Snapchat VS Instagram stories, which one is better for your business?

One of the most interesting social media battles currently shaping up is Instagram Stories Vs Snapchat Stories. So, what are they about? Both apps allow users to share real-time content such as videos or photos that last only a few seconds.

In September 2011, Snapchat was introduced, introduced the concept of sharing content in an entirely new fashion. To date, its USP is that the content disappears in a few seconds. It quickly became a hit with the 13-28 demographic. It was also the first to introduce the Story feature through which moments can be shared with all your followers instead of one-at-a-time. The platform now has about 178 million daily users.

Instagram, however, was late to the table and only launched its Story feature in August 2016. But it is already more popular than Snapchat. It has now acquired 250 million daily active users within a year of launching the new feature, which translates to about 50% of its users.

The reasons behind this stark contrast in user statistics are fairly simple. We’ll break it down for you.

Potential Audience

Instagram Story users outnumber Snapchat users by about 3:2. With Instagram’s following constantly expanding it seems like Snapchat has fallen by the wayside.

As we’ve seen with the rise of other popular platforms, the biggest platform has the greatest potential to acquire a new audience. Since the Story feature on Instagram is almost identical to Snapchat’s, it’s easier for brands/influencers to choose the former knowing the reach is wider.

Hard to find people on Snapchat

A key ingredient for influencers and brands who want to grow their audience in the digital space is the ability to be discovered. But how can you grow if you can’t be found?

While Snapchat’s Discover feature is a great place to find news and entertainment, it doesn’t help much in the way of organic discovery. In fact, if you aren’t a celebrity, your chances of being noticed by a random user are almost nil.

And unlike on Instagram, there are no hashtags or geotags – which means the only way to grow on Snapchat is by promoting your business/brand on an external platform, and then directing them to the app. Also, Instagram suggests brands to users based on their likes and followed accounts, and provides them the opportunity to explore lesser-known accounts instead of just big brands.

Additionally, to find someone on Snapchat is an uphill task as you must know their exact handle. But Instagram simplifies things by offering a simpler solution – search through a user handle or actual name, and it will provide a list of suggested profiles right away.

Additional traffic

One basic objective of any business on social media is to create brand recognition and drive sales. However, you need to identify the platform that works best for your industry. Otherwise, what’s the point?

While Instagram was the first to the table, Snapchat introduced its linking feature in July of 2017. While both platforms now allow you to add an external link in your stories, Instagram has the first mover advantage. Also, since brand building is easier when your content doesn’t periodically disappear, Instagram Stories get 15-25% swipe through rates for brands.

 

User-friendly

Let’s be honest, no one wants to use a complicated application. The Snapchat interface is intimidating for the first time user, which is a major barrier to its success. Instagram, on the other hand, is more intuitive and everyone enjoys using it.

Brands generally prefer Instagram because they already have dedicated followers on the platform. They can also leverage analytics regarding their post performances, and follower engagement, giving them a fair idea of how to position future content.

Additionally, users who have been following a brand for a while, know what to expect in terms of content. That way you can be sure to put out information that will be received well by your base.

Lastly, the biggest advantage of Instagram Stories lies in its ease of access. There are multiple ways for followers to get to your stories. For example, when they view your profile, a click on your profile picture will pull up your latest Live and Story updates. Similarly, when an image post appears on their feed, users can engage with the post, or view your Story by clicking the profile image.

Instagram is not only mobile friendly but also works on the web. This allows you to focus on growth rather than building an account from scratch.

Now that you have an overview of both it’s time for you to consider the advantages of both the options and choose what works for you.