2 Months Later | Snapchat Stories vs. Instagram Stories

An evaluation of Instagram's Story feature over sixty days later

When Instagram stories were initially released, people were thrilled. Users could connect with their favorite bloggers, photographers, artists, etc. on a continuous stream throughout the day and allowed a more behind-the-scenes look at the photos being shared...

But people were also very confused—why is Instagram making stories when Snapchat already has that covered? Is Snapchat going to survive? Will Snapchat die? 

After seeing how influencers and brands have adapted to Instagram's Story feature, I think Instagram and Snapchat will be able to coexist just fine. So many bloggers and celebrities were posting so much content on both Snapchat and Instagram over the course of Fashion Month, yet it didn't feel like oversharing.

No app is going to die—there's enough room in the digital marketplace for both.

On Snapchat, I have 60ish friends. Most of them are actually friends in real life, then the rest of them are a handful of brands and celebrities that I love.  A lot of my posts are more personal and meant for my friends, typically people who I went to high school or college with who know more personal details of my life, my sense of humor... Anyone who I accept as a friend on Snapchat is someone I trust enough to not badmouth my after-hours shenanigans in a professional setting. 

On Instagram, I have 500ish followers and follow over 777 accounts. I've had my Instagram account for five years and amassed followers who are style bloggers, boutiques, digital PR houses, as well as friends. There's a good fraction of followers who are also local brands or businesses from places I have visited. My Instagram account is still personal, but it is definitely curated more carefully than my Snapchat. I treat Instagram more as an artistic portfolio, an extension of my aesthetic and an industry research tool. 

If I were to break down the main difference between Snapchat and Instagram, I would argue that Snapchat relies on cultivating a more playful, more honest interaction and Instagram is a more creative, constructed display. The "story" feature on each platform simply magnifies its respective message.

The News feature on Snapchat reduces risk of being rendered obsolete, because it elevates the users' experience by providing information from news outlets or digital brands—if anything, that impedes the users' likelihood of hopping onto Facebook or Twitter to scroll through a ranked feed. 

It's possible that one could post the same content on both Snapchat and Instagram—or even could ditch one for the other completely—but where's the fun in that? 

How to Approach Social Media During a Crisis

When it comes to handling a brand's social media during a time of crisis, there are two best approaches.

Option #1: Say something nice and relevant...

Share the trending images or graphics associated with the event that are already all over social media. It's okay if everyone else is sharing it. If anything, it's almost a digital display of community, a way of unifying brands in difficult times and showing compassion.

If you want to remain conscious of your brand image, but still show a sign of solidarity, then create your own custom graphic by including relevant imagery and/or trending hashtags or quotes.

Option #2: Or nothing at all.

The alternate attitude to sharing the same content is not to share anything. Keep your social media channels on radio silent for at least 24 hours. Cancel any scheduled content you may have queued up in Hootsuite or Facebook for sales, events or other promotions. Refrain from doing your daily floor lays, even as beautiful as they may be.

Why? The reason is simple—your brand will look appear aloof, insensitive or incompetent otherwise.

When your brand is on a digital platform—a resource that can be reached from anywhere with Internet access—you are bestowed a responsibility as a global citizen to be aware of what's happening in the world.

One argument you can make from the optimist-opportunist perspective is that there needs to be other existing content to cheer up your followers' newsfeeds. This is true, but, like all things, there is an appropriate time when it appears the crisis has subsided in the media. 

Even once the crisis "appears" to be over, remember that it still continues even though the news networks have moved onto "the next big thing." Want to show your followers that your brand is compassionate? Dare to genuinely care about what's going on with the world and remind your audience that there are always bigger things happening outside of the digital marketing world you've created.