Should I advertise on Facebook or Instagram?
Want the short, brutal answer? Advertise where your buyer spends time and where your message converts. Below I break down exactly when to choose Facebook vs Instagram — straight tactics you can use today.
Why listen to this
Tony Sousa is a top local realtor and marketing strategist who turns ads into signed deals. He focuses on ROI, not vanity metrics. This guide gives a clear, actionable plan to pick Facebook or Instagram for your next campaign.
Quick verdict
- Choose Facebook ads when you need predictable leads, scale, and detailed targeting. Best for older buyers, long-form offers, and conversion funnels.
- Choose Instagram ads when you sell visual products or want strong brand recall. Best for younger buyers, lifestyle brands, and high-concept creatives.

Facebook ads: when and why
- Audience targeting: Superior for granular targeting (lookalikes, custom audiences, interest stacks). Use Facebook when you want to reach people based on life events, income bands, or past activity.
- Formats that convert: Lead forms, carousel ads, collection ads, and long-form video. Facebook is built for conversion funnels.
- Use-case: Local realtor lead generation, mortgage signups, open-house RSVPs. Cost-per-lead tends to be lower for intent-driven offers.
Instagram ads: when and why
- Visual impact: Instagram wins for dream homes, staging photos, and short, swipe-worthy reels.
- Audience: Younger demographics and high engagement. Use for branding, listings that rely on emotion, and short video tours.
- Use-case: Luxury listings, neighborhood lifestyle campaigns, virtual tour teasers that drive DMs or site traffic.
Budget, creative, and measurement
- Budget split rule: Start 70/30 toward the platform with your historical wins. If no history, split 60/40 favoring Facebook for cold traffic tests.
- Creative: Facebook uses clear benefits, proof points, CTAs. Instagram needs thumb-stopping visuals and short captions. Test 3 creatives per ad set.
- Metrics: Track CPA (cost per acquisition), CTR, frequency, and ROAS. For lead-gen, use CPL and lead quality score.
Practical 30-day plan
Week 1: Audience and creative. Build 2 audiences per platform. Create 3 creatives for each.
Week 2: Run low-budget tests. $10–20/day per audience. Measure CTR and cost per result.
Week 3: Scale winners. Move 60–70% of budget to the best ad sets. Start retargeting people who engaged.
Week 4: Optimize and convert. Push highest-intent audiences into direct lead forms or booking funnels.

Final recommendation
Pick the platform tied to your objective. If you want leads and predictable ROI, start with Facebook. If you want brand lift and emotional response, lean Instagram. Test fast, measure hard, scale what pays.
Need a tested ad plan that actually sells homes? Contact Tony Sousa — local realtor and marketing expert. Email: tony@sousasells.ca | Phone: 416-477-2620 | https://www.sousasells.ca



















