Should you actually care about the recently released Twitter stories? I would say yes you should pay attention. Unlike SnapChat, Instagram is a program a lot of businesses/marketers are familiar with the service. The app is not something foreign or hard to use. I think the biggest issue people have, well those over 40, is SnapChat app not very user-friendly.
In my own non-scientific study of SnapChat Vs. Instagram Stories. I have had more stories sent to me in the first month of Instagram Stories, than several years of SnapChat. The adoption has been way more than I would have initially suspected. This is not a good sign for SnapChat. Instagram is hitting the over 30 crowd in a big way.
This is going to change the face of mobile Social media. The service came out of left field. It seemed like it was released and Instagram said “Ta-da!” I wasn’t a fan of Stories, I felt it went against all things Instagram was built on. Over the weeks it’s been out, the adoption rate is way higher than I would have ever thought. I have received Stories from people who would have never been on SnapChat. This is an advantage Instagram has over SnapChat.
Instagram will update the service to match more of SnapChat offerings. This week they updated the zoom feature to match SnapChats. You can use the zoom on the camera with one hand. We will see a ton more updates to the feature very soon. It will be a true competitor to SnapChat.
Which Should You Choose? SnapChat or Instagram
If you are already invested in SnapChat, I wouldn’t make a total about face. I would stick your feet in the water of Instagram Stories to see what results you will get. If you see better engagement on Instagram. I would adjust your strategy. If you don’t, keep doing what you are doing. However, I would keep monitoring the two apps to see which will become more dominant in the industry.
On the other hand, if you are not invested in either it would depend on your audience. If you have a younger audience go with SnapChat, or if it’s older go with Instagram. That is the general rule of thumb. Before you start a strategy. I would ask a few of your followers which they are on. It’s a good way to do a straw poll and guide the strategy. Make it easy for your customer/fan to find you.
If you have the bandwidth and resources I would suggest trying both out. I know very few people reading will actually have this capacity. This is the ideal solution. Be on both, run similar campaigns and see what resonates best. Then focus on the one bringing the best returns.
I have one last question. Analytics! Who will be bringing Analytics to the apps? Most business and marketers need something that, even general analytics, to judge results. For the average brand, I don’t believe either has analytics.
Final Thought: You should care about Instagram Stories. They are already changing the face of mobile. It think this will continue to happen with more updates. It will be a true competitor to SnapChat.
