Ad Strategy
Facebook vs Instagram vs TV: Which Platform Should Your Ad Run On?
October 22, 2025
Each platform has different specs, audiences, and conversion patterns. Here is a plain-language breakdown to help you pick the right one first.
Start with where your customer already is
The best platform for your video ad is the one your target customer uses the most. That sounds obvious, but many small businesses default to Facebook because it is familiar and skip Instagram even when their audience skews younger and more visual.
Facebook video ads
Best for: Local services, home improvement, automotive, restaurants, professional services, any business targeting 30-65 year olds.
Facebook's targeting is the most mature of the three. You can reach people by zip code, age, job title, and dozens of interest categories. For a local business with a defined geography, Facebook is usually the highest-ROI starting point.
Spec for a Facebook feed video: 16:9 or 1:1 aspect ratio, 15 to 60 seconds for most placements, MP4 file under 4GB, captions strongly recommended (80% of Facebook video is watched without sound).
Instagram video ads
Best for: E-commerce, fashion, food and beverage, beauty, fitness, lifestyle brands, businesses targeting 18-40 year olds.
Instagram rewards visual quality more than Facebook does. An ad that looks great stops the scroll. Reels placement (vertical, 9:16) gets the most impressions per dollar right now because Meta is still pushing the format.
Spec for an Instagram Reel: 9:16 (vertical), 15 to 30 seconds optimal, captions included, high contrast and motion in the first frame.
TV video ads
Best for: Regional businesses with broad awareness goals, dealerships, law firms, healthcare providers, real estate companies.
TV (including streaming/CTV) reaches audiences who are not on Facebook or Instagram, or who tune out digital ads. For a regional business trying to build brand recognition over time, a TV spot has staying power that social ads don't.
Spec for a TV or CTV ad: 16:9, 15 or 30 seconds, broadcast-quality audio, no platform-specific overlays or CTAs.
The multi-platform approach
If budget allows, produce one ad and adapt it for multiple platforms. A 30-second spot can be recut into a 15-second Reel, a square Facebook ad, and a horizontal TV cut from the same source material. This is how large advertisers make their budgets go further, and it is now available at small-business prices.