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755 Words | 3 Min 6 Sec Read
Today we’ll be discussing whether you should build an audience on Instagram or TikTok (or any other network for that matter).
In particular, we'll discuss how you can look at one single metric to determine which platform will bring the most success to your business.
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Not sure which platform to build your audience on?
Maybe the thought process outlined below will help you.
One of the biggest questions in an online marketer’s life is where they’ll build their audience.
From Instagram to TikTok to YouTube, all of them have their pros and cons.
In addition, as we’ve discussed in previous issues, all of them involve different content formats that may or may not play to your individual strengths.
From the type of short-form videos you see on TikTok and Instagram Reels to the written content that goes viral on Twitter and LinkedIn, playing to your strengths is arguably one of the most important aspects of building an audience online.
That said, assuming you understand your strengths, the next question you should ask yourself is where you’re going to get the best bang for the time, money, and effort that you invest in building an audience.
And this is where many people go wrong.
Because of people’s inherent desire to get the biggest results possible in the shortest amount of time possible, a lot of people take the Gary Vee route of the attention arbitrage game.
If you’re unfamiliar with it, attention arbitrage simply means going onto new platforms since the algorithms typically work more in your favor.
Meaning it’s easier to go viral there.
What this doesn’t take into account is whether the followers you gain on said platform will even be valuable to your business.
In many cases, this is a subjective analysis that can be hard to measure.
There is, however, one metric you can use to gauge whether a platform is worth your time:
Disposable Income per Subscribe
At the end of the day, we’re in business to generate a profit.
On the surface, in the social media-driven culture that we live in, most people want to have as many followers as possible.
But what’s more valuable?
1,000 followers who all have a $1 million net worth, putting their collective value at $1 billion.
Or 1 million followers who only have $50 to their name, or have a potentially negative net worth?
While influencers and clout chasers will still want 1 million followers, anybody with any level of business savvy will understand that having 1,000 millionaires who follow you or your page is exponentially more valuable.
This is a dramatic example, as very few people are going to have an audience made up of 100% millionaires. But it highlights an important point.
While social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram may be harder to grow on, they also have more valuable audiences.
And this is not some far-fetched opinion.
Fortune 500 companies pay big money for this type of information, and companies like Statista publish the basics online for free.
For example, 42% of Americans earning $75,000+ per year use Instagram. On the flip side, only 20% of households (not individuals) earning $75,000+ per year use TikTok.
So, while it may be “easier” to go viral on TikTok relative to Instagram, what you need to ask yourself is whether having 5x more followers means your audience is 5x more valuable.
In conclusion, it’s natural to choose the path of least resistance. Which, as it relates to audience building, means focusing your efforts on wherever it’s easiest to go viral.
But remember: Likes ain’t cash!
Until you can deposit comments, shares, and retweets at the bank, the savvy move is to build your audience on whatever platform has the highest disposable income per follower.
💡 Takeaway: While most marketers choose whatever platform will help them go viral most easily, you're better off building on whatever platform will attract buyers who can actually afford what you're selling.
🎁 Resources:
FREE COURSE: Build a Faceless IG Page (from a guy with 10M+ followers)
