I’m an “Instagram Stories” hater
But I’m GLAD Instagram created them.
Let me explain….
At the beginning of this year I went “all-in” on Snapchat [thanks Gary Vee]. I followed all the internet-guru-marketer recommendations on building-up my Snapchat. I was promoting my Snapchat Snapcode everywhere possible.
I was sharing my snapchat username, spending more time on Snapchat creating specific ‘stories’ (and you wonder where Instagram got the name?), and sharing unique content specifically for the Snapchat platform.
I would also copy / screenshot / download pieces [snaps] of my snapchat stories and share them on other social media platforms to redirect them back to the ‘secret’ Snapchat community.
The Snapchat platform had a steep learning curve. And when I say steep.. whew… as a 40-something seasoned social media consumer (over 10 years as a blogger & self-proclaimed mediapreneur) it took me some serious practice to ‘get the hang of it’. Which was a limiting-step for me, and why I was a late-adopter.
[queue the muppets Statler and Waldorf… “get off my lawn”]
BUT, once I got the hang of it.. it turned out to be quite fun. And as my friends list grew so did my fan engagement.
I created a virtual classroom with my audience [I’m a Nurse Practitioner, so most of my friends are in healthcare in some capacity]
The engagement with my friends, fans and followers to this day continues to grow in a way I never expected. In my world, Snapchat has been a success for me.
My good friend Instagram is also a mainstay in my Social Media world. I’ve been using the platform since its inception (6yrs ago??) As the years have passed I’ve changed how Instagram is weaved into my online life.
It’s mostly a “show & tell” platform, with minimal if no engagement. But in its defense, I also don’t spend the time to make the engagement with my followers. Let’s keep in mind, messaging and comments are still not a streamlined user experience (sorry Insta).
I’ve made attempts at using it as a micro-blogging platform, but once again that has failed due to my lack of interest or drive (and lack of reciprocating engagement).
I’m still very active and enjoy using the platform, I just can’t seem to figure out how to make it ‘fit’ into my online life as a social media priority.
Then IT happened.
Instagram threw down the gauntlet by “creating” Instagram Stories. I use the term “creating” loosely. We all know good ideas are ‘borrowed’.. and the very best ideas are … *cough* *cough* stolen.
…
Well played Insta… well played.
I’ve done some preliminary A/B pilot testing (very rough observations). I’ve been comparing Instagram stories with my friend Snapchat over the past several days and the jury is still out.
There is a lot that will still happen. There is a lot that has happened… and I’m predicting a very exciting year is ahead for both platforms.
What has Instagram done that no one else could seem to do? It’s stepped on Snapchat’s neck.
It’s now a direct Snapchat competitor in every sense of the idea. Now Snapchat has NO choice but to elevate their game and up the stakes.
It’s time for both platforms to grow. And guess who will benefit from this healthy and needed competition?
US!!
The user.
Here are my thoughts thus far on the online ‘Stories Smackdown’:
- Seasoned advantage — remember what Snapchat was like when it first started?? It’s had time to grow and trim the fat.
- The UI is still intuitive (once you learn it). You can perform many functions one-handed with just your thumb.
- More capabilities (stickers, filters, geo-filters, bitemoji, etc).
- You still have your friends undivided attention when they open up your ‘story’ or individual Snap.
- Enhanced & interactive (private) messaging.
- You cannot scroll through (forward & backward repeatedly within the 24-hour period) an individual’s story (well played Insta). Once a snap disappears… that’s it (although there are some replay options).
- And there is the convenience and passive marketing of the Snapcode.
- It’s still a semi-sort-of closed community. It requires a great deal of effort to find & create your own community when starting out.
Instagram Stories:
- Still very young — plenty of room to grow and improve (I foresee plenty of updates and changes ahead).
- UI is still wonky — not easy to use ‘one-handed’ within the platform.
- Limited features in the initial release.
- Great pen/marker options with a great UI (love the lateral pen choice scrolling).
- Users can choose to not open your stories when they visit the app.
- Still unclear what should be posted to your feed, and what to post to your story (I recorded a video… and wasn’t sure where to post it?)
- Users still unsure how to find other stories (view a profile and look for the highlighted border on their profile pic).
- You can scroll through an individual’s story. You can scroll forward & backward repeatedly within the story’s 24-hour period. If you missed a part of a story, you can scroll backwards to review it.
- Instagram stories are mimicking the early days of Twitter: unsure what to say or do, so many are just giving blow-by-blow daily activity narratives (not that you won’t find this on Snapchat).
- It remains an open and public platform, easy to join and easy to build your own community.
I’m super excited to see where this takes us. Let’s keep in mind Instagram is still the big brother, amassing more active users, but Instagram has done everyone a favor and made Snapchat improve their platform.
I’m still a Snapchat fan. I don’t think I can use both platforms to tell stories. And I surely don’t want to double-up on a single story. I currently I have more engagement with Snapchat…. but that could change with time.
Care to add your thoughts?
For all my Nurses (and Healthcare) Snapchat users out there, I wrote an article about Snapchat:
Hey Nurses: Why Snapchat? The power of relationships.
If you liked what you read, how about tapping on that heart? I’d love to hear from you! I’m on Snapchat & Instagram @seanpdent. Or visit my website: SeanDent.com
