Instagram ads, to quote my favorite movie, are so hot right now. Like a club that had long been closed to the public and then suddenly dropped its velvet rope, brands are flocking to the platform. Now that there is some benchmarking data to work with, the question is…how is it performing?For the purpose of this article we’re just going to talk about 15 second videos. We have the most data on that ad type, and it’s easier to compare apples to apples. You hear that, trolls?CostI’ve read some articles about about how “Instagram is 2X the cost per view as Facebook” and yes, that’s true. But, in reality we’re talking about a 2-3 cent jump in cost per view. Nothing even close to being cost obstructive. Facebook typically comes in at $.02 to $.03 cost per view (assuming there is no crazy targeting). Instagram ranges in the $.04 to $.06. Both offer a value for video that is essentially unmatched in display.Quality of ViewThis is becoming a bigger and bigger deal as auto play progresses. If every social video buy is automatically incredibly cost efficient, how do you mark quality?To answer that question, we’ve been looking at video completions and average percent of video viewed. In this respect, Instagram is actually outpacing Facebook. For 15 second videos we typically see an average percent viewed of roughly 60% - about 8 seconds. Instagram absolutely destroys that with the 11 second average we’re seeing internally. That’s only a 3 second difference, but it’s not a negligible number. Three seconds in a social video can be the difference between your user understanding your narrative or only seeing a fraction of it, making your message moot.That’s not to say that Facebook is a low quality view – especially given its capability to support full length movie trailers. But in the context of this short snippet, Instagram does an excellent job of proving why it’s worth a few extra pennies per view.User ExperienceThis is where Instagram really does an excellent job. The video takes up a huge share of the screen so it’s easy to see why people are watching longer – there is less in their experience to distract them.Facebook goes a different direction, you’re going to share the screen with other content, but if a viewer prefers a more immersive viewing experience, full screen options are available. This is why Facebook and Instagram have similar completion rates (both ranging from 20% to 30%). At the end of the day, don’t get me wrong. I really like both. It’s like being asked to choose between my kids - it’s basically impossible to pick a winner. Unless one of my kids becomes really good at basketball, then it’s essentially a no brainer. Hit that three, Jake, Jr.Both platforms bring a unique video experience to the table, share targeting, and provide the most efficient digital video buy available right now. You honestly can’t go wrong with either.Want more tips and tricks for how to dominate social this year with Data, Creative and Amplification? Download our 2016 Social Media Survival Guide.