Instagram Stories vs. Snapchat

I’m in New York having meeting in preparation for NYFW and excited for this new season ahead. This week’s blogging tips is on a question I’ve been asked alot within the last week and thought it would be a perfect time to discuss the topic:

Now that the shock of Instagram Stories has faded and I’ve had time to play with it, I want to discuss it in comparison to Snapchat. Throughout the first couple weeks with Insta Stories, I was confused by what followers wanted to see on either platform, and it took a little bit to get the feel for using both, I would forget to post on one or the other.

I recently posed the question on Insta Stories and Snapchat about what you guys wanted to see from me from each platform and my feedback was very split: Don’t get off Snapchat but make sure to use Insta Stories. As of now, I’ve been using Stories and Snapchat simultaneously because the feedback was split and I’m not fully sold on just using one- but you’ll notice I post a bit more personal side on Snapchat overall.

I’d love to get a conversation going on this post, so please leave a comment with any thoughts!

Here’s a breakdown of each platform, plus some pros and cons I have so far:

Instagram Stories

Similar to Snapchat, this feature lets you record 10-second long videos that last for 24 hours. Anyone who follows you can see your story simply by tapping on your Instagram profile photo. Stories that are furthest left (and first to be seen) are supposedly people you interact with or view most often. Stories give life to the stillness that was Instagram and your Insta followers now have the opportunity to get to know you on a more personal, raw level. You can also have a conversation (like Snapchat) and respond to people’s stories via chat.

Pros

• Instagram has more users (over double what Snapchat has), so Stories have the capability of reaching a much larger audience.
• It’s a seamless transition if you’re already an avid Insta user—which I am. Opening one app as opposed to two is definitely easier.
• Stories are user-friendly and simple to use.
• Brands (like Nike, for example) are seeing elevated engagement with Stories, so it’s the more business-savvy way to share and market products. As this article quoted, “Instagram is a follower platform where Snapchat is more of a best friend platform.”

Cons

• There aren’t filters (yet) and the ways to add uniqueness to a post are limited (I frequently upload my filters from Snapchat to my Insta Story to get around that)
• It takes away from what Insta was—a place to view pictures (and some long-standing videos). People may be turned off by the addition of stories clogging the app.
• A whole lot more people are seeing your story, so the need to make something feel “perfect” or “Insta worthy” feels stronger.
• You’re automatically forced to see Stories—or to swipe through—from every single person you follow.
• Insta Story videos have such a bad lag- I’ve skipped quite a few videos just because they weren’t loading (that’s something Instagram I’m sure is working on though).

Snapchat

The OG of video sharing, Snapchat has been a cool way to interact with friends and followers. I’ve been a long-time fan of Snapchat and love the casual tone for sharing my life. You can send videos specifically to one person and start a conversation off a post. You can follow who you chose and only see snaps from a selected group.

Pros

• The filters, duh! There’s no way around it, Snapchat filters are tons of fun, and a great feature. These alone give a casual, silly component that I think Instagram lacks.
• Like I mentioned, you can choose who you follow and who can chat you.
• The video round-ups Snapchat makes and posts are entertaining, and often something that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise (like a behind-the-scenes look at the Olympics). Plus, I don’t have to start following new people to see those.

Cons

• The biggest thing for me now, is it’s one more app to open, check, and post on. In the already-busy life of a blogger on social media, Insta has made it tempting to use one app.
• You have to know someone’s exact user name to find and follow them. It’s not as easy as searching on Instagram.
• You are posting to and reaching a smaller number of people.

That being said, what am I missing? What other pros and cons have you noticed on each platform? What are you liking seeing on one vs. the other?

I’d love to get a conversation going on this post, so please leave a comment with any thoughts!

xx Brittany