Instagram Stories: The Snapchat Killer?
“Good poets borrow, great poets steal.” ~ TS Eliot
The world of social and mobile tech can be summarized in that oft-quoted Eliot line. Clones are commonplace here. Patent wars are a regular affair. Me-too products are one too many.
Yahoo aped Rediff chat-rooms. (Remember?) Xiaomi aped Apple’s design. Apple aped Samsung’s large screens. Facebook aped Twitter hashtags and trending topics. Twitter aped Facebook’s algorithmic feed and Likes. Facebook aped Periscope (Twitter-owned live-streaming app) with Facebook Live. Snapchat Memories (that allows users to post old photos from the camera roll) is borrowed from Instagram. And now, Instagram has aped Snapchat with Instagram Stories.
While aping and cloning may not be a respectable thing to do, to be able to copy a product/service down to the last pixel and end up bettering and outsmarting it, certainly deserves a whole lot of credit.
Sample this: BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) was the first to bring instant mobile messaging to public consciousness. Then WhatsApp happened! It took the idea of IM, topped it with better design and added its own innovative layers to create a compelling product that has changed how the world communicates.
Instagram has done pretty much the same thing with ‘Stories’. While the premise is a shameless copy of Snapchat’s ephemeral photos/videos (Snaps) feature, the end product that Instagram has rolled out looks, feels and operates better than the original.
Yes, Instagram Stories is far superior to Snapchat. And, could even be the death knell for Snapchat. Unless the latter innovates again. Fast!
Initial reactions to Instagram Stories have been mixed.
Snapchat loyalists were dismissive.
Posts such as “Copycat Insta!”, “Why, Instagram, Why?”, “What the hell, Insta?”, “Instagram is now Snapstagram” cropped up. Angry tweets and Facebook posts surfaced. Why did Instagram need to do this? Is it Facebook’s revenge on Snapchat for not selling out to them? (Snapchat had turned down Facebook’s $3 billion buyout offer in 2013.)
But, Instagram loyalists loved Stories.
They started posting unfiltered snapshots from their daily lives almost immediately. Even the 40-year-olds, an audience set entirely alien to Snapchat, lapped up the new feature that allowed them to share imperfect updates with gay abandon — something they’d probably never done on Instagram before… always looking for that perfect shot of breakfasts, sunsets and shoes. Stories helped them take that mask of perfection off and be raw for once.
It’s easy to see why Instagram Stories will outdo Snapchat.
First, you don’t need to download a separate app.
That helps in two ways — it saves storage on your device (Snapchat is a rather bulky product at 67 MB) and spares you the task of having to get used to a new app. And Snapchat is clunky as hell; even the most tech-savvy people would take time to figure it out. Because the Stories feature is native to the Instagram app, it is most likely that a majority of Instagram visitors will notice it, click on it and use it too.
Second, the numbers are in favour of Instagram. Plus, there are the communities.
Instagram has 300 million daily active users (DAUs) compared to Snapchat’s 150 million. DAUs are always a great measure of a product’s relevance in people’s daily lives. And Instagram is winning that game hands down. It has fostered vibrant, self-sustaining communities around food, travel, photojournalism, fashion, etc. that most networks would kill to have. These are the very communities that will drive the growth of Instagram Stories. Snapchat, on the other hand, is a disappearing act. And just that.
Third, Instagram Stories appeals to a larger demographic.
Snapchat is fresh, yes, but surprisingly silly too, at least for those who can’t seem to find any value in dog and bee filters. No denying the fact that its disruptiveness perhaps stemmed from these quirky features that captured the imaginations of a very young population (the app is most popular among teens and young adults) and sparked its meteoric rise. But these are also the features that kept the more mature, older user base seeking valuable networking opportunities, at bay. Instagram, though, has always managed to appeal to a wider demographic. That audience is using the app daily and Stories perfectly fits into their already existing network.
Fourth, Snapchat has never been user-friendly.
One of the biggest challenges on Snapchat is who to follow. Unless you know their specific handles, you will never discover them. Unlike on Instagram or Twitter that gives you follow suggestions based on your tastes and preferences. There’s nothing much to do on Snapchat unless you’re actively creating content. You log in and leave immediately. Instagram, on the other hand, allows passive content consumption and gives you the space to be laidback and relaxed. And now with Stories, easily discoverable on top of your feed and tailored according to the handles you engage with most, you can actually experience ‘Snapchat for adults’.
Instagram, a “great poet” indeed!
(P. S. This post appeared in ABP Blogs. http://www.abplive.in/blog/why-instagram-stories-is-the-official-snapchat-killer)
