When Snapchat came on the social media scene it exploded in popularity due to its ability to build a bridge between what was available through social media and what wasn’t. It also played to the voyeuristic nature of conscientious consumers. Through Snapchat’s “stories” businesses and business owners could allow sneak peak into their day and operations. Trust between consumers and purveyors is more important than ever; Snapchat’s ability to make an easy, simple and visually stimulating social outlet made that connection stronger. Businesses needed to tell their brand’s story effectively, and as we know, a brand is pretty much everything that is said about your business and the content you’re giving them. Snapchat had this area on lock. That is, until Instagram brought their own “story” version into the mix just this week. Cue the dramatic music—we’ve got a duel on our social scenes! Memes were quick to pick up on the almost ‘slap-in-the-face’ move that Instagram pulled on Snapchat.
More users and businesses use Instagram, and were reluctant to delve into the Snapchat world. Now, it seems there’s a very limited need to use Snapchat at all! Or is there? Here’s the deal, look through the elements of both Snapchat and Instagram; what do they have in common? Stories. People and businesses are telling their stories, because people want to see them! Instagram’s new feature is incredible.
How It Works
If you’ve checked it out, you’ll see a scrolling bar across the top of your iPhone screen indicating the friends that have created “stories”, look the the left and you’ll see a ‘plus’ sign—click on that (after you’ve allowed access to the microphone and video of course) and you’re ready to start and share your 24-hour look into your world through a short video. It’s basic, doesn’t continuously clog up the newsfeed and unlike Snapchat, it offers a much simpler way of getting through these stories without watching every single one and meticulously sliding your thumb in hopes that you don’t accidentally message someone (embarrassing).
Is Snapchat Over?
Here’s the social media rub, Snapchat still has the Geofilters (those nifty little frames and additions that let your audience know where you’re at and what you’re doing—it’s a stress free way to look like a explorative member of society. And the selfie lens with added filters are still a big hit. Does this mean that Snapchat is over? No. Snapchat has an interface that many are familiar with, and may be preferable to many users—you can always download your video to your phone and upload to Instagram. Businesses can use these platforms in harmony and get the most out of each of them!
The common them and what businesses and brands should take away is this: your platform through which to tell your story has never been bigger. But, neither has your competition. Now is the time to not only post crafted content, but to seek and objectively find ways to remain relevant and timely with your posts and curations. Need help with that? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. At Visual Caffeine, telling brand stories and helping you tell them well is kind of our obsession. Give us a call if you’re ready to take a big next step in your brand storytelling!