Earlier this month, Instagram launched their new feature: Instagram Stories. For those familiar with Snapchat and that app’s own “Stories” feature, Instagram Stories will feel almost identical. For those who have not yet dabbled into Snapchat, Instagram Stories provides a user-friendly introduction to the world of rapidly expiring media content.
However, Instagram Stories is more than just a clone of Snapchat’s Stories feature, even if it feels so at first glance. Learn the differences of each and what their advantages are by reading on.
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How Instagram Stories Works
In order to help orient you to Instagram Stories, we will first explain how the feature works under the assumption that you have never used Snapchat before.
Unlike normal Instagram, your Instagram Stories content gets automatically deleted 24 hours after posting. Users also see Stories content back-to-back in an autoplay mode, allowing your brand to squeeze in messaging that gets automatically consumed while the audience passively watches.
While the limited lifespan of these posts may seem like a disadvantage, it has a profound effect on how content is consumed. Users engage with the content once and react to it personally rather than with activities like “hearting” the post or commenting on it.
The result of this shift in consumption creates a fun, low-stakes environment for both content publishers and consumers. A brand can post 20 videos in a row of staff goofing around at the office, for instance, without having to clutter up their actual Instagram feed with unpolished, same-y content. Therefore, that brand gets the best of both worlds: fun, disposable content with Stories and well-thought-out permanent content with regular Instagram.
Instagram Stories also lend themselves to experimentation, such as giving out coupons that expire within 24 hours that spur action from customers.
How Instagram Stories is Different than Snapchat Stories
The description above also applies to how Snapchat works, almost to a tee. Differentiators for Snapchat include its “filters” feature, which applies graphics or literal color filters in order to create wacky or whimsical additions to what would otherwise be a mundane image or video.
Instagram Stories does not have “filters,” but for brands that may be a good thing. Instead of posting the same dog faces and flower crowns users have seen daily, brands are pressed to express creativity within the content itself.
Another advantage to Instagram Stories over Snapchat is that navigating stories is so much more simple for users. The interface is intuitive, and even allows users to rewatch a Stories post provided that the 24-hour period has not yet ended.
Of course, companies with a large Instagram following can leverage their audience base in order to get a jumpstart with Stories. As mentioned earlier, they can play to the individual strengths of each format in order to best communicate to their followers.
Finally, the similarity between Instagram Stories and Snapchat Stories allows brands to attain competency with both at once. So, if they already use Snapchat Stories, they can just duplicate their strategy. And if they never used Snapchat, learning Instagram Stories will roughly teach them how to master both.
Get Expert Social Media Services in Henderson, Nevada to Become a Stories Pro
No matter which app’s “Stories” feature you prefer, you can entrust the help of a professional social media consultants in Las Vegas to get it right. With our assistance, we can help you set up or revamp your social media accounts and then coach you in order to help you develop your own strategy. Learn how to measure, improve and adapt so you can capture the digital and emotional hearts of your followers.
Take a look at our social media setup and coaching services to get started today.