How often do active users of web resources compare the advantages and disadvantages of different social platforms, giving preference to one of them? It is impossible to give a straightforward answer to the question of which is better, VK or Instagram, as each network has its own unique features. Let’s try to understand in more detail what the advantages of each social platform are.
Functional capabilities of Vkontakte
In the fall of 2019, the social network Vkontakte turned 13 years old! Despite fierce competition, the platform is developing rapidly, with a user base of over 200 million people today! In less than 2 years, Vk managed to overcome the threshold and enter the top 5 most popular multiplayer sites in Russia.
Regarding Vkontakte, the audience is the first thing to note. The geolocation of active users is extensive. Today, the audience of the social resource includes not only the Russian-speaking population of the world. Every day, more and more people from the West register on the platform. If earlier VK was mostly used by young people, now there is also an adult category present.
The main advantages:
- Public profiles, groups, and communities. Of course, now in Insta, there is also the opportunity to switch from a personal account to a public one. However, many users note that it is much more comfortable to view thematic content in groups.
- Games and applications. Gaming applications are a plus, but this item cannot be called an obvious advantage of Vk, as almost all social networks include gaming content.
- Photo album. Vk provides the ability to create personal photo albums.
- Music. In many social networks, musical content is heavily monetized, nothing can be done about it, but no one has forbidden adding favorite songs to preferences, creating playlists.
- Video content. You can save all your favorite videos up to 90 seconds in your own albums.
- Attach Gif, audio files, photos, videos, documents, not exceeding 200 Mb, in formats doc, docx, xls, xlsx, png, jpg, gif, etc. to messages.
- The virtual service VK Pay allows you to create your own virtual wallet, send money to your contacts, add cards, and pay for Vkontakte voices, Games, Mobile communications, Music, Traffic fines, software, and much more.
Interesting! According to conducted statistics, the social network Vkontakte is positioned as the most engaging and highly covered platform that most users trust.
Instagram functionality features
Here, no one will argue that the number of regular visitors on Instagram is much smaller than on VK. Nothing can be done, the social platform was created for a certain class of users, with a slightly different purpose. What functions does it have:
- Business direction. Instagram is an effective tool for creating an online store, advertising projects, and targeted promotion of any consumer goods and services.
- After creating an account on Instagram, each user has the opportunity to switch to a business profile and use analytical tools for free, tracking the statistics of their profile.
- Instagram is an application with the most opportunities for earning and monetization, with its services offered by administrators, bloggers, content managers, and various “promoters” in the photo industry.
- Free transition between the categories “Personal blog” and “Business profile”.
- International format. Instagram is a platform for commercial promotion of goods, products, and services at the international level.
Instagram is cool! The installed mobile application on a modern gadget will provide the opportunity to quickly post cool shots in the feed. It’s easy to share beautiful posts in stories, receive likes, and leave comments under favorite photos.
What are the main differences between the two social networks?
When it comes to choosing which social platform to prefer, we immediately want to identify the differences, compare the capabilities, and then make our choice. Many users decide to try it out for themselves, register on both Vkontakte and Instagram, and test their abilities.
To save time, let’s talk about the main differences between the platforms:
- Instagram has limited privacy settings. It’s impossible to close a single photo “to a list”, if you need to hide something, you have to close the entire profile completely.
- The web version of Instagram lacks functionality, which is just frustrating for users. There is no full resource for uploading or deleting photos.
- In Vkontakte, you can download almost any post, but this feature is not available on Instagram. To save a photo, you need to use third-party services that require registration and access to your personal profile.
- In Vkontakte, you can add a contact to the “Friends” section, which makes it easy to find the right person, receive and send messages. This is not available on Instagram, where only following users is allowed, which is not very convenient for communication.
- Instagram does not have a built-in payment service, and payment for any services is made through third-party payment systems. However, VK Pay provides the ability to pay for a wide range of different services.
- In Vkontakte, you can add and listen to music using the built-in media player. Each user can create playlists, group songs, forward them to their contacts, and hide them from other visitors.
Despite the many advantages and differences, these social networks have a large number of fans. For some, it’s just a great opportunity to communicate with friends without any boundaries, for others, it’s a unique platform for self-expression and making money.
You can differ in various criteria, but those who choose a suitable online platform for promoting their own business should first consider the functional capabilities, convenience, and level of security.
Which social network is more prepared for business?
If you have to choose between Instagram and Vkontakte and decide which one is the best platform for your business, you need to know the criteria for promotion. For example, Vkontakte is more suited for long posts, while Instagram is better for visual content.
Advantages and opportunities of Vkontakte for business:
- Journalists and copywriters can easily create thematic groups and communities, which ensures 100% efficiency in maintaining their audience. Posts, texts, or audio files on their wall won’t get lost among other news like on Instagram.
- It’s easy to create online stores, connect potential buyers, make mailings, and quickly sell goods and services through its built-in payment system.
- Musicians and bloggers can use Vkontakte’s wall as an effective tool for various content and advertising. Young musicians often upload their premier tracks, performances, and new releases here. The strict limitation on videos works in favor of musicians, as fans want to listen to the full track and often purchase paid content.
The service has been dynamically developing for many years, providing its users with the most advanced content and tools in any direction. In recent years, Vkontakte has introduced pages for small and large businesses.
Features of the Instagram app – what are the advantages for business:
- Statistics. This is the most important advantage that the network provides for those users who open a business profile. For commercial promotion, this is an effective analysis of all posted content. Quick access to data: page visits, geodata, gender, age, views, and clicks.
- Visual perception. Instagram excels in colorful stories posted in public accounts. The content is so attractive that many accounts on Instagram are initially tailored to online stores.
- Bloggers and advertisers on this platform have the highest income, as cooperation through special ad exchanges creates comfortable conditions for promoting any legal goods and services.
It is impossible to categorically answer which of the presented social networks is better in terms of business. Each ordinary user, entrepreneur, or blogger first makes their choice based on their preferences.
What is more popular, Vk or Instagram?
How often do people think about what is more popular, better, more comfortable or profitable? Always! Every person throughout their life tries to make their own choice, no matter what it is about. As for online resources, there is fierce competition between different platforms for leadership.
Many have long made their choice between Instagram or VKontakte, and according to a survey, it turned out that the social network VK occupies the honorable first place in the choice of Russian users, while Instagram only took fifth place in terms of visits.
Statistical data on registered users in VKontakte:
- Russia: ~106.8 million
- Ukraine: ~28.0 million
- Belarus: ~5.0 million
- Kazakhstan: ~11.8 million
- Kyrgyzstan: ~0.5 million
- USA: ~2.4 million
- Germany: ~1.6 million
- Turkey: ~1.1 million
- Brazil: ~0.8 million
- Georgia: ~0.5 million
The indicators clearly demonstrate that the resource is of really good quality and is so popular that users not only do not leave this platform, but are added every day.
User reviews – the level of trust in platforms
To be honest, user reviews are mixed for both resources and there are nuances to consider. The question of full registration, confidentiality, and technical support is immediately raised.
Which resource can guarantee 100% that a user’s popular profile on Vkontakte or Instagram won’t be hacked? No social network can guarantee this! Virtual scammers effectively operate on all social platforms, using various fraudulent methods.
The level of trust in platforms should primarily be based on the user’s behavior. Your security guarantee is filling out personal information that you can verify, enabling two-factor authentication, and logging in with a complex password. Do not give your data to an unfamiliar contact who does not inspire trust.
When the owner of a social media account tries to follow all security measures, then technical support can solve practically any problem. So, the rhetorical question of which is better, Vkontakte or Instagram, is up to each user to decide which functional features best suit their own interests.