Ever since Facebook was unable to purchase Snapchat, the company has become desperate and started copying Snapchat. Even going so far as to create a Stories feature for Instagram, which was launched in August 2016. Both Stories features are 10-second videos that disappear within 24 hours and allow users to add filters.
So far, Instagram has been immensely successful in their endeavor to win over Snapchat’s users. Shortly after Instagram Stories launched, TechCrunch reported that Snapchat Stories saw views dropped 15-40 percent. This is probably because most people don’t want to add another app when one they are already using has a feature that does almost the exact same thing.
There are only two real differences between Snapchat Stories and Instagram Stories. On both of those differences, Instagram has the advantage. Instagram Stories allows users to stop and rewind, so that they can replay a video. It also recently removed the requirement that photos and videos must be less than 24 hours old. Whether or not you think this is a good idea depends on how much you value recency in Stories, but it should be considered a plus since users have more material to work with when creating their Stories. Users even have the option to let viewers know when a photo isn’t recent by keeping a sticker, which is automatically applied but is also removable, with the date the photo or video was taken.
If you’re trying to figure out which social platforms’ Stories is right for your business, there’s no right answer. Every companies’ situation is different. When figuring out whether Snapchat or Instagram will benefit your business the most, it’s important to know that 60 percent of Snapchat users are under 25. Instagram’s user base skews slightly older with 59 percent of all 18- to 29-year-olds who use social media using the platform. Instagram is also used by 33 percent of all internet users 30- 49 years olds.
