Snapchat Stories Vs. Instagram Stories
Last year, Mark Zuckerberg threw a spanner into the works for Snapchat. Almost feature by feature, Instagram replicated Snapchat’s ‘Stories’ feature, and somehow became better at Snapchat, than… Snapchat.
Between the dog filters & rainbow vomit lies an incredibly powerful communication tool that’s taken the social world by storm. Disappearing content is the new kid on the block, which everyone wants a piece of. But between Snapchat Stories & Instagram Stories…which one if best for your brand?
Stats
Let’s start off the comparison by looking at some stats. Instagram has an incredible 500 million monthly active users. It has been reported that only one fifth of these monthly users are actively using the Instagram Stories feature (100 million).
Snapchat is winning the monthly user race, with 150 million monthly active users, however Instagram Stories user uptake is increasing at an impressive rate, so who knows what could happen in the near future.
Which app has the best features?
Let’s be real here…Snapchat and Instagram are incredibly similar, with only a few odd things differentiating the two.
What’s different?
- Just as you can with standard Instagram photos, you can tag locations & people on Instagram stories, something that Snapchat is missing.
- Instagram is typically more curated content & less disposable than Snapchat, which made it stand out in the first place. Could this be a problem for Instagram Stories?
- Tell me one thing better than the Snapchat dog filter, I dare you. Facebook isn’t as ‘fun’ as Snapchat and doesn’t have curated stories or the vast array of filters that Snapchat has.
Demographics & advertising management.
Snapchat has been a favourite with advertisers in the past due to its typically hard-to-reach audience demographic (13-24-year-olds). However, Snap Inc have been notoriously mysterious about their userbase numbers & reporting for brands, which can be a bit of a turn-off for social-savvy businesses. If you’re looking for a social platform with heavy insight & reporting tools, Snapchat isn’t the one for you. However, it has been reported that over the coming months Snapchat will introduce an ad management platform similar to that of Facebook or Twitter.
Instagram has been around since 2010 – so it’s built up its user base over time. With 500 million people already using the app for posting photos and browsing, it’s only a matter of time before they transition into using the Stories feature. Advertising on Instagram is managed through Facebook Ad Manager, which provides robust measurement & reporting tools. If you’re a brand using social and you’re not using insight to inform your practice – get going!
What’s best for your brand?
Snapchat Stories & Instagram Stories are both very similar indeed. But is it worth your brand being on both? If your brand identity is very polished & pristine, Instagram Stories may be the place to go for your quick content. If you’re looking for a more casual & experimental platform, Snapchat may be your winner. With more and more Snapchat-like features appearing on platforms every day (hello, Whatsapp stories…) it might be worth having a serious think about what one is right for your brand.
Do you prefer Instagram Stories to Snapchat? Let me know on Twitter.
By Ruby Lowe
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