What's really going on with Instagram and Snapchat

What's really going on with Instagram and Snapchat

 

If you haven't heard then my very late blog post response will bring you up to speed and make you either shudder at the thought or think; well at least I don't have to download another app.

The very popular platform Instagram, currently owned by Facebook has launched a new feature that rivals par on par the very young and creative Snapchat. This move has caused an uproar on social media with everyone giving their two pence on what they think, so I thought hey why not share my own view on this strategic move.

Before I get you all up in my point of view, take a look at what all the fuss is about. The new feature:

Instagram Stories

That's what it's called and it pretty much does the same thing as Snaphat. It allows you to either send a picture or record a video and share with your friends, so anyone who follows you on Instagram will be able to see your snaps...uhh I mean instagram stories.

All your stories will be live for 24 hours and then it completely disappears off your feed and grid. Soon, you will also be able to draw or write over your pictures.

Another aspect of this update means you will miss out on any likes you might be after as the posts will not be open to likes or comments from your viewers. I guess this means, you will be receiving lots of slides up in the dm's – haha sorry I had to.

Now that all the info is out of the way I can get into what I think and why I believe it was done in the first place. We all know Facebook is all about being the number one social media platform and they have not been quiet about it either. Remember when they brought in videos on your timeline, business pages, private groups, now live video and the list goes on. They are aggressive about remaining relevant, so they are always searching for the next thing.

Not long ago they realised Instagram was moving in the right direction and they were losing out on being the number one platform for image sharing, so they bought Instagram. Then they caught on to Snapchat and offered to buy them out for a few billions and shockingly their offer got turned down. Can you blame Snapchat for saying no? I don't – because sometimes when you create something you're passionate about giving it to someone else is hard, even if it's Facebook.

You can just imagine how Facebook felt, so they thought hey, why not create our own version on Instagram. It's already very popular for both personal and business related customers, it just makes sense. Facebook will be giving Instagram users like myself a little treat of having it all in one place. That's what we all like right?

I just didn't get around to downloading the Snapchat app and actually sticking to it. I downloaded it once, had a browse and deleted it not too long after, simply because I didn't get the hang of it straight away and it was just another medium that I don't have the time for in all honesty. I think it makes more sense to stick to one or three platforms and master those rather than chasing the hype from a business perspective. Then again, there will always be that yearn to find out what it's all about and how it could possibly fit into your normal social media routine.

In the end it's great a addition to a platform so many of us enjoy, but the only little sticking point for me is the way they went about it. It is literally a replica of Snapchat and I can just imagine all the hell that's broken loose in Snapchat HQ over the last 24 hours. It's definitely going to be an interesting few weeks to see whether Snapchat will respond or whether Instagram will keep adding further replicas of their product.

All in all, it's great for people like me who prefer to have things in one place, but super sly and such a cheeky low blow for Snapchat. It's business sadly – it teaches us that if we can bring people what they want under one roof it may just work out for the better. Like think about it, how many of us join online forums anymore, when we can just join a group on Facebook. It's definitely about convenience and Snapchat should have seen it coming when Facebook took interest.

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