Marketed by Instagram as a way to let your followers know what you’re up to, without clogging up your own profile, Instagram Stories have launched this week.
Unlike regular Instagram posts, there are no likes or public comments functions, and content posted will disappear after 24 hours. By now you have probably figured out that this concept (and name) seems oddly familiar…
The similarities between Instagram Stories and Snapchat Stories don’t end there. Instagram have also added customisation features to their Stories – including drawing – which are more than a little similar to those that Snapchat is famed for.
Why you might wonder, would Instagram, with four times as many daily users as Snapchat attempt such a blatant copy of their offering? As our blog post last month explained, Snapchat’s rise in popularity has been meteoric and it’s been attributed by many to their unique angle to other social media platforms – candid content with a short shelf life.
By climbing on-board this bandwagon, Instagram certainly appears to be looking for a slice of Snapchat’s success. In adopting Stories it seems the Facebook-owned platform is trying to shake off their reputation as the home of ‘glamour shots’ in favour of more authentic and frequent posting.
It’s understandable that Instagram would want to diversify their offering, but it remains to be seen whether adopting the Snapchat model will pay off.
What do you think of Instagram’s latest (but not most original) offering? Tweet us your thoughts @add_mustard
