Snapchat just went public and over the last couple years, marketers have tried to get a piece of Snapchat’s excellent engagement rates. But here’s the issue – users don’t want to use Snapchat to interact with brands. It’s personal. If you’re looking to create a branded ‘Story,’ use Instagram.
It is clear that Instagram copied Snapchat’s Story feature, however, that doesn’t mean that there weren’t improvements. Instagram Stories work better than Snapchats for three main reasons: Instagram users are more likely to follow brands, Instagram Stories are public, and Instagram Stories are positioned better in the app.
Customers Love Brands on Instagram; Snapchat, Not so Much
Snapchat is highly engaging, but it’s more of a messaging app than one for content discovery. 87% have never purchased items they saw on Snapchat, and of the 13% who had, 11% said it was only rarely. Further, 64% don’t even follow celebrities. If users are not interested in celebs on the social platform, then they are even less likely to have an interest in branded content.
Meanwhile, Instagram, run by Facebook, has perfected their ads and is the highest of any platform in terms of brand follows – 53%. You’ll have a much easier time getting customers to follow your Instagram page than Snapchat , so this means more traffic to your Instagram Story.
ANYONE Can View Your Instagram Story
Your Instagram Story is public, whereas Snapchat users need to add brands to view their Story (an additional step). Potential customers or followers can check out your story before following your page. But this leaves Snapchat at a great disadvantage, because following a new page can feel like a commitment. If they’re not ready to take that step with your brand, then they will never view your great content. Snapchat’s privacy is great for personal accounts, but it’s not as advantageous for branded accounts.
Instagram Better Positions Stories In-App
Snapchat is difficult to navigate, whereas Instagram is pretty straight-forward. More importantly, Instagram Stories are at the top of an Instagram Feed, above any new pictures and videos, so they stand out. When your brand uploads a story, it will likely be seen.
Proof in the Numbers
Nike received 800,000 views on one Instagram Story, compared to 60,000 on the same video on Snapchat. To be fair, it was the first day Instagram Stories existed, so there was some novelty in using the feature, but that shows you the potential is far greater on Instagram than Snapchat.
