Instagram vs. Snapchat: What makes Instagram Stories new?

Thunderbolt Digital is a local digital agency specialising in services including web design, SEO, social media management and much more! As a passionate group of digital experts, we were excited to hear about Instagram’s newest app development. In the past months, we’ve seen Instagram change not only their iconic logo but also their layout. Now, attempting to increase their user activity, Instagram has introduced something called ‘Instagram Stories’. Here, we look at why the company has done this and if, in fact, it is similar to the famous Snapchat Story…

When first introduced in 2010, Instagram thrived because it helped users to improve their photos using filters and effects. It allowed users to make their ordinary pictures into works of art and then share them with their friends and family. Over time, the app became hugely successful, evolving into a platform focused on promoting glamorous and aspirational photos of everyday life. However, Instagram faced the challenge that people seemed to only want to post the highlights of their life and therefore user activity was not as frequent as they would like.

In an effort to solve this issue and increase user activity Instagram announced the development of Instagram Stories. This is a virtual story of pictures and/or videos that last 24 hours for all your friends to view. In addition, the stories can be customised with filters, emoji, and stickers! But hang on – doesn’t this sound familiar? Back in 2014 Snapchat introduced something called the Snapchat story. Has Instagram taken inspiration from another social platform? Or is the title just similar?

When looking at the differences between the Instagram and Snapchat story, it’s easy to see why the general consensus is that there aren’t many. The stories on both apps last 24 hours, with the maximum length of each post at 10 seconds. In addition, the user can still see everyone who views their story and – as mentioned – the customisations to the stories are also similar. The only major differences seem to be users can’t see if anyone screenshots their story on Instagram (which is arguably a main bonus in the Snapchat story software). Most importantly though, if an account isn’t under the “private” setting, any one out of the 250 million Instagram users can view their Instagram story.

The real question we’re wondering is what’s going to happen next? Will other platforms start to incorporate similar stories? It’s evident that this is a huge app development and shift for Instagram – what remains to be seen is whether the users of Instagram take to it.

If you are looking to develop your own app or improve your business’ online presence, then there is no better place to come then Thunderbolt Digital. From a little updating to a completely new app development, our in-house team is committed to delivering and fulfilling your desired needs. If you’d like to learn more about us and our services we have to offer, get in touch today by emailing howdy@wearethunderbolt.com or by calling our office on 01252413757.