a wide range of websites, mobile apps, and other digital platforms through ad exchanges and networks.

Ad Placement Example:

A bikini designer used Facebook Ads to display ads to women who liked her Facebook page or showed an interest in similar brands. She used Instagram Ads to display ads to women who recently engaged with fashion-related content on Instagram. Additionally, she used programmatic advertising to display ads on fashion websites and mobile apps.

Targeting Options

Both Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads offer a range of targeting options, including demographics, interests, behaviors, and location.

Programmatic advertising offers additional targeting options, including audience targeting based on third-party data and real-time data like weather or location.

Targeting Options Example:

A local coffee shop owner used Facebook Ads to target people in his local area who showed an interest in coffee. He also used Instagram Ads to target users who recently engaged with coffee-related content on Instagram. Additionally, the shop owner used programmatic advertising to target users who were located near the shop in real time and might be looking for a place to grab a coffee.

Ad Formats

Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads offer various ad formats, including image ads, video ads, carousel ads, and collection ads.

Programmatic advertising offers even more ad formats, including native ads, audio ads, and dynamic ads.

Ad Formats Example:

A mobile game developer used Facebook Ads to promote a new game to people who showed an interest in similar games. He also used Instagram Ads to display a video ad showcasing gameplay. Additionally, he used programmatic advertising to display interactive ads that allowed users to play the game within the ad itself.

Automation

Both Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads allow advertisers to set up and manage campaigns manually, but they also offer automation features like automatic bidding and campaign optimization.

Programmatic advertising relies heavily on automation and advanced algorithms to manage and optimize ad campaigns.

Automation Example:

A software as a service (SaaS) provider used Facebook Ads to promote a new productivity product to users who work in specific industries. They also used Instagram Ads to display visually appealing ads showcasing the product’s features. Additionally, this SaaS company used programmatic advertising to target people who recently searched for similar productivity tools and to automatically optimize bidding based on performance data.

Takeaway

Bottom line, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and programmatic advertising offer different advantages and targeting options for advertisers.

The best approach depends on the your specific goals and needs, and it may involve using a combination of different advertising platforms and methods.