Why Instagram got it right with Stories.

A year ago when Instagram Stories first dropped they called it "copy cat", didn't expect "older" users to understand it and would probably fail.

1 year on, seems not.

The thing that seemed to be fundamentally underestimated is the social dynamic that instagram had already formed within the social-graph of it's users BEFORE Stories dropped.

That dynamic being 3 fold:

1. You already likely had connected in your Facebook friend list

2. Celebrities and Influencers access for the average user was far higher, and easy to access than on Snap, and more visually engaging that Twitter

3. UX - Instagram was already a platform with an established user interaction of liking / commenting and replying that married the "Feed" view Facebook's users were familiar with, and then added the "Capture" view that Snap users had become au fait with too.

As the battle continues it seems Instagram continue to prove that advertising features, scale and the crucial data from Facebook's underlying machinery makes them the more obvious choice to reach a broader range of consumers.

Snapchat continue to innovate in AR, Messaging and now in commerce with link-embeds to Snaps - there is still room in the market, and the captive Millenial/Gen Z audience they have snared early on may well continue to mature with the platform.

Hardware like Spectacles have largely been seen as virtue signalling for the power-users of Snap's core products, but there is plenty room left to go with avenues such as other wearables, 360 video, live streaming and of course the deeper integration of AR markers into real world location.

So maybe it's just the 2017 turtle and the hare - but right now that hare is out pretty far in front.

For more, check out:

https://uk.businessinsider.com/instagram-stories-has-emerged-as-a-clear-favorite-for-marketers-over-snapchat-2017-8?r=US&IR=T