24 Hours Later: Which Story Should I Share This On?

Yesterday’s big social media news revolved around . It’s safe to say the discussion around “InstaSnap” led to great, and hilarious, conversation on social. Instagram literally carbon copying Snapchat This is funny regardless of the side of the aisle you’re on. While many social media users are debating with each other about whether or not they’ll use Instagram as a “disappearing content” platform, I’ve laid out some thoughts from discussions I’ve had with people over the last 24 hours: Pros of Instagram Stories Some Snapchat users complain that it’s hard to find people on the platform. We’re already connected to most people we chat with on the regular on Instagram since we’ve been using it for years so now it’s easier to find and see more content. It’s easier to find people One of my colleagues never tired Snapchat because she was afraid she wouldn’t understand it. I’ve already seen her first Instagram Story and as a millennial, I’m impressed :) Non-millennials will use this feature Some people say they don’t really see the point in Snapchat if Instagram Stories really becomes “a thing”. Those same folks say they’ll give it a try for now since their two favorite apps are basically one. Everything is now in one place If you’re a user who is already very popular on Instagram, it would actually be a better idea for you to use Instagram Stories especially if your following there is larger than on Snapchat. Monetization will probably also be easier down the road. There is the potential for more viewers You now have five more seconds to share in each snap. IG Stories are 15 seconds My first IG story has 540 views which is more than double the views I get on Snapchat. It’s also interesting to see how many of my followers are actually daily active users (such a jargon phrase) on the platform. IG Stories is great for learning your IG reach On Snapchat when you send a snap to your story, all of your followers will see it. On Instagram, if you send a snap to your story you can choose people that you can hide the story from which can be convenient. You can share to your story, but omit people “Snap” something cool on your story? You can now send it directly to the IG editor without having to download it first. It’s possible to save your individual stories too. Stories can be uploaded directly to your timeline Cons of Instagram Stories A lot of users don’t see the point in having “platforms that do the same thing.” However, these users also don’t understand a competitive marketplace. I’ll give folks about a month to adapt just like they did with the non-chronological timeline. Some users don’t see the point Some users said they hope this doesn’t lead to more ads as they’re already tired of seeing them on the numerous platforms we’re on, including Instagram. Fearful that it will lead to more ads No puppy dog? No flower crown? I’m sticking with Snapchat. No facial filters (yet) Seriously how am I supposed to take car selfies on the way to the bar without the front flash? No front flash (yet) If a user follows a lot of people, the IG Stories feature may get annoying to them quickly. Yes it is easy to simply tap that unfollow button, but just because you don’t want to see a person’s stories doesn’t mean you don’t want to see their photos. General annoyance Instagram doesn’t alert you if a fellow user takes a screenshot of your video. Watch out now! Edit: Screenshots allowed What are your personal pros and cons of InstaSnap? Share them below or tweet me at yeahitslex .