Yesterday’s big social media news revolved around Instagram literally carbon copying Snapchat. It’s safe to say the discussion around “InstaSnap” led to great, and hilarious, conversation on social.
This is funny regardless of the side of the aisle you’re on.
While many social media users are debating with each other about whether or not they’ll use Instagram as a “disappearing content” platform, I’ve laid out some thoughts from discussions I’ve had with people over the last 24 hours:
Pros of Instagram Stories
- It’s easier to find people Some Snapchat users complain that it’s hard to find people on the platform. We’re already connected to most people we chat with on the regular on Instagram since we’ve been using it for years so now it’s easier to find and see more content.
- Non-millennials will use this feature One of my colleagues never tired Snapchat because she was afraid she wouldn’t understand it. I’ve already seen her first Instagram Story and as a millennial, I’m impressed :)
- Everything is now in one place Some people say they don’t really see the point in Snapchat if Instagram Stories really becomes “a thing”. Those same folks say they’ll give it a try for now since their two favorite apps are basically one.
- There is the potential for more viewers If you’re a user who is already very popular on Instagram, it would actually be a better idea for you to use Instagram Stories especially if your following there is larger than on Snapchat. Monetization will probably also be easier down the road.
- IG Stories are 15 seconds You now have five more seconds to share in each snap.
- IG Stories is great for learning your IG reach My first IG story has 540 views which is more than double the views I get on Snapchat. It’s also interesting to see how many of my followers are actually daily active users (such a jargon phrase) on the platform.
- You can share to your story, but omit people On Snapchat when you send a snap to your story, all of your followers will see it. On Instagram, if you send a snap to your story you can choose people that you can hide the story from which can be convenient.
- Stories can be uploaded directly to your timeline “Snap” something cool on your story? You can now send it directly to the IG editor without having to download it first. It’s possible to save your individual stories too.
Cons of Instagram Stories
- Some users don’t see the point A lot of users don’t see the point in having “platforms that do the same thing.” However, these users also don’t understand a competitive marketplace. I’ll give folks about a month to adapt just like they did with the non-chronological timeline.
- Fearful that it will lead to more ads Some users said they hope this doesn’t lead to more ads as they’re already tired of seeing them on the numerous platforms we’re on, including Instagram.
- No facial filters (yet) No puppy dog? No flower crown? I’m sticking with Snapchat.
- No front flash (yet) Seriously how am I supposed to take car selfies on the way to the bar without the front flash?
- General annoyance If a user follows a lot of people, the IG Stories feature may get annoying to them quickly. Yes it is easy to simply tap that unfollow button, but just because you don’t want to see a person’s stories doesn’t mean you don’t want to see their photos.
- Edit: Screenshots allowed Instagram doesn’t alert you if a fellow user takes a screenshot of your video. Watch out now!
What are your personal pros and cons of InstaSnap? Share them below or tweet me at yeahitslex.